Seeking opportunities and developing ideas

Building the capacity to spot opportunities and develop ideas

Brief introduction to the Training Area 1 of EntreComp

The entrepreneurial journey begins with ideas and opportunities

In this module, we explore how entrepreneurial individuals learn to see the world differently. They don’t wait for instructions—they spot needs, dream up solutions, and test ideas that could bring value to others.

These abilities fall under what EntreComp calls “Ideas and Opportunities”—the first area of entrepreneurial competence. We will cover five foundational competences:

Spotting Opportunities
Creativity
Vision
Valuing Ideas
Ethical and Sustainable Thinking

Competence 1: Spotting opportunities

Seeing what others seems to miss…

Spotting opportunities means identifying challenges, needs, or gaps where value could be created. This competence develops learners’ ability to observe, question, and connect ideas to community needs. It's the first spark in the innovation process.

Students learn to:

Understand what problems matter to people around them
Ask critical “why” and “what if” questions
Tune into signals that others ignore—like waste, inefficiency, or inequality

Training activities for spotting opportunities

Turn on your “entrepreneurial” antennas!

1. Opportunity Safari	2. Trend and dynamics mapping	3. “If I were the Mayor…”	4. Weekly observation logs
Students explore their school or community to document problems—in infrastructure, routines, or services. They reflect: Who is affected? Why hasn’t this been fixed?	Research local economic or social trends (e.g., youth migration, informal labour) and link them to opportunities for small interventions.	Students choose a small public issue and propose realistic improvements—prompting civic thinking and resourcefulness.	For a week, students write down things they find inefficient, confusing, or unfair—then turn complaints into questions.

Learners’ progression model in spotting opportunities

1. Foundation		2. Intermediate		3. Advanced		4. Expert
Relying on support from others		Building independence		Taking responsibility		Driving growth and innovation
Under direct super-vision.	With reduced support from others, some autonomy and together with my peers.	On my own and together with my peers.	Taking and sharing some responsibilities.	With some guidance and together with others.	Taking responsibility for making decisions and working with others.	Taking responsibility for contributing to complex developments in a specific field.	Contributing substantially to the development of a specific field.
*Discover*	*Explore*	*Experiment*	*Dare*	*Improve*	*Reinforce*	*Expand*	*Transform*
Learners begin to notice problems, gaps, or needs in their everyday surroundings.	They observe others’ needs, ask questions, and suggest small improvements.	Learners scan different environments to compare challenges and patterns.	They take initiative to act on an opportunity, even if it involves uncertainty or risk.	They analyse problems in depth and identify more effective or inclusive solutions.	Learners mentor others in spotting value-creating opportunities within systems.	They lead opportunity-mapping in teams or organizations using evidence and trends.	Learners design new ways to identify and act on high-impact, forward-looking opportunities.

Competence 2: Creativity

From imagination to innovation

Creativity in EntreComp isn’t about being artistic—it’s about the capacity to generate many solutions, combine ideas, and think differently under pressure or constraints. It fuels the ability to experiment, improvise, and build resilience.

Students learn to:

Approach problems with fresh eyes
Develop unusual but useful ideas
Move from abstract thinking to concrete experimentation

Training activities for creativity

Turn on your “entrepreneurial” antennas!

1. SCAMPER application	2. Promoting the worst-idea-first	3. Objects and items mashups	4. The designer challenge
Students apply the SCAMPER model (Substitute, Combine, Adapt, Modify, Prove, Eliminate, Rectify) to an object or process they see daily (e.g., class attendance).	Generate deliberately bad solutions—then reverse them to spark original ideas.	Combine two unrelated items (e.g., bicycle umbrella) and invent a product or solution.	Within a 1-hour time limit students build a solution that they apply to a problem in their classroom.

Learners’ progression model in creativity

1. Foundation		2. Intermediate		3. Advanced		4. Expert
Relying on support from others		Building independence		Taking responsibility		Driving growth and innovation
Under direct super-vision.	With reduced support from others, some autonomy and together with my peers.	On my own and together with my peers.	Taking and sharing some responsibilities.	With some guidance and together with others.	Taking responsibility for making decisions and working with others.	Taking responsibility for contributing to complex developments in a specific field.	Contributing substantially to the development of a specific field.
*Discover*	*Explore*	*Experiment*	*Dare*	*Improve*	*Reinforce*	*Expand*	*Transform*
Learners understand that there’s more than one way to solve a problem.	They generate multiple ideas and try new ways of combining thoughts or tools.	Learners test out creative techniques to reframe problems and propose alternatives.	They present bold or unusual ideas and are willing to take creative risks.	Learners refine their ideas based on testing, feedback, and usefulness.	They support team creativity and help others overcome creative blocks.	Learners lead innovation by applying creativity across different fields or sectors.	They shape a culture of creativity, challenging norms and redefining what’s possible.

Competence 3: Vision

If you can see it, you can work on it…

Vision means the ability to imagine a future state and define how an idea could contribute to it. Students learn to see beyond the present, articulate their “why,” and connect short-term efforts to long-term impact.

Students learn to:

Think in timelines and cause-effect chains
Express ambition while staying grounded
Inspire others with meaningful outcomes

Training activities for vision

Shape the future while working on the present

1. A letter from the future	2. Back-casting road map	3. Vision boards and images	4. Pitching the future to others
Students write a message from the year 2030, describing how their idea changed their town.	Start with a future goal and work backward to define steps needed to get there.	Cut out images or words from newspapers to create a visual representation of their project’s outcome.	Learners present their idea with a focus on who benefits and how lives are improved.

