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How to support Ukraine

We remind you how you can contribute to support Ukraine:

BLUE / YELLOW

FOR TRANSFERS IN LITHUANIA

Bank account: LT17 7300 0101 4089 4869

Bank: Swedbank

Recipient: Public Institution Blue and Yellow

Purpose of payment: SUPPORT

Bankera (UAB Pervesk) LT483550020000014662

PAYPAL

info@foblueyellowukraineusa.org

PAYSERA

Paysera account: EVP5310001450732

 

BECOME A PERMANENT SPONSOR – DONATE EUR 3 OR 5 PER MONTH

Call or send an SMS to 1482

After receiving the SMS-response, confirm with the SMS according to the instructions

EUR 3 or 5 is automatically transferred each month

(stop service – SMS with text “STOP” to number 1482)

 

Also – cryptocurrencies:

BTC – 1KeJHHnvbmC6aQquestBun3vTnZZifM72r

ETH – 0x550A09e1CFEf6EF88fa57e763f74550444ea6fA1

DASH – XigLaU3AYcLiCeoBk1g9RFEgKwF8ScqqZp

LTC – MGPNPT3j6gvNBGiR5ZJs7W6mVwLJ7M64V7

USDT – 0x550A09e1CFEf6EF88fa57e763f74550444ea6fA1

BNK – 0x550A09e1CFEf6EF88fa57e763f74550444ea6fA1

 

We will be together with Ukraine until victory!

 

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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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Here’s What You Can Do to Help People in Ukraine Right Now

As destruction worsens and casualties mount during Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, people all over the world are looking for ways to help.

One simple step, experts say, is to remain informed about the conflict and to be cautious about the information that’s spread on social media. Disinformation is one of Russia’s favorite weapons of war, and accidentally amplifying it can harm civilians.

Another easy step is to donate money. Most large international aid organizations, including UNICEF, the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), the International Committee of the Red Cross, Doctors Without Borders, and the International Rescue Committee, are currently working in Ukraine and neighboring countries, where a growing number of displaced people are fleeing.

 

More information is 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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WEBINAR
Place-based Social Innovation Through Living Labs

Within promising community innovation practices targeting successful adoptions within communities, Living Labs are generating more and more buzz and yet there is confusion about what they are; when to use them; and what they can help us achieve.

Take a look at this webinar to gain a clearer understanding of Livings Labs as Myriam Bérubé invites Hugo Steben (Maison de l’innovation sociale) and Jean-François Jasmin (Le Laboratoire en innovation (LLio)) to share their experiences and insights from two Québec-based organizations with an approach that yields a huge potential for transformative change.

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xE0gllKTukU[/embedyt]

Hugo and Jean-Francois additional audience questions

Access the Slidedeck 

Background information

Today, communities are facing an array of complex social and environmental challenges. The programs we have created to address these challenges have been unable to impact in a significant way. New solutions are required. The results that are urgently needed cannot and will not be found by simply making incremental changes to our current approaches. The breakthroughs that community changemakers seek require new approaches. Social innovation has become imperative to effectively address our society’s most significant issues.

Unfortunately, inventions are many, but innovations that are successfully adopted are few, and breakthrough innovations are disruptive in nature, sometimes leading to actions meant to solve old problems ending up generating new ones.

Thus, community innovation requires not only an appreciation of the issue one is hoping to address but also a deep understanding of the unique characteristics of the community. The place and the people within it, where the innovation will be implemented.

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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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Learn more about the latest #socialeconomy developments in Spain!

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Third Sector and Social Economy – what is the difference?

Two terms that can often be encountered in the context of social entrepreneurship and social innovation are “third sector” and “social economy”. However, they are significantly less self-explanatory than the more commonly known “non-governmental sector”, “the non-profit sector” or “the charity sector”. To confuse things more, in scholarly articles  “third sector” and “social economy” often seem to be used interchangeably. But what do these terms mean and is it really the same thing?

In order to highlight the strong similarities and hence explain why the concepts are used synonymously, it is useful to first address the main differences.

Many social phenomena and the theoretical concepts that are built around them are heavily influenced by the social and cultural context where they have been developed. It is no different with the terms “third sector” and “social economy”. Lars Hulgård (2014) provides a comparison  in which he contrast the two concepts by pointing out that the idea of “third sector” can be believed to come from North America and entails voluntary and nonprofit organizations, but excludes cooperatives and mutuals because of the inherent non-profit restraint of the concept. “Social economy” on the other hand is to be considered as the European version of the third sector but with a wider scope; it includes cooperatives, mutual societies, associations, foundations and social enterprises. An important point is that the concept of social economy introduces a possibility to develop a broader understanding of the third sector where the defining factor of the third sector is not the nonprofit constraint but rather whether or not an organization is a part of “a non-capitalist economy” (Hulgård, 2014, p.72).

