M2 Transnational Meeting 2 in Sterna, Greece

Verti4You Transnational Meeting 2 – Sterna, Greece

On September 17, 2022, the Verti4You consortium gathered for the Second Transnational Partner Meeting (TPM2) at Hopeland, close to Sterna, Greece. Hosted by Hopeland, this in-person meeting brought together the eight project partners to assess progress, refine strategies, and coordinate the next phases of the project, even more focused on vertical farming for youth in rural and urban communities.

The meeting agenda covered key milestones achieved since the Kick-off Meeting, including discussions on the progress of Results 1 (Vertical Farming Training Pack) and Result 2 (Social Entrepreneurship Training Pack). Partners discussed intensly on the implementation of vertical farming modules, defining the systems to be used in upcoming learning, teaching, and training activities (C1-C5). Many issues included module placement, power and water requirements, and nutrient solutions, ensuring that practical training can be well-prepared for future participants.

Additionally, partners discussed about ways to maximize the project’s impact and how to help young NEETs to benefit on vertical farming economic opportunities. The discussion extended to stakeholder engagement, dissemination strategies, and updates to the project website and branding, including the redesign of the Verti4You logo.

One of the major outcomes of TPM2 was the finalization of the training event calendar for 2023, setting specific dates for the C1-C5 training sessions. Project monitoring, risk assessment, and financial and legal aspects were discussed, to ensure smooth implementation in the upcoming months.

During the meeting was presented the possible collaboration with SC Fresh Microgreens S.R.L., which could contribute to developing the vertical farming training modules for NEETs and disadvantaged youth. The consortium also accelerated work on the training manuals for both Vertical Farming and Social Entrepreneurship, reinforcing the project’s commitment to delivering high-quality learning materials. By the end of the meeting, it was clear that the design of the vertical productive modules will need to be addapted to each location, as the remotness of Hopeland location rasied concerned about how high-tech modules could work without constant electricity and WiFi connection.

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M3 Transnational Meeting hosted in Sofia, virtual

On February 6, 2023, the Verti4You consortium convened for the Third Transnational Partner Meeting (TPM3), hosted by the University of Forestry in Sofia, Bulgaria. This online meeting was the project milestone in reviewing the project’s implementation status and ensuring progress on key project deliverables.

The meeting introduced new team members, further strengthening the consortium’s expertise. The most important succes story was joining forces with SC Microgreens SRL on the development of vertical farming modules, with Microgreens presenting a structured approach to designing the vertical modules and an ideal training-of-trainers (ToT) setup for the soon upcoming March session. The discussion raised technical requirements, including production spaces, environmental control factors, and system flexibility, to ensure efficient and adaptable vertical farming solutions.

Project partners discussed in detailed the plans for the upcoming C1-C5 training events, focusing on budgeting, logistics, and content development. The idea of 1-on-1 Zoom meeting was introduced to allow each NGO partner hosting a Youth training to coordinate specific implementation details directly with Microgreens, ensuring clarity in the training infrastructure setup.

The meeting also addressed dissemination efforts, emphasizing the need for effective promotion and stakeholder engagement. Updates were provided on already realised communication and dissemination events, as well as website management, project branding, and the new logo design. The communication and outreach strategy was refined to enhance the project’s visibility and impact.

A significant achievement of TPM3 was the establishment of a new collaboration in Bulgaria – a partnership with a center for children with cancer, which will integrate vertical farming solutions to provide healthy, nutritious food. This collaboration aligns with Verti4You’s mission to support social entrepreneurship and inclusivity. Additionally, discussions covered financial evaluation, quality management, and reporting deadlines, ensuring compliance with Erasmus+ funding requirements. Partners reviewed expenditure levels and the preparation of the midterm report due on March 17, 2023.

By the end of the meeting, all partners had a clearer roadmap for project implementation and the following mid-term reporting.

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M4 Transnational Meeting in Pignola, Italy

On October 17, 2023, the Verti4You consortium gathered for the Fourth Transnational Partner Meeting (TPM4) in Pignola, Potenza, Italy, hosted by World Net. This meeting served as a key milestone to assess the implementation of the first three youth trainings and to analyse the last steps to be taken for a succesful implementation.

An overview of Pignola, its heritage and historical value, but also the social coesion and community characteristics were first presented, in order to better understand the shift that the youth training took in Pignola. Discusions around this topic were intense, in order to beter organise the training from Bulgaria. Italian partner introduced the local context and the project coordinator provided a detailed update on the project’s progress, highlighting the evolution of the Ultragreens partnership and the lessons learned from the three completed training events (C1 in Romania, C2 in Greece, and C3 in Italy).

The TPM4 was focused on the evaluation of the training activities. Each partner reflected on their experiences, challenges, and successes in implementing vertical farming and entrepreneurship modules. The Bulgarian team provided insights into their team’s contributions to the training manuals for Lik, while the Bulgarian NGO shared their efforts in attracting new participants interested in sustainable agriculture. The Greek partner showcased their expertise and possible support in non-formal education, detailing the importnace of fostering eco-conscious learning environments while the Romanian NGO discussed about sustainability-focused initiatives and volunteer engagement.
Discussion were also focused on outlining the key project milestones and indicators that were achieved.

The schedule of the TPM5 meeting, online, hosted by FoRC, was decided and the Multiplayer Event schedule was also agreed, ensuring local dissemination activities in each partner country. The meeting also included a review of project deliverables (PR1 & PR2), an evaluation of training impact through participant surveys, and a discussion on ensuring ongoing online support for youth trainees. The completion of the vertical farming and social entrepreneurship training manuals, considering the new changes requested by the trainings in Greece and Italy were evaluated.

