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DALBA – Beer that means more

Meet DALBA, social enterprise which is a part of NESs’t Fund network which is investing in entrepreneurial solutions that lift people out of poverty.

In spite of Poland’s strong economic growth, