Our Research
The entrepreneurship project report.
1
Problem identification & idea selection
Romania has the lowest share of young adults with a university degree in the EU, and the gap is widest for rural and poorer students. In 2024, only 23.2% of 25–34 year-olds in Romania had completed tertiary education, against an EU average of 44.1% and an EU target of 45% (European Commission, 2025).
Comparing Romanian to EU education
| Indicator | Romania | EU average | Year | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tertiary attainment, ages 25–34 | 23.2% | 44.1% | 2024 | (European Commission, 2025) |
| Early school leavers, ages 18–24 | 16.8% | 9.4% | 2024 | (European Commission, 2025) |
| Early leavers in rural areas vs. cities | 26.3% vs. 3.3% | N/A | Latest in report | (European Commission, 2025) |
| 15-year-olds underachieving in maths (PISA) | 48.6% | 29.5% | 2022 | (European Commission, 2025) |
| 15-year-olds underachieving in reading (PISA) | 41.7% | 26.2% | 2022 | (European Commission, 2025) |
| Public spending on education, % of GDP | 3% | 4.7% | 2023 | (Eurostat, 2026) |
| Adults (16–74) with basic digital skills | 27.7% | 55.6% | 2023 | (European Commission, 2025) |
This shows that the gap depends mostly on where you live and your family's income. These differences can be seen in students' test results, access to education, and the resources available to them:
- Rural students scored 119 points lower than urban students in PISA 2022 maths (European Commission, 2025).
- Among the poorest quarter of students, 57.8% lacked basic skills in all three PISA subjects, against 9% of more advantaged students (European Commission, 2025).
- Save the Children Romania estimates the gap between disadvantaged and advantaged students equals about three years of schooling, and it grew by almost a year between 2018 and 2022 (Dumitrescu, 2023).
- In the 2023 National Evaluation at the end of lower-secondary school, 39.56% of rural students scored below 5 (Pora, 2023).
- In 2021, 73% of rural households had internet access, compared with 87% of urban ones (Broken Chalk, 2022).
A key cause for this issue is a result of underfunding. The 2011 education law set a target of 6% of GDP for education. No government has reached it in 30 years, and preliminary figures reported by Peticilă (2025) showed Romania spent 3.4% of their GDP on education in 2023, which ranked 26th of 27 EU countries. It is apparent that even students who reach university struggle, as around half of university students drop out of university before finishing (European Commission, 2025).
This is relevant to those aged 16–18 because that is the age where most people decide their university paths. A student in a village school with weak teaching, no local tutors and slow internet has far fewer ways to catch up than a student in a city. Additionally, depending on their home life and if they need to work to support their family, this can bring additional factors.
Idea selection
After reviewing all the UN Sustainable Development Goals, we landed on education because we felt that, as students, especially those living internationally, we could relate to it on a more personal level. We can see how much a person’s background and opportunities can shape their education, and our desire was to focus on an issue where everyone deserves a fair chance to succeed, regardless of where they come from or how much money their family has. This is why our business idea attempts to even the playing field as much as possible.
Once we had established the problem we wanted to tackle, we decided to narrow our focus to make it more manageable and find a solution that could realistically make a difference. We looked at education across the EU to find a country where these inequalities were especially visible. Romania stood out because it faces challenges across several areas, including university attainment, early school leaving and government spending on education. When zooming into the data, we found that rural and low-income students are particularly affected, which was why we decided to make this our main focus. We chose 16–18 year-olds because they are approaching an important turning point in their education, when preparation for university can make a real difference to their future opportunities.
As much as statistics can give a quantifiable explanation to our issue, we wanted to look beyond the numbers and understand why students in Romania have different educational opportunities. Previous research has explored inequalities in access to education, including differences between regions and vulnerable groups (Mosora & Mosora, 2013). More recently, Petre et al. (2025b) found a clear gap between rural and urban areas in access to high schools, with many rural students having to travel longer distances to reach one. This is the reason for which we decided to focus on students from rural and low-income backgrounds. Through our video interviews and surveys (see fieldwork section), we also want to hear directly from students about the challenges they face and what kind of support would actually help them.
It is important to note that although our main focus is on the students aged 16–18, these outcomes are reflected on the families as a whole. Families also face the challenges of accessing educational support, while universities, future employers and educational organisations, such as Teach for Romania, all have an interest in improving educational opportunities. Considering these stakeholders allowed us to see how our idea could make a difference beyond the individual student.