The same point has been raised by  Jean-Louis Laville arguing that the line should be drawn between “capitalist and social economy organizations” where in the latter “what is stressed at the organizational level is legal limits on private appropriation of benefits” ( 2010, p.228). In other words, the defining factor of social impact and social good organizations should not be the that they earn no money and function solely because on donations and  external funding, but rather how they earn the money and what is the profit is used for. In this way, instead of preserving rigide definitions of North American and European perspectives as they have developed historically, a more up to date version of the term “third sector” can be put in place. The has opened the field for the use of business tools in tackling societal issues. The change of trajectory has contributed to an acceleration of development of a variety of hybrid forms of initiatives that mix and match the inner-logics and practices of civil society and private sector and now are being recognized under the concepts of social entrepreneurship and social and solidarity economy.

References 

Hulgård, L., 2014. Social enterprise and the Third Sector – Innovative service delivery or a non-capitalist economy? In: J.Defourny, L. Hulgård & V. Pestoff, eds., Social Enterprise and the Third Sector: Changing European Landscapes in a Comparative Perspective. Oxon and New York: Routledge.

Laville, Jean-Louis. (2010). Solidarity Economy. 10.1007/978-0-387-93996-4_801.

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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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The Social Economy, the Future of Europe The Social Economy, the Future of Europe – report from the meeting during the Frensh Presidency of the Council of EU

The social and solidarity economy (SSE) is one of the pillars on which the European Union intends to build its resilience, an objective affirmed by the European Commission on 9 December 2021, when it presented a new action plan on the social economy. European Ministers responsible for the Social Economy will meet in Paris on 17 February 2022 to take this momentum to the next level.

Europe’s social economy sector employs over 13 million people at some 3 million entities. Spanning a diverse range of legal forms, from non-profits to foundations, to cooperatives, mutual benefit societies (a specific type of collective insurance) and social enterprises, this sector prioritises social impact over financial profit.

Representing up to 10% of GDP in countries such as France, Italy and Spain, the social economy offers a forward-looking solution to today’s climate and social challenges, which is why the European Commission has designated it as one of 14 industrial ecosystems for bolstering Europe’s resilience.

Yet the social economy’s job-creation and social-value-added potential is not being fully tapped into, and many disparities exist from one EU country to another.

For this reason, in December 2021, the European Commission published an action plan to spur the social economy’s further development and unlock its potential for job creation and social connectedness – 10 years after it launched the Social Business Initiative, its first action plan to support the development of social enterprises in Europe, which significantly increased their visibility.

Olivia Grégoire, French Minister of State for the Social, Solidarity and Responsible Economy, will bring together EU Ministers responsible for the Social Economy for an informal ministerial conference.

The items on the agenda of the ministerial conference include:

  • Recognising EU countries’ diverse range of traditions, practices and legal systems regarding the social economy in Europe and the need for work to draw on common features
  • Identifying social economy entities and improving their access to funding instruments, both at the national and EU level
  • Measuring social impact as an effective way of ensuring better analysis and increased public authority support for the social and solidarity economy

This conference presents a prime opportunity to examine the resources that can be marshalled and the next steps to take to help the EU strengthen Europe’s social economy.

The work produced by the conference will feed into discussions led by the EU’s Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council (EPSCO), a Council of Minister’s formation. Additionally, the work will inform the Commission’s decision-making with regard to issuing a formal recommendation on the social economy to EPSCO Council Ministers by 2023.

2.8 million –> entities in the social economy in Europe

13 million –> people working in the social economy in Europe.

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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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#HaveYourSay! Scenarios towards co-creation of a transition pathway for a resilient, innovative, sustainable and digital proximity and social economy ecosystem

Take part in EU consultations and give your comments and input to the topic “Scenarios towards co-creation of a transition pathway for a resilient, innovative, sustainable and digital proximity and social economy ecosystem”

You have time until 28th February and all the details about the document and ways to send your comments you will find below. 

Target audience

Based on their involvement in sectors covered by the proximity & social economy ecosystem, the main stakeholders are industry, associations, social economy partners, public authorities, and other organisations.

Why we are consulting

The Commission services have prepared a staff working document to outline possible scenarios for a transition pathway towards a more resilient, green and digital Proximity and Social Economy industrial ecosystem. Through collaborative efforts, we aim to co-create concrete actions and commitments with all stakeholders of this ecosystem to step up its green and digital transition and strengthen its resilience to future shocks.