Learners’ progression model in vision

1. Foundation		2. Intermediate		3. Advanced		4. Expert
Relying on support from others		Building independence		Taking responsibility		Driving growth and innovation
Under direct super-vision.	With reduced support from others, some autonomy and together with my peers.	On my own and together with my peers.	Taking and sharing some responsibilities.	With some guidance and together with others.	Taking responsibility for making decisions and working with others.	Taking responsibility for contributing to complex developments in a specific field.	Contributing substantially to the development of a specific field.
*Discover*	*Explore*	*Experiment*	*Dare*	*Improve*	*Reinforce*	*Expand*	*Transform*
Learners realize that today’s actions can shape tomorrow’s outcomes.	They start imagining what change their ideas could bring in the near future.	Learners plan small steps to turn their vision into reality.	They commit to a meaningful goal and take action to bring others on board.	Learners align their ideas with long-term goals and reflect on progress.	They communicate a clear and inspiring vision that guides team efforts.	Learners connect their vision to broader societal or global challenges.	They create or influence strategic visions that drive systemic change.

Competence 4: Valuing ideas

From a sea of possibilities to the ideas that matter

Valuing ideas teaches learners how to evaluate the potential impact, feasibility, and relevance of their ideas. It strengthens their ability to prioritize, refine, and defend their choices based on real-world logic and purpose.

Students learn to:

Critically compare different ideas using clear and transparent criteria
Defending a choice, articulating why one idea may be more valuable than another
Accept feedback, revise or discard weak ideas, and stay committed to stronger ones

Training activities for valuing ideas

Test it, question it, defend it…

1. Dot and democratic voting	2. Impact-effort matrix	3. Rapid pitch and peer-review	4. Preparing the winning Idea Auction
Each student votes on which group idea they would fund and why.	Students plot their ideas on a graph to identify quick wins vs. long hauls.	3-minute pitches followed by class questions: “What works? What’s missing?”	Each group gets tokens and “bids” on the idea they think has the most impact—sparking discussion and strategic thinking.

Learners’ progression model in valuing ideas

1. Foundation		2. Intermediate		3. Advanced		4. Expert
Relying on support from others		Building independence		Taking responsibility		Driving growth and innovation
Under direct super-vision.	With reduced support from others, some autonomy and together with my peers.	On my own and together with my peers.	Taking and sharing some responsibilities.	With some guidance and together with others.	Taking responsibility for making decisions and working with others.	Taking responsibility for contributing to complex developments in a specific field.	Contributing substantially to the development of a specific field.
*Discover*	*Explore*	*Experiment*	*Dare*	*Improve*	*Reinforce*	*Expand*	*Transform*
Learners realize that not all ideas are equally useful or realistic.	They compare and reflect on different ideas using basic reasoning.	Learners apply simple evaluation tools to choose and improve ideas.	They commit to one idea, defend their choice, and take feedback seriously.	Learners prioritize ideas using multiple criteria like impact or feasibility.	They help peers refine ideas and guide others in selection processes.	Learners manage and evaluate a range of ideas for innovation projects.	They design new methods to evaluate ideas at organizational or policy level.

Competence 5: Ethical and sustainable thinking

Doing good while doing well

Ethical and Sustainable Thinking is not an “add-on”—it is central to entrepreneurial success in the 21st century. Young learners need to understand that their ideas, however small, can impact ecosystems, communities, equity, and trust.

Students learn to:

Identify ethical dilemmas or environmental risks in a project—even if they’re not obvious at first glance
Rethink and redesign ideas so they are more inclusive, safer, fairer, and more sustainable
Thinking beyond themselves, recognizing the importance of social and environmental responsibility

Training activities for ethical and sustainable thinking

Responsibility as a design principle

1. Stakeholder and target roleplay	2. Triple bottom line test	3. Ethics scenario cards	4. Sustainability re-design
Students take on roles (customer, neighbour, investor, nature!) and debate a project’s impact.	Evaluate ideas using People, Planet, Profit criteria.	Dilemmas such as “Use cheap labour or delay production?” spark deep classroom debates.	Take an idea and redesign it to reduce waste or improve social inclusion.

Learners’ progression model in ethical and sust. thinking

1. Foundation		2. Intermediate		3. Advanced		4. Expert
Relying on support from others		Building independence		Taking responsibility		Driving growth and innovation
Under direct super-vision.	With reduced support from others, some autonomy and together with my peers.	On my own and together with my peers.	Taking and sharing some responsibilities.	With some guidance and together with others.	Taking responsibility for making decisions and working with others.	Taking responsibility for contributing to complex developments in a specific field.	Contributing substantially to the development of a specific field.
*Discover*	*Explore*	*Experiment*	*Dare*	*Improve*	*Reinforce*	*Expand*	*Transform*
Learners start noticing when something is unfair or harmful.	They ask how their ideas affect others and the environment.	Learners adapt their ideas to make them more ethical and inclusive.	They speak up about issues and defend responsible decisions.	Learners intentionally design solutions that benefit people and planet.	They influence teams to think ethically and sustainably in their work.	Learners embed responsible thinking into larger strategies or systems.	They lead initiatives that shift cultures or policies toward equity and sustainability.

Recap & integration

Entrepreneurial eyes, creative minds and ethical hearts!

Learners now understand how to:

Observe their environment
Generate fresh, new and innovative ideas
Envision expected and undesired outcomes
Choose wisely the best value-adding idea among those possible
Act (and react) with integrity, compassion and emotional intelligence

Reflection’ trigs for trainers

Which competences bloom in your classroom?

Please take some time to reflect on the following:

Which of these competences are already present in your teaching?....
Which ones feel most challenging to implement?...
How can these competences be connected to technical training?...

Share:

Building the capacity to spot opportunities and develop ideas

Partners