Combining ideas
We discussed different ways to address educational inequality in Romania.
Considered
An online university
Our original idea was to create an online university, allowing students to access higher education regardless of where they live. However, we realised that online universities already exist and that students might struggle with university-level courses if they lack foundational knowledge. This is a significant concern in Romania, where 48.6% of 15-year-olds lack basic proficiency in mathematics (European Commission, 2025).
Considered
A bus system to cities
Another idea was to create a bus system to transport students from rural communities to larger cities. However, we felt this would be expensive and would not address the underlying educational gaps students face, despite transport being a recognised barrier for rural students (Broken Chalk, 2022).
Selected
Online university-preparation platform
We therefore decided to focus on preparing students for university rather than providing university education itself. Our final idea became an online preparation programme for 16–18-year-olds, particularly those from rural and low-income backgrounds. This online platform allows us to reach students across different regions, although unequal internet access remains a challenge that we would need to consider.
Value of the selected idea
Our idea is an online university-preparatory platform for Romanian teenagers aged 16–18 in rural and economically disadvantaged communities, that offers many components as seen through this website. The goal is that all young students in Romania have the same chance of passing entrance exams and starting university. This platform can generate value because even a small improvement in university entry from rural areas closes a measurable gap in the tertiary attainment rate. Since the content is digital, the cost of reaching one more student is very low and, in conjunction with business partnerships, this platform will be provided with sufficient sources of funds while not having to charge students.
| Who it affects | Value obtained |
|---|---|
| Rural 16–18 year-old students | Free, flexible preparation they cannot find locally; a clearer route to university |
| Families | No cost for tutoring and no need to move or travel |
| University student mentors | Teaching and leadership experience, and a way to give back |
| Universities | Better prepared applicants and, potentially, fewer dropouts (around half of students currently drop out; European Commission, 2025) |
| Local businesses | Access to future graduates and young consultants; in exchange they may offer guest lectures and help fund operations |
| Teachers and NGOs | A tool that extends their reach, with guest lecturers and teachers from around the world |
2
Empathy Map Canvas
Storytelling video: “The Road Out”
Our completed empathy map
1 · Who are we empathising with?
Maria – 16 year old high-school student that wants to attend university in her upcoming years, yet does not have full accessibility, since she is held back by her financial constraints, her parents and limited knowledge on the process of applying to university.
2 · Goal: what do we want her to do?
We want Maria to prepare for the transition from high school to university. We want her to build confidence in her ability to succeed in higher education. Finally we want her to develop essential academic skills, gain knowledge about university application and available financial support.
3 · What does she see?
- Fewer educational opportunities in her rural community compared to larger cities
- Families struggling financially, making further education difficult to afford
- Students facing difficulties in continuing their education
- Universities located far away from her rural community
- Limited information and guidance about university and future education
4 · What does she say?
- “I want to study for this upcoming exam but I don't have enough time since I'm taking care of my siblings and doing household tasks all day, keeping me busy from focusing on school.”
- “I need to buy some books for my classes but I can't afford them.”
- “I'm scared to ask my parents for more money.”
- “I don't know if I should talk to my parents about this university I would want to attend to.”
5 · What does she do?
- Uses public transport to attend high school, then goes home and takes care of her siblings and does household tasks such as chores
- Misses out on school meetings with parents, since her family is not invested in her education or future about attending university
- Runs out of transport money and hence misses out on attending school or is sometimes late to her classes
- Does not have enough time to complete her assignments due to the work she needs to complete at home, overwhelming her and not being able to fully study for her exams
6 · What does she hear?
- That Maria's family is not able to pay for high-level education for Maria
- That high level education is uncommon in rural Romania
- University stories and experiences from some people on the internet
- That all of Maria's friends are dropping out of school or have already dropped out
- That Maria's friends, family and local community do not want her to leave her rural area
- That higher education is difficult and only for extremely intelligent people
7 · What does she think & feel?
