La promoción de la economía social a través del programa Escuela de Empresas Cooperativas. El caso de la provincia de Huelva

The aim of this article is to analyse the impact of the Business School Programme in the province of Huelva as an instrument for promoting business. To do this we use a theoretical approach to the phenomenon of enterprise creation from the perspective of Incubator Theory, which justifies the role of incubator organisations as a stimulant in attracting new firms. Next, we show the most significant findings obtained from the empirical work carried out in the province of Huelva. In particular, we analyse the essential characteristics of new companies and the entrepreneurs who initiated them, from a study of entrepreneurs’ responses to questionnaires. Finally, the strengths and weaknesses of the program are highlighted, using the data obtained from interviews with directors as well as the information gathered from discussion groups.