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The Study on Social Business Opportunities in Lithuania – Full Version Available

The Study on Social Business opportunities in Lithuania (prepared on 2019), analyzing the social business situation, tendencies and opportunities in Lithuania, evaluates: the legal basis of social business (forming the concept of social business entities, attribution criteria, forms, models and conditions of social business); social business environment – conditions / measures (creating opportunities for social business); applies to social business (applicable) social business impact measurement practice.

The first part of the study discusses the situation of social business in the EU countries in an overview the concept of social business in individual EU countries, an assessment of the importance of this business, areas, target audiences, characteristics of those working in social business. In the second chapter covers overview of the system of support for social business in the EU countries. The third part of the study analyzes the social business environment in Lithuania, analyzes the legal framework of social business entities’ definition, reviews the possibilities of financial and non-financial support for social business.

The fourth part of the study is dedicated to presenting the results of the research, which allowed to discuss and evaluate the problems of social business creation and development in Lithuania, as well as the social business ecosystem, together with an assessment of the measures taken to develop it. In the fifth part of the study, applying the script method, Lithuanian social business opportunities are discussed.

Comparing the situation of social business in the EU countries and Lithuania, both general tendencies characteristic of the social business ecosystem in the EU countries and specific opportunities for the establishment and establishment / development of social business specific to Lithuania have been identified.

The main challenges of understanding social business, uncertain status of social business and its business entities also lead to the emergence of an ecosystem unsuitable for the development of social business and sustainable operation of social business entities (for example, as the analysis of foreign experience has shown, a competitive orientation in the social business sector does not promote long-term, sustainable social business activities).

You can download full version of this study here.

P.s. Study is prepared in Lithuanian language.

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This publication has been prepared within INDIGISE project. The content of this publication is the sole responsibility of the project coordinator and may not always reflect the views of the European Commission or the National Agency.

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Social Leaders’ Business Events in Klaipeda Encourage Regional Initiatives

Last week (16 October, 2020), the Lithuanian Social Business Association together with Entrepreneurial Lithuania (Marijampolė and Klaipėda agency “Spiečius”), LAG “Pajūrio kraštas”, Gerinorai.lt and local partners brought together Klaipėda, Marijampolė and Gargždai social business communities and decision makers for joint discussions and individual consultations on social business. opportunities, definition. Examples of good practice were shared, and opportunities for specific municipalities to cooperate with the non-governmental sector were discussed.

And although social business in Europe creates high added value: there are about 2 million social businesses (10% of all EU companies) employing more than 11 million people (about 6% of EU employees), the social business ecosystem is still developing in Lithuania.

“I was pleasantly surprised by the sincerity, activity and unique ideas of social business in the people of Marijampolė and Klaipėda regions”, – Viktorija Bražiūnaitė, Head of the Lithuanian Social Business Association, shares her impressions.

Meanwhile, Jurgita Ribinskaite-Glatzer, head of “Geri norai”, noted and welcomed the enthusiasm of Klaipėda city and district, the sensitivity of responsible people and great potential in delivering public services: “There are many niches for social business: “It’s inspiring when the municipality, local communities and civic organizations sit at the same table and look for solutions to problems effectively and innovatively”.

According to Rasa Viederytė, associate professor of the Department of Economics, Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities in Klaipėda University, the development of social entrepreneurship skills is very important among young people, from adolescence: “It is important to learn to think about the meaning of a business idea not only for yourself, but also become able to notice and formulate its need for the whole regional community.”

These discussions are part of the Lithuanian Social Business Association’s ongoing initiative to introduce Lithuanian regions with social business perspectives and opportunities.

Please join to the newly created FB group on Social entrepereneurship in Klaipeda – here.

 

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This publication has been prepared within INDIGISE project. The content of this publication is the sole responsibility of the project coordinator and may not always reflect the views of the European Commission or the National Agency.

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Institute of Entrepreneurship Development – Ready to Accelerate Your Social Business

Established in 2005, Institute of Entrepreneurship Development (IED) is a fast-growing Center of Excellence in European Entrepreneurship. As a state-of-the-art international organization, iED promotes change for the better, through entrepreneurial and innovative actions and supports every entrepreneurial venture across Europe.

