This report concerns the testing of a methodology to assess “inclusive entrepreneurship” business support systems. The study is part of the activities undertaken in the framework of a Community of Practice involving Belgium, Germany, Portugal, Spain and Wales. It concerns the testing of an instrument based on an Excel spreadsheet and that will be further referred below as “tool”. The testing of the tool was developed by national experts within this Community of Practice. It aimed at identifying the strengths and challenges of this diagnostic device, as a support for the Policy Forum, in Hannover.

In Portugal, the tool was tested in a “distressed urban area” of Lisbon where an Equal project explicitly tries to experiment with innovative approaches to “inclusive entrepreneurship”.