Pains
- Financial constraints
- Limited knowledge
- Disadvantaged location – living in a rural community
- Narrow-minded views and opinions around her
- She is embarrassed and feels shame to ask for help or be honest about her situation
Gains
- Maria wants a fair opportunity to attend university
- Maria hopes she can attend university despite her setbacks and wants to experience university life to the fullest
- She dreams of having a well rounded job of a higher status in an economically developed city abroad
- Wants to help her family and siblings by having a stable income
Other motivations
- Pressure to stay in the rural region
- Motivation to learn new things
- Motivation to move to a higher social class
- Maria's social environment is not highly educated
3
Fieldwork evidence
In order to test our idea, we ran an anonymous online survey of university students aged 18+ who attended high school in Romania. This survey consisted of 19 questions in three parts: background, school experience, and reaction to our idea. We received 17 responses, and 14 and 10 people answered the two open questions. The full survey questions and our interpretation of the results follow:
Respondents: Our respondents were 17 Romanian university students and recent graduates (9 master's students, 4 in year 3, 2 in year 2, 1 in year 4 and 1 recent graduate). Fifteen (88.2%) grew up in a medium or large city and 2 (11.8%) in a small town. Nobody grew up in a village. Sixteen (94.1%) attended a general high school.
Sample note: small sample (n = 17), and all respondents grew up in towns or cities — results do not yet represent rural students.
70.6%
would have used it (12 of 17 rated 4–5; avg 3.8)
94.1%
would recommend it to younger students (avg 4.7)
41.2%
prepared with a private tutor
41.2%
lacked information about options after school
88.2%
would trust proof that past users did well
70.6%
named lack of motivation as the biggest barrier
Hardest subjects to prepare for
What would build trust
Reasons a student might not use it
School experience: 47.1% felt their high school prepared them enough for university and 35.3% did not. 64.7% rated the teaching as good. 41.2% said they lacked information about their options after school. 82.4% did not feel that where they grew up made university harder to reach, which reflects that nobody came from a village.
Preparation: The hardest subjects were Romanian (47.1%), mathematics (35.3%) and sciences (35.3%). 41.2% prepared with a private tutor and 17.6% with free online videos or websites. The two people who said what made preparation harder both named not knowing what to study or where to apply. At 16–18, 94.1% mostly studied on a laptop or computer with home wifi, and nobody used a shared or school computer.
Our idea: 70.6% (12 of 17) rated 4 or 5 out of 5 for “I would have used it” (average 3.8), and 94.1% (16 of 17) would recommend it to younger students (average 4.7). Students would trust a platform most because of proof that past users did well (88.2%), credible teachers (76.5%) and accurate exam content (64.7%). Being free mattered to only 29.4%. The biggest barriers were not being motivated enough (70.6%), preferring in-person learning (52.9%) and not trusting free online content (47.1%). No internet was chosen by 29.4%.
Participant’s point of view: The biggest problems in Romanian education were an outdated curriculum and memorisation (6 of 14 answers), the rural–urban gap and cost of access (4), teacher quality (4) and expensive private tutoring (3). One wrote, “Private lessons are seen as the standard and the only way of succeeding.” Asked about our platform, 5 of 10 answers were about trust, for example “I would feel the need to research where the money comes from first.” Others asked for motivating features such as reminders and shared scores, and for content matched to specific university exams. Views on student mentors were mixed: one liked courses “taught by current uni students”, while another said “it's hard to trust other students in teaching you well”.
The full survey (19 questions)
Education in Romania. We are students working on a university project about access to education in Romania. This survey is anonymous, takes about 5 minutes, and is only for people aged 18 or over who went to high school in Romania. These answers will be used in our project as fieldwork.
Part 1: About you
- 1.What year are you studying in university? (year 1, year 2, year 3, masters, other)
- 2.Where did you spend most of your school years between ages 10 and 18? (village or rural area, small town under 50k residents, medium or large city, abroad)
- 3.Which region of Romania are you from? (written answer)
- 4.What type of upper-secondary school did you attend? (general high school, vocational, other)
Part 2: Your experience of school growing up in Romania
Questions 5–8: strongly agree, agree, neutral, disagree or strongly disagree.
- 5.My high school gave me enough preparation for university.
- 6.The quality of teaching in my school was good in most subjects.
- 7.I had enough information about my options after school, such as university, work or other paths.
- 8.Where I grew up made it harder to get into the university I wanted.