These efforts will build on the EU Industrial Strategy update that highlighted the need to accelerate the EU industry’s green and digital transitions and identified the needs and challenges of 14 industrial ecosystems.

They will also build on the Action Plan on the Social Economy, which proposes a series of actions for the 2021-2030 period to support the development of the social economy.

Based on the results of the consultation, the Commission will organise further meetings with stakeholders to deepen the discussions towards finalising the ‘proximity & social economy’ pathway during 2022.

Respond to the consultation

We invite you to participate in this process, running until 28 February 2022, by giving your input via the button below.

EU Survey questionnaire

Reference documents

Scenarios towards co-creation of a transition pathway for a more resilient, sustainable and digital Proximity and Social Economy industrial ecosystem
English
(1.47 MB – PDF)

Download

Additional information

 

This publication has been prepared within SENBS project No. 2020- 1-EE01-KA204-077999. 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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Model and invitation to Impact Procurement in Lithuania

Impact Procurement: New Opportunities for Social Businesses and NGOs to Develop Quality Public Services and Collaborate with Municipalities

A procurement model where the ordering of municipal services is not based on the purchase of a specific service but on the purchase of results is called impact procurement.

The municipality identifies the partners in the field of public services, and the social partners (social businesses or NGOs) propose measures and identify the scope of the target group that can be affected and participate in market consultations in order to create a mutually acceptable model.

The social partners are allowed to choose the design of the services themselves, the measures that would be most innovative and effective in solving the problems. The partners take the risk that the municipalities’ payment for the services provided depends on the results achieved – the impact on the target group.

Municipal impact procurement

Municipalities prepare impact procurements based on long-term changes rather than measures. On this page you will find information about planned purchases and links to ordered exposure “trees” – there is a detailed breakdown of each exposure area.

When evaluating the possibilities to submit proposals to municipalities, it is possible to limit oneself to one or more areas of long-term change that are qualitatively implemented – the partner is not obliged to implement the desired impact to the full extent.

There is a possibility to use social business investment baskets – up to 15 thousand. an amount of EUR for equipment and additional consultancy for the development of social business. Eligible participants must meet the following conditions:

  • wants to start a social business and register a legal entity in the county of the respective municipality
  • is a social business that has been operating for no more than 1 year. and is registered (or plans to register) in the county of the relevant municipality.

If you have any questions or want to provide service offers to municipalities – please contact: monika.stankeviciute@zmogui.lt

More information in LT language 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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Get to know asperIT Foundation from Poland, who joined the NEEST portfolio in 2021!

NEEST provides a portfolio with tailored financial support, business mentoring and strategic networking over a five-year period.

NESsT offers investment packages up to $150,000 in the form of grants, patient working capital loans and recoverable grants over a five-year period. We encourage co-investments and are proactive towards introducing you to our co-investment partners.

Our team also provides one-one-one business consulting and leverages our partner network for industry-specific expertise and engaged mentorship for you and your team. Over a five-year period, these services are valued at more than $100,000.

Social entrepreneurs with enterprises at the validate (i.e. sales exist but do not sustain the enterprise) and prepare-to-scale stages (i.e. sales sustain initial operations but not growth).

Social enterprises must also meet the following requirements:

  • Be based in Central and Eastern Europe or South America.

  • Use market‐based solutions to create dignified employment, placements or viable income generation opportunities for marginalized groups, while also addressing the many barriers that keep these communities from accessing the formal labor force.

  • Demonstrate a willingness to be active and engaged through the months of the selection process.

Get to know asperIT Foundation from Poland, who joined the NEEST portfolio in 2021!

Founded in 2015, asperIT Foundation empowers people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) to access quality jobs in IT by providing them with technical education, psychological support, and soft-skills training. At the same time, the enterprise offers corporate training services to help companies hire and support employees with diverse neurocognitive functions.

In Poland, only 1% of people with ASD are employed. Autism is a developmental disorder that affects how people interact with others. Neurocognitive variations, just as variations in size and skin colour, are an essential part of humanity. These differences equip each person with a unique set of skills that have distinct professional applications. However, this diversity of mental functioning is not reflected in the labour force – people with varied neurocognitive abilities, including people who have dyslexia, ADHD, or ASD, face hiring discrimination and lack adequate support at work.

By providing tech and soft-skill training to aspiring professionals with ASD, the social enterprise is able to expand career paths for them while providing corporations with a neurodiverse talent pool. To date, asperIT has trained 80 people and has supported many of its students to find their first jobs in sustainable and high-growth industries such as tech. Most recently, the Foundation launched its own software testing company, asperIT.com and 10% of asperIT Foundation’s program graduates secured quality employment directly from the company.

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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.