With the use of our EU partner network and our experience in diverse EU funded research programmes focused on entrepreneurship, we have created a Knowledge Hub tailor-made to cover the need of the entrepreneurial world, in the European area.

Our Mission

Here in IED, we recognize the importance of Entrepreneurship and its crucial role as a stakeholder for the development and cohesion of societies. Our mission is a simple yet important one. We:

  • Promote Innovation
  • Enhance the Entrepreneurial Spirit
  • Promote Entrepreneurial Culture
  • Enhance the Effectiveness and Viability of Enterprises
  • Bridge the gap between research and business market

Services

We offer guidance, training, and coaching and through IED Academy we bring the knowledge to those that need it. From EU project management and project proposal writing all the way to running a business effectively, Academy is the perfect tool to help us achieve our goal of connecting research with innovation in business.

We take things a step further with our platform EUcalls. We work to make your introduction and journey to EU projects easy.

 

More information is available here: https://ied.eu/

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This publication has been prepared within INDIGISE project. The content of this publication is the sole responsibility of the project coordinator and may not always reflect the views of the European Commission or the National Agency.

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Social Innovation Academy E-learning Tool

Social Innovation Academy E-learning is a freely available tool to gain theoretical and practical insights on what social innovation is really about. Complemented with tons of examples on social innovation initiatives and activities of social enterprises, learning material supports readers in reflecting on their own social innovation ideas.

After a short introduction on social innovation, various learning modules are presented to be chosen from. Practical examples, interviews with experts, skills, trends overview, mentor advice and glossary are available for free. Need some guidance and inspiration? Start with INTERVIEWS or EXAMPLES. Looking to get over the social innovation jargon quickly? Jump over to the GLOSSARY. Want to improve your personal abilities? Go to SKILLS. Looking for concrete answers to concrete questions? Head straight to MENTORING ADVICE. Want to see what’s been the latest developments in the social innovation field? Start your learning with the TRENDS. You can go back anytime, skip the parts that are not relevant or not interesting for you at the moment, mix and match. Start HERE! 

“Get creative and learn exactly what you need.”  

SOCIAL INNOVATION INITIATIVE LOGBOOK

The aim of the present logbook is to provide guidance and support to those Social Innovation Academy learners and participants that want to begin their own initiatives. Learner can use what has been learned and apply it to the questions and assignments in this logbook. The logbook provides:

  • an insight to your learning results through a set of self-reflective questions that can help you generate further insight into your idea;
  • assignments that filled in and brought together into one single file will constitute the base document for your initiative or enterprise, outlining main features, story, business model and impact evaluation.

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More information can be found on Social Innovation Academy Webpage.
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This publication has been prepared within INDIGISE project. The content of this publication is the sole responsibility of the project coordinator and may not always reflect the views of the European Commission or the National Agency.

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Read the latest EU study “New technologies and digitisation: opportunities and challenges for the social economy and social enterprises”

This study aims to benchmark diffuse initiatives and policies at EU level as well as national level to promote successful approaches using digital technologies in social economy and social enterprises.

It will do so to

  • reinforce their e-skills and the uptake of new technologies in their entrepreneurial strategy
  • discuss the opportunities and challenges they face in digitising their operations
  • spread best practices of social economy organisations in the uptake, development, usage and co-creation of digital tools and technologies.

We especially recommend the section Tools for Digitisation DIGITAL PLATFORMS:

Digital platforms offer unprecedented opportunities for networking and collaborations. Their impact goes beyond physical reach. Social economy actors are increasingly using digital platforms to marshal community engagement and foster collaborations with public and private stakeholders more effectively and efficiently than ever before.