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M5 Transnational Meeting in Harja, Romania, virtual

On January 29, 2024, the Verti4You consortium gathered online for the Fifth Transnational Partner Meeting (TPM5), hosted by FoRC Romania. This meeting was the final gathering of the project’s partners before the project end and the submission of final report. transnational coordination, focusing on the completion of deliverables, financial reporting, and dissemination activities within the Erasmus+ KA220-YOU project on Vertical Farming for youth in rural and urban communities.

The meeting opened with a brief recap of discussions from TPM4 in Italy, emphasizing the organization of the Multiplier Events (ME) in each partner country. Disscussions were held around the need for structuring the overall ME framework, ensuring alignment with Erasmus+ guidelines (how `mandatory` is to follow the participant structure for each event, as declared in the proposal – 15 local participants, 5 non-local participants, and 60 digital attendees and whether the National Agency (NA) permits redistribution of these funds according to the actual attendence).

Another important topic was the finalization of the project’s video documentation. The video aims to document horticultural processes and highlight the various vertical farming systems developed throughout the project training events. Scripts should be according each trainig that took place in Bucharest and Harja (Romania), Lik (Bulgaria), Hopeland (Greece), and Pignola (Italy ). All partners were required to upload their contributions by February 9, 2024.

Discussions raised about the translation in the five languages of the handbooks. A dedicated meeting was scheduled for February 2, 2024, with Roxana, Oana, Iulia, Maka, and Victor to finalize its content. The consortium set a series of deadlines to ensure its timely delivery.

The financial management section of the meeting addressed budget reallocations. Discussions raised about the budget of the participants who could not participate, leaving a budget surplus capable of supporting additional people or additional training. Various options were proposed to optimize the remaining funds: organizing an additional training activity in Romania, conducting online training sessions, or hosting an in-person activity in Italy. Partners were urged to verify participant lists, submit invoices for Exceptional Costs, and consolidate all dissemination efforts by January 30, 2024.

A sensitive disscusion on TPM5 was the decision to extend the project timeline until October 31, 2024, allowing additional time for final activities, reporting, and impact evaluation. This extension ensures that all Multiplier Events, training modules, and dissemination efforts can be prformed with maximum efficiency and outreach. The next steps will focus on closing financial and administrative tasks, consolidating results, and finalizing dissemination strategies to maximize the project’s lasting impact.

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M6 Closing Meeting, in Pignola, Italy.

On January 19-20, 2025, the Verti4You consortium gathered in Pignola, Potenza, Italy, for the Final Transnational Partner Meeting (TPM6). Hosted by World Net, this concluding meeting was the last one of the project `Vertical Farming for youth in rural and urban communities`. The meeting took place just ten days before the official project end, being the moment of feedback, evaluation, financial and managerial discussions, and discussions on follow-up projects. The TPM was organised together with an additional event, the seminar C6 – IT- Good practices in HE, RDI & NGO collaboration in Youth programs – Italy, that also promise an aditional result, R3, a booklet on Good practices in HE, RDI & NGO collaboration in Youth programs. Lessons learned.

The meeting started in the afternoon of January 19 with a project-wide evaluation session, where representatives from all partner institutions and NGOs reflected on the overall implementation and impact of the project. Partners reviewed the Digital Training Packs, the development and execution of the Learning, Teaching, and Training (LTT) activities, and the business model frameworks aimed at supporting NEET youth in vertical farming entrepreneurship. The discussion also analysed the strengths and challenges encountered during project execution, highlighting lessons learned that could be applied to future Erasmus+ initiatives, by the partners, or by any other interezsted party.

A brainstorming session was organised to propose, structure, and analyze a potential follow-up, a new Erasmus+ projects inspired by the outcomes of Verti4You. This session allowed partners to exchange ideas on what should have still been addressed and developped in the project, but was not forseen from the begining, and also what the youth asked for. A general conclusion was that academia needs to improve its non-formal education strategies, and expanding training models, that youth workers need to be more connected to the scientific knowledge and content, as the youth are very sensitive now to usful information offered in a non-formal way and that the NGOs need to fostere greater stakeholder engagement. Each project concept was peer-reviewed and debated to assess feasibility, strengths, and areas for improvement.Topics such as urban agriculture, digital training methodologies, and broader inclusion of disadvantaged youth in entrepreneurial initiatives were seen as priority themes.There was a collective commitment to maintaining the active network established through Verti4You, to use the experience gained to enhance future international cooperation in youth education and sustainable farming practices.

On January 20, the morning session was dedicated to financial and administrative closure, ensuring that all project documentation, final reports, and budget allocations were fully aligned with Erasmus+ requirements and all partners will upload these documents in the project drive. The meeting included an in-depth review of the project’s financial performance, focusing on finalizing reimbursement claims, evaluating budget utilization, and ensuring all deliverables were completed. A major outcome of this session was the agreement on the final structure of the “Good practices in HE, RDI & NGO collaboration in Youth programs. Lessons learned booklet,” the additional deliverable compiling key learnings from the project, designed to support future Erasmus+ KA220 project coordinators. This was a challenging decision, as the time to finalise this output was very short.

With this final transnational meeting, the Verti4You project successfully wrapped up its three-year journey, leaving behind a training framework, tested vertical farming business models, and a strengthened consortium ready for future challenges. The outcomes and materials developed will continue to support the youth beyond the project’s formal completion.

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