- 9.Which subjects did you find the hardest to prepare for? (Romanian, mathematics, English, sciences, history, other)
- 10.How did you prepare for university entrance exams? (school lessons only, private tutor, paid preparation courses, free online videos or websites, study group with friends, help from an older student or sibling, other)
- 11.Was preparation for university or entrance exams made harder for you? (yes or no)
- 12.If yes, which factors played a role? (no good tutors nearby, cost of tutoring or books, poor or slow internet, no device of my own, long travel to school, needing to work or help at home, not knowing what to study or where to apply, lack of motivation or guidance, other)
- 13.At ages 16 to 18, what device and internet did you mostly use for studying? (phone with mobile data, phone with home wifi, laptop or computer with home wifi, shared or school computer, other)
Part 3: Our idea
Respondents were shown this description: Imagine a free online platform for 16 to 18 year olds in rural and low-income areas of Romania. Students take a short placement test, then follow an intensive course, shorter or longer depending on their level and the time they have to help them prepare for university and entrance exams. University students mentor them for free, and an exam preparation hub includes talks about future pathways. It is funded by partner businesses, not by students.
- 14.If this had existed when I was 16 to 18, I would have used it. (1–5)
- 15.I would recommend it to younger people still living in Romania. (1–5)
- 16.What would make you trust a platform like this? (accurately follows test or exam criteria, credible teachers, free of charge, proof that past users did well, recommended by my school, works well on a phone, other)
- 17.What would be the biggest reason a student would not use it? (no internet, no time, prefer an in-person method, do not trust free online content, not motivated enough, other)
Open-ended questions
- 18.(Based on your knowledge) In your opinion, what is the biggest problem in Romanian education today?
- 19.Based on your personal experience, what factors would make you more or less likely to use a platform like this?
4
Validation of the idea
What the fieldwork tells us
Our research sources show what a lack of sustained education looks like in Romania: 16.8% of 18–24 year olds leave education early (26.3% in rural areas), and around half of university students drop out (European Commission, 2025). Our respondents recognised the same problem. When asked for the biggest problem in Romanian education, the most repeated themes were an outdated curriculum (6 of 14 answers), the gap between rural and urban areas (4), teacher quality (4), the near-mandatory reliance on expensive private tutoring (3) and a lack of information about universities and opportunities (3). One respondent wrote, “We are the country with the most olympiad prizes and also the highest illiteracy rate,” pointing out that the system works for top students while the rest are left behind. Three respondents described exactly the situation our project targets: no preparation courses or private lessons nearby, no information about opportunities, and no devices, internet or transport.
Desirability
Our survey showed us that this is a desirable product that students would use and want. 70.6% would have used it and 94.1% would recommend it, and the need is visible: 41.2% relied on private tutors and 41.2% felt they lacked information about their options. The hardest subjects (Romanian, maths, and sciences) are the ones we plan to start with. The main risk is motivation.
Feasibility
This business is built on trust. Students value proof of results, credible teachers and accurate exam content more than a low price, so the platform needs qualified teachers and content tested against real exams. Technology was a small barrier in this sample, but rural students probably have less access, so we still design for low connectivity and phones.
Can it sustain itself?
We measure success by whether the platform covers its costs and stays free, not by profit. The key figure is the cost per active student (yearly costs divided by active students), which we aim to keep far below what families pay for private help.
Our business value
Value for students and families
The clearest value is replacing a cost families already carry. Save the Children Romania found that parents spent an average of 9,818 a year (about 2,000 euros) on tutoring, after-school programmes and materials combined in 2024, and 12,119 for high-school students (Agerpres, 2025). In our survey, 41.2% prepared with a private tutor. A free platform gives students structured preparation without this cost, and gives rural students, who often have no tutors nearby, a route they did not have.
Costs and funding
Our main costs are building and hosting the platform, creating and certifying content with teachers, training and safeguarding mentors, promotion through schools, and data protection. Most of these are fixed, so the cost per student falls as more students join. The platform will be completely free for students and families, with no fees. We will make this possible by working with NGOs, such as Teach for Romania, and other partners. NGOs can help us reach students and share teachers, volunteers and expertise, and partner businesses gain access to future graduates and may offer funding and guest lectures. We will also look for grants. We will publish our funding sources, since respondents said this builds trust.
5
Sustainability vision
What guides us
Our business follows sustainable development strategies in order to guide our success. It is built on a community where students feel safe to ask for this support and include others in the same position. A growing network of mentors, and partnerships with universities and organisations keeps it going.
Free
Funded by the government, NGOs, and partners, so cost never leaves a student out.
Personal
A placement test starts every student at their own level.
Accessible
It works on a phone and on a weak connection.
Trusted
We show results and name our partners. 88.2% of our respondents said proof that past users did well would build trust.
The value we create
Social
Rural students leave school early at 26.3%, against 3.3% in cities (European Commission, 2025). We offer free preparation, information about universities, and mentors who sat the same exams.
