BeeCom, the project that's shaking up the boundaries of communication across Europe!

BeeCom is a European partnership project developed by ESSTEAM (Tourcoing, France), Springtime (Brussels, Belgium), Creative Concern (Manchester, UK), Ecoavantis (Cordoba, Spain) and the IHECS Academy (Brussels, Belgium).

As structures linked to the world of communication, we are aware of the challenges posed by the ecological crisis and the negative impact that our professional activities can have. Each of us has undertaken a number of “responsible communication” initiatives aimed at reducing these impacts across our structures. Our mission is to get you on board this exciting adventure thanks to BeeCom: much more than a project, it’s a movement of communicators committed to more virtuous practices!

On our e-learning platform, you will discover enriching training courses, innovative tools and many other essential resources for learning how to communicate more responsibly, free of charge.

Together, let’s change the rules of the game for a more sustainable communications sector: browse our content on beecom-responsible.com now!

Who are we? 

ESSTEAM is a non-profit association based in Tourcoing in northern France, which has been working for over 30 years to help build a more responsible and caring society. Its mission is to develop and host sustainable social innovation initiatives that respond to the societal challenges expressed by stakeholders in the areas in which it operates. In line with the values of popular education and those of the ESSE (Social, Solidarity and Ecological Economy), the Group defines all its actions around pillars such as the inclusive and responsible digital transition. It is run by its communications agency, Level Up Cluster, which is also the first Job Placement Workshop (Atelier Chantier d’Insertion) in the Hauts-de-France region dedicated to digital professions and the creative industries.

An advocate of (more) responsible communication, Springtime focuses on projects with positive value for people and the planet. Because sustainability is in the agency’s DNA, it anticipates what is credible to communicate and what is not.

As a founding member of the DNS network, Springtime relies on a network of Belgian expertise covering the entire communications spectrum – a dedicated team of multilingual employees, experts in their field, united by shared values. Springtime covers the following areas of expertise: strategy, scientific mediation, storytelling, digital, events, PR, web & graphic design and collective intelligence.

Springtime communication creates commitment. For each campaign and event, the agency encourages participation and experimentation, so that the recipient of a message becomes its ambassador.

Creative Concern is an ethical communications agency founded in 2002 in Manchester, UK. Comprising 25 talented writers, designers, producers, digital and media specialists, the agency applies its expertise to a range of ethical and eco-responsible brands and campaigns around the world. In particular, we work for brands that have a sustainable and responsible stance towards charities and NGOs, local and national governments and a number of universities.

In addition to our Manchester-based team, we work with an extensive European network of eleven partner agencies, enabling us to conceptualise and launch communication campaigns across a very wide area and in different languages. We also have a partner network of 18 South American companies.

We sincerely believe that good communication can make the world a better place, and that’s why we’re proud of what we do.

Ecoavantis is a communications agency specialising in digital tools and visual design for sustainable development and corporate social responsibility.

With 15 years’ experience and a team passionate about sustainable development and communications, Ecoavantis has built bridges, with the support of its customers and employees, to give visibility to ideas that can change the world: websites, sustainable development reports, awareness campaigns, digital platforms, infographics, and much more.

Our highly specialised technical knowledge leads us to believe that visual communication is the key to the success of corporate social responsibility strategies.

IHECS Academy is the continuing education centre attached to the Institut des Hautes Études des Communications Sociales (IHECS) in Brussels. We offer continuing education modules given during the day and at staggered times.

We strive to contribute to the social, economic and cultural progress of society, in keeping with our mission to train the next generation of communications professionals.

IHECS Academy keeps a close eye on professional, technological and social changes in communication, information and the media. Where necessary, it anticipates these changes and makes them a core part of its training offering. For us, the BeeCom project is part of this forward-looking approach.

The BeeCom platform

Eco-design

The BeeCom e-learning platform has been created by applying as far as possible the eco-design principles promoted in our deliverables, such as:

The "Analyze before deciding" best practice :

  • Consideration has been given to users’ needs in order to avoid non-essential functionalities.
  • The UX and UI have been designed to minimise the site’s carbon footprint.

The "Design for everyone" best practice :

  • We have designed an inclusive and accessible site that complies with best practice in digital accessibility and W3C standards.

The "Optimize images and typography" best practice :

  • We have integrated lightweight graphic content using illustrations in .svg format.
  • We chose a maximum of 2 fonts, including a system font to limit the number of requests to the server.

The "Limit plugins and widgets" best practice :

  • We use few plugins and widgets to limit consumption.

These choices have enabled the platform to achieve an eco-score of 64/100, calculated using GreenIT’s EcoIndex tool.

Committed development

The BeeCom e-learning platform has been developed by the Level Up Cluster job placement workshop (Atelier Chantier d’Insertion – ACI), whose aim is to help people who have lost their way in the world of employment to get back into work by offering them a professional activity in the field of digital technology and graphic design. Supported by the IHECS Academy and Studio Colibri, the Level Up Cluster teams have been trained in digital eco-design by applying the methodologies developed in the BeeCom educational deliverables.

Responsible hosting

The BeeCom e-learning platform is hosted free of charge by Infomaniak, the European benchmark for sustainable hosting.

Acknowledgements

We would like to extend our warmest thanks to the talented teams involved in making this e-learning platform an indispensable resource for communicators worldwide. Without them, the BeeCom project would not exist:

Juan Pedro Adamuz, Anthony Barbarich, Clara B., Steve Connor, Zainab Chrorou, Léa Coulomb, Bénédicte D., Miguel Delgado, Thomas Denut, Cristóbal Duarte, Julien Dubois, Alexis E. B., Laure Englebert, Alexandre Frederick, Martha Gilmartin, Jillian Griffiths, Mathieu Jahnich, Christophe Koninckx, Christophe Lesage, Thierry Libaert, Hilario Martins, Clémentine Moallic, Augustin M., Jeanne P., Sophie Tay, Chelsea Vassio.

Our funders

ERASMUS+Funded by the European Union,BeeCom is being co-financed by the European Union as part of the Erasmus+ programme dedicated to adult education, from September 2022 to August 2024.

Funded by the European Union, the views and opinions expressed are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Executive Agency for Education and Culture (EACEA). Nor of the European Union for Education and Culture (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor the EACEA can be held responsible for this.