About Freelancers Week.
The European Parliament calls the Member States to recognise and support freelance workers as a vital force in economic recovery. It believes that freelancers should be treated as a unique subset of micro businessess. It calls for measures to be taken to minimise the burden of regulation and to encourage freelancers in launching/growing independent businessess and to promote lifelong learning for this group.
Background Story
#European Freelancers Week was created in 2016 by a group of activists from several EU freelancers organisations who felt it was time independent workers across Europe got their own similar events to that of the IPSE’s National Freelancers Day in the United Kingdom. The idea was to create a single week in which many events would take place in different cities across Europe with the common goal of bringing together independent professionals under a common theme and branding. Events could be proposed by anybody, as long as they gave freelancers the chance to inspire, connect, learn, promote, co-create and get active. Today the European Freelancers Week (#EFWeek) is the largest annual celebration of the independent workforce, showing millions of Europeans how to discover the benefits of the Freelance Economy; has a direct reach to 3.6 million (approximate) freelance workers; and is coordinated by a strong coalition of national freelancers’ associations across 11 European countries, namely Belgium, Croatia, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Spain, United Kingdom, and Sweden.
Advancing the life of Independents
Freelancing can be rewarding, liberating and exciting. But it can also be unpredictable, isolating and scary. That's why independence should join together through events, coworking spaces and freelancers organisations. European freelancers week is a chance for independent workers to come together to network, learn, listen and laugh. Events across the week will help freelancers feel connected to a bigger movement, one that is growing every day as more people join the independent workforce. Freelancers should also consider joining a national organisation that represents their interests on a political level.
Connecting the Movements
Did you know that there are 14 organisations representing independent professionals in 10 European countries? Their mission is to improve the status of freelancers through lobbying and advocacy as well as support them in daily operations. At the same time, there are more than 10,000 coworking spaces worldwide that have been regularly used by thousands of freelancers. The European Freelancers Week is an opportunity for both the Freelancers' movement and Coworking Movement to form a coalition for mutual benefit. Freelancers and Coworking spaces are naturally driven to each other and can create major impact on the future models of work!
Freelancers week.
- Past Editions​
2018 - 3rd #EFWeek Edition
2019 - 4th #EFWeek Edition
2020 - 5th #EFWeek Edition
#EFWeek Supporters
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Gold Sponsors
Supporting #EFWeek 2018
Silver Sponsors
Supporting #EFWeek 2018
Bronze Sponsors
Supporting #EFWeek 2018
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Key Partners
Dissemination, Media and Tech
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Be a part of professional community
Learn More about Coworking Movement
Accessibility​
You can work from anywhere in the world if you choose to. Coworking spaces and coworkers are here to welcome you.​
Openness​
As a Coworker you are encouraged to openly communicate your needs, views, and opinions, both professional and personal ones.​
Collaboration
Coworking spaces nurture collaboration rather than competition, allowing you to share resources, knowledge and strengthen your skillset.
Community
Use the opportunity to surround yourself with the minded professionals who will support your efforts to become the best version of yourself.
Sustainability
Coworking sustainability rests on the success of each individual member. Social capital generation is equally important as a stable upkeep.
What's Coworking and the Coworking Movement?
Coworking is a concept defined by a set of core values that advocate for collaboration, autonomy, transparency and community. Acting as an alternative solution to previous workplace structures, often associated with isolated offices and long working hours, coworking spaces are designed to be open, offering basic amenities and a shared space where independent professionals can come together to work in a flexible and communal setting. Coworking’s popularity grew alongside the rise of the freelancers movement, becoming a platform synonymous with independent success. While coworking spaces may cater to different types of members, from artists, remote workers, techies, startups and everything in between, almost all coworking spaces are built upon a foundation of the movement’s core values.
Today, with close to 10,000 Coworking spaces worldwide, which are home to half a million Coworkers, the movement has showed no sign of slowing down. Coworking has contributed to the rise of digital nomadism, coliving, cotraveling, the freelancers movement and also a shift towards integrating more social practices within traditional workplace culture.
The European Coworking Assembly
#EFWeek is owned and project managed by the European Coworking Assembly (ECA), a non-profit organisation that supports and promotes coworking, its values and its benefits across the continent.
The ECA has a European identity in the broadest sense of the word and is based on the five values of coworking: Community; Openness; Sustainability; Collaboration; and Accessibility.
The ECA also serves as the one point of contact between independent coworking in Europe and the entrepreneurial ecosystem in which it finds itself:
- by using technology to organize and support projects,Â
- by forming partnerships and alliances,Â
- by introducing our members to each other for future alliances based on their goals and values,Â
- by supporting and arranging communication about Coworking in the media and other channels,Â
- and by exploring the best business form in which to achieve our common goals.