Traditional/off line means, such as word-of-mouth or faceto-face interactions, cannot compare with digital-platformbased interaction. For example, fundraising over crowdfunding and crowdsourcing platforms regularly outperform traditional fundraising events. Digital social economy platforms – digital platform technologies used for social economy purposes – are technological ecosystems where different social economy actors, including producers, users, service providers, can create and combine flexibly their offerings of services, products and content by combining specific software applications. The digital environment governed by the social principles of democratic ownership, fairness and shared governance.

Digital social economy platforms are disrupting long established sectors such as banking, energy production and distribution, education, transport, health. They are changing established hierarchies and control of information. In platform-based utility cooperatives, for example, consumers are transformed into prosumers, a new term for people engaged both in production and in consumption.

Read the reports here:

New technologies and digitisation – opportunities and challenges for the SE_ENG

ING5464_QPLAN_EASME Brochure 21-09-20

 

Reference: Gagliardi D., Psarra F., Wintjes R., Trendafili K., Pineda Mendoza J., Haaland K., Turkeli S., Giotitsas C., Pazaitis A., Niglia F., (2020), New Technologies and Digitisation: Opportunities and Challenges for the Social Economy and Social Enterprises. European Commission, Executive Agency for SMEs, DOI: 10.2826/767888.

Accessed on: https://ec.europa.eu/growth/content/new-technologies-and-digitisation-opportunities-and-challenges-social-economy-and-social_en

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This article has been prepared within INDIGISE project. The content of this article is the sole responsibility of the project coordinator and may not always reflect the views of the European Commission or the National Agency.

 

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Microfinance in the European Union: market analysis and recommendations for delivery options in 2021-2027

This report assesses current microfinance provision in EU and presents recommendations on how to bridge the financing gap and to meet evolving market needs as a means of promoting growth, employment and inclusion across the EU. Most microfinance in the EU comes from larger providers, with support for smaller, non-bank lenders remaining limited. The EU has taken measures to improve provisions, such as the European Progress Microfinance Facility, launched in 2010 and complemented since 2014 by the Microfinance and Social Entrepreneurship axis of the EU Programme for Employment and Social Innovation (EaSI).

Catalog N. : KE-03-20-321-EN-N

Download here: https://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?catId=738&langId=en&pubId=8347&furtherPubs=yes

 

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This publication has been prepared within INDIGISE project. The content of this publication is the sole responsibility of the project coordinator and may not always reflect the views of the European Commission or the National Agency.

 

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FinImpact: How to Empower and Support Young Entrepreneurs

In times of economic uncertainty, it is easy to think that it is ‘impossible’ for anybody to make money. This is complete nonsense and the exact kind of thinking that new entrepreneurs should steer clear of. It is a poverty-based mindset that looks to respond defensively to conditions instead of looking for profit opportunities in all conditions.

To understand how to support and empower young entrepreneurs, we must look at statistics and theoretical knowledge but have a strong emphasis on practical experience.

FinImpact has developed a Guide to equip the global youth with psychological tools and practical resources so they can confidently build wealth without buying into all of the drama. Saying this, the correct method through which to teach the youth psychological success principles remains a little uncertain and is most definitely not actively fostered in the schooling system. The Guide explores the following topics:

What’s a ‘Young’ Entrepreneur Anyway?
Key Statistics – Young Entrepreneurs & the Global Economy
What Are the Best Ways to Train and Mentor Young Entrepreneurs?
8 Best Tips for Millennial Entrepreneurs
The Psychology of Entrepreneurship
Documents, Business Plans, and Legal Lingo
Is the Education System Detrimental to the Growth of Wealth?
How Can Parents Nurture Entrepreneurialism in Their Kids?
Top 4 Financial Options for Aspiring Entrepreneurs
11 Best Training Resources For Young Entrepreneurs
Automation and Entrepreneurship
How to Deploy Automation Technology
Best Books for Millennial Entrepreneurs
Summation

 

Read the full Guide and get links to additional resources here. 
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This publication has been prepared within INDIGISE project. The content of this publication is the sole responsibility of the project coordinator and may not always reflect the views of the European Commission or the National Agency.

