TU Dublin Wins EU Funding for Entrepreneurship Programme for Prisoners

Published: 21 Oct, 2021

As part of a consortium led by the University of Saarland (Germany), TU Dublin has recently won substantial funding to develop entrepreneurship programmes for prisoners.

This project aims to create a novel and integrated training approach to entrepreneurship for prisoners. Starting with an in-depth analysis of challenges facing prisoners’ and ex-prisoners in starting a business after release, it will develop three digital teaching modules geared towards reintegration into society, plus modules relating to the psychological mindset of an entrepreneur and the business approach to entrepreneurship.

 The Principal Investigator for TU Dublin is Prof Tom Cooney, and he will be supported by Martina Brophy (Senior Research Assistant). Tom and Martina are already working on four other EU funded projects, which involve developing entrepreneurship education in Albania, research and innovation strategies in universities in South America, and two projects relating to improving HEI community engagement activities in European universities. These projects are supported by six PhD students who are undertaking research regarding entrepreneurship in marginalised and disadvantaged communities.