iq consult works as an agency for social innovation based in Berlin and the Federal States of Brandenburg and Saxonia-Anhalt. Since 1994, we have developed projects in the range of start up advice, social entrepreneurship, regional development and cultural consulting.
Our aim is social innovation. We approach this entrepreneurial. The advisory approach used by iq consult is to increase the business starter’s ability to act and solve problems on their own.
Business start up advice & Inclusive Entrepreneurship
Given the current development on the labour market, for many people starting their own business represents an alternative to other forms of employment or even the only alternative to unemployment. Self-employment therefore is increasingly interesting even to those who do not fit into the classical image of an entrepreneur. Obviously not everyone is able to become self-employed, not every business idea is viable. But in the understanding of inclusive entrepreneurship, everyone – even those living under disadvantaged circumstances – should have the opportunity to consider starting their own business. Therefore, target group specific support systems are necessary.
To enable people from all groups of society to start their own business has been a central objective of iq consult since 1997. Within the field of business start-up advice, iq consult has developed the following projects for special target groups: enterprise (start-up advice for young unemployed people), enterability (helping people with disabilities to become self-employed) and a project on start-up advice for migrants.
Social Innovation
Social innovations are different from economic innovations: they are not focussed on the development or implementation of new forms of production or techniques respectively to a better market penetration, but are rather focussed on the elimination of problems that are caused by failures of either the market or the state. Social entrepreneurs contribute to establish social innovations.
Social Entrepreneurship can therefore be defined as a specific form of entrepreneurship, which is directed towards developing innovative solutions for social problems. The social entrepreneurs are not driven by the market and expected returns, but by tackling social problems.
iq consult is an agency for social innovation. We develop models for the elimination of social problems - mainly in the fields of regional development and inclusive entrepreneurship - and implement them ourselves. In addition, we are working on improving the general conditions for and the dissemination of Social Entrepreneurship with our projects impakt berlin and entersocial as well as through our current initiative to develop a qualification network for social innovation.
Regional development
Almost every part of East Germany is affected by this image: Young and well-educated people move away, leaving behind the elderly as well as those less qualified. If the population declines below a certain level, the grocery stores, manufacturers, cultural organisations, etc. struggle to survive or even have to shut down. Meanwhile, the remaining regional economy is in need of experts in order to maintain their productivities and even sports- and singing clubs or voluntary fire departments are lacking young talent. The problems in the commercial sector lead to chronic deficits of public budgets. In consequence, voluntary benefits, such as the funding of art and culture are reduced to an absolute minimum. Thereby, the region becomes less and less attractive. Due to qualified people migrating out of the area, it is an imminent danger that regional competences fade out and the potential to overcome the structural problems gets lost.
Instead of putting effort into traditional regional development strategies (promotion of economy-related infrastructure, establishment of stimuli, and enforced promotion of investment in structurally challenged regions), iq consult focuses on the region’s endogenous capacities. We support local businesses, initiatives and individuals and develop models to strengthen both the social and entrepreneurial capital in the regions.
Cultural consulting
Nowadays, it is acknowledged that culture and creative industries – hence the arts and cultural sector – plays a vital role for growth, employment, regional development and for the socio-cultural quality of life in a region. Nevertheless, many private as well as public or publicly-funded cultural organisations, artists and cultural workers have to face considerable challenges.How can a theatre survive if cities and areas keep losing population? How can additional revenue be obtained if the public budget is short on money? How can museums agree on a common marketing concept? How can cooperations between businesses and cultural organisations be initiated? How can artists access the market?
iq consult faces these issues together with cultural organisations, both public or private, cultural enterprises, people working self-employed in line of cultural and creative industries, and free-lance artists.
iq consult intermediates between culture, economy and administration. Through targeted consulting, customised qualification programmes and competence building coaching offers, we support people in the cultural and creative industries in developing and stabilising their services.
Awards
Many of our projects have been awarded several times. Nonetheless, we are continuously working on the development and implementation of social innovations aiming to impact and shape social change.
- enterprise: Best Practice OECD (2011)
- Novia Salcedo Foundation Excellence Award: The Basque Foundation awarded Norbert Kunz for his effort against youth unemployment (May 2011).
- Schwab Foundation: Norbert Kunz has been awarded by the Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship as “Social Entrepreneur of Europe” (June 2011) and “Social Entrepreneur of the Year 2010” (December 2010).
- enterability: Outstanding project of the Council for Sustainability (2008)
- enterprise: EU Best Practice (2005 und 2008)
- Bertelsmann-Foundation: iq consult has been awarded with the Bertelsmann Foundation award for outstanding social engagement (February 2009).
- Ashoka: Norbert Kunz is Ashoka Fellow. Ashoka is the first and largest international non-profit organisation to promote Social Entrepreneurship (2007).
