UP Collective (formerly known as Ice Academy)

We have teamed up with our friends at The Entrepreneurial Refugee Network (TERN)—a group of dedicated, pioneering social entrepreneurs—to see how we could help them in getting people who arrived as refugees back into business AND figure out how to remove some of the barriers they face when entering the job market.

So, together, we started the UP Collective programme (formerly known as Ice Academy) in 2017, an innovative model which works with people to develop their business ideas along with entrepreneurship training, mentoring and part-time employment. The programme works with people to build some of the practicalities needed to start a business; like access to finance, networks and the tools needed to put their creative ideas into action. UP Collective participants already have ingenuity, ideas and the experiences from their home countries, and UP Collective’s goal is to provide the tools, opportunities and resources to empower refugees and newcomers to rebuild their lives.

As of the 2022 Graduation, the UP Collective has already supported 362 entrepreneurs in France, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom together with our partners TERN, PLACE, DELITELABS and Caritas. Thank you for being our partners in this journey! We are so proud of UP Collective and all that the alumni members have achieved so far!

Our programme, formerly known as Ice Academy, has undergone a rebrand in 2022 and our new brand UP Collective embodies our values and represents our community of alumni and partners. We are no longer just a programme, but now also a community of members, new and old, who have amazing ideas and can add value beyond our wildest dreams when we got all of this started in 2017.

Here's a little video about our Up Collective programme, back when it was known as Ice Academy. Same great ingredients, different name.

Quote:

“I took all the learnings from the program to become a personal branding consultant. Without the program, it would’ve taken me so much longer to figure out what exactly I wanted to do. I’m super grateful for this program.”

Aiva, Alumni,
UP Collective Graduate 2021
Netherland

Quote:

“By working with entrepreneurs from UP collective as a business we are also able to learn; support the causes we believe in and walk the talk with regards our values which brings credibility with our fans old and new.”

Elif Ulun Asci
Ben & Jerry’s
Social Mission Programme Manager for Europe

“Everyone at some point needs to be given a chance, a leg up, a kickstart, and businesses have an incredible opportunity to help provide that. Whilst this is only one small step, we as a business hope this programme might be the foundation that people need in going on to fulfil their potential and help put their futures back in their own hands.”

Fatma
Up Collective Graduate 2018
London

Remember - same great ingredients, different name. Here's a little video about our Up Collective programme, back when it was known as Ice Academy.

Want to hear more about some of the cool projects Up Collective participants have been doing? Check out the cool co-creation Sunny Honey Home!

UP Collective places alumni at the front of storytelling about the programme. Now, through the brand new UP Collective website, we have a new way of getting these stories to you - check out our story collection here and sign up to our Newsletter here for periodic news & opportunities to get involved with UP Collective.