Economic
Families no longer pay for private tutoring, with tutoring, after-school programmes and materials together costing about 9,818 lei a year (Agerpres, 2025). More graduates also helps close the gap: 23.2% of Romanians aged 25 to 34 hold a degree, against 44.1% in the EU (European Commission, 2025).
Environmental
Being online means no buildings and no travel. It is not our main aim.
Our link to the Sustainable Development Goals
SDG 4, Quality education
Targets 4.3 and 4.5 call for equal access to tertiary education and an end to disparities (United Nations, 2015). We offer a free placement test, courses and mentoring, so income and location matter less.
SDG 10, Reduced inequalities
The rural pass rate in the 2025 baccalaureate was 65.18%, against 79.45% in cities (Edupedu, 2025). Free preparation helps close that gap.
SDG 17, Partnerships for the goals
NGOs, universities and organisations fund and run the project with us.
6
Connection to literature
Course concepts
Shane and Venkataraman (2000) say entrepreneurship is about finding, judging and acting on opportunities. For us that meant putting together the gap in university preparation, better internet access in Romania and the research on peer tutoring. Our survey was the first check that students actually want this.
The idea is mainly social, so it fits the readings on social and sustainable entrepreneurship. In Schaltegger and Wagner's (2011) terms, we are a social venture that does not have much market impact yet. Patzelt and Shepherd (2011) say sustainable development means meeting present needs without harming future generations, and that these opportunities create gains for other people in a shared community. Our community is the students and the mentors.
To work out who our students are, we used the Value Proposition Canvas and the empathy map (Osterwalder et al., 2014; Sinansari et al., 2023). Their main job is getting into university. The platform can be free because NGOs and partners pay the costs instead of students.
Ethics matters because we are working with teenagers. Vallaster et al. (2019) discuss ethics in entrepreneurship, and for us that means keeping under-18s safe, protecting their data and being open about who funds us.
Previous research
The research on peer tutoring is encouraging: a meta-analysis of 26 studies found an effect size of 0.75 (Bowman-Perrott et al., 2013). It was not about online mentoring though, so we will have to test that part ourselves. Distance is a real problem as well. Petre et al. (2025a) found that 34.3% of Romanian settlements are “education deserts”, where 15.2% of high-school-age students live, and an online platform can reach them. But a 2025 study in Kazakhstan found that students without devices or a good connection can get left behind (Badanbekkyzy et al., 2025). It only had 20 students, so we see it as a warning, not proof.
Industry and policy trends
The EU's Digital Education Action Plan 2021 to 2027 shows that digital education is a policy priority, with a focus on digital skills and better internet access (European Commission, n.d.). Internet access in Romania is growing too: 88.6% of households had it in 2024, and 83.2% in rural areas (Agerpres, 2024). Some NGOs already work on the same problem, like Teach for Romania, which supports rural schools (Teach for Romania, n.d.). We can add something they can't, because we can reach students from any school, so they are possible partners rather than competitors.
What our fieldwork adds: Our survey agrees with the research on the urban-rural gap, tutoring costs and missing information about universities. All 17 respondents came from towns and cities, so interviews with rural students are our next step.
7
Future application
Based on our research, ORIZON has potential, although further development is needed before reaching its target users. Our survey showed encouraging results, with 70.6% of respondents saying they would have used the platform and 94.1% willing to recommend it to younger students. However, none of our 17 respondents grew up in a village, meaning that we still need to test the idea directly with rural Romanian students aged 16–18.
The website you are currently exploring is our first demo of ORIZON. It shows how learning resources, exam preparation, mentorship and future pathways could be combined into one platform. Although it is not yet a fully operational service, it provides a starting point for further development.
Our survey also helped us identify what students would value most. Respondents highlighted proven results (88.2%), credible teachers (76.5%) and accurate exam content (64.7%) as important factors for building trust. At the same time, lack of motivation was the most frequently identified potential barrier (70.6%). These findings suggest that ORIZON should focus on reliable educational content and features that keep students engaged.
Our next step would be to test the existing demo with a small group of rural students, gathering feedback on its accessibility, usability and usefulness. We would also need to develop the educational content with qualified teachers, organise a reliable mentoring system and evaluate the costs of running the platform. Additionally, securing funding through potential partnerships or grants would be essential to keeping ORIZON free for students.
If these steps confirm sufficient demand, educational value and financial sustainability, ORIZON could gradually expand to reach more students and communities.