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Social Enterprise UK – supports social innitiatives and builds new networks

Social Enterprise UK (SEUK) is the UK membership body for social enterprise. Their work involves carrying out research, running campaigns for members and lobbying on the sector’s behalf. Their ‘Buy Social Corporate Challenge’ launched in 2016 created the world’s largest commitment to social procurement. They also work to raise the profile of people and social enterprises in the sector and help to build strong networks between social enterprises.

What organisation does?

  • Run effective campaigns for our members and lobby on the sector’s behalf
  • Carry out robust and respected research to help paint a picture of the UK’s social enterprise movement
  • Work with our corporate partners to broker business for our members and other social enterprises
  • Raise awareness of the role that social enterprises play delivering health and care services
  • Build networks between social enterprises
  • Raise the profile of people and social enterprises in the sector

These members aren’t just social enterprises. They also include private businesses, charities and public sector organisations who support a vision of a world where social enterprise is the usual way of doing business.

More information is available here: https://www.socialenterprise.org.uk/

 

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This publication has been prepared within INDIGISE project. The content of this publication is the sole responsibility of the project coordinator and may not always reflect the views of the European Commission or the National Agency.

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Reach for Change to connect social enterprises with IT entrepreneurs by joining Vilnius Tech Park

Reach for Change, an independent global nonprofit organization that originated in Sweden, is furthering its work to unite the business and social sectors by joining Vilnius Tech Park, the biggest startup hub in the region.

Reach for Change was originally founded as a partnership between the Swedish social entrepreneur Sara Damber and entrepreneurial investment group Kinnevik. Its founders understood that many people have innovative ideas on how to improve the lives of children and youth, and want to start a social enterprise to achieve their vision. However, these people often lack the funds, skills, advisors, and networks to make their vision a reality.

One of the core aims of Reach for Change is to bring together the best of the business sector with the best of the social sector. According to Jurgita Ribinskaite-Glatzer, the Country Manager for Lithuania, cross- pollination between these two fields creates excellent results. “We believe that the business and social sectors have a lot to learn from each other,” she explains, “and our programs have proved that when they come together, they can create the perfect chemistry for social innovation.”

Today, Reach for Change, through its network of incubator programs across 18 countries, is supporting 205 innovative, early-stage social entrepreneurs who are addressing a wide range of pressing issues for children. Through a mixture of seed funding, business development and network development support, Reach for Change is helping them to develop and scale their solutions, creating impactful, sustainable organizations.

Reach for Change was launched in Lithuania in 2014, where it currently supports 9 social entrepreneurs. And joining the Sapiegos tech park in Vilnius will be the first time globally Reach for Change has chosen to locate its operations in a startup hub. Ms Ribinskaite-Glatzer is confident the decision will bear fruit. “We know that networks of smart, brave and passionate people can really create magic, so moving to Vilnius Tech Park helps us surround ourselves with other people like us,” she comments. IT solutions boosting social entrepreneurship Reach for Change has a number of IT startup initiatives in its portfolio. For example, one of its Change Leaders – the term given to the entrepreneurs who direct Reach for Change projects – has designed an application that helps autistic children to manage their daily routine. Since children with autism are very particular about their schedule, this app makes sure that their day can flow smoothly.

More information is available here.

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This publication has been prepared within INDIGISE project. The content of this publication is the sole responsibility of the project coordinator and may not always reflect the views of the European Commission or the National Agency.

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Travel Massive: Social Enterprises in Tourism Presented

The Social Entrepreneurship in Tourism Competition is the first worldwide competition focusing on social innovation and entrepreneurship in tourism. More than 20 finalists were selected by the Travel Massive community this year through public voting. Each participant has created a short video about own project for the judging panel. Check out these highly inspiring videos!




And other tourism business ideas published on Travel Massive.

The winners were announced on September 21st at the Online Award Ceremony. Watch the record of The Award Ceremony here:

 

Learn more on sustainable tourism industry development through social entrepreneurship on: https://travelmassive.com/

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This publication has been prepared within INDIGISE project. The content of this publication is the sole responsibility of the project coordinator and may not always reflect the views of the European Commission or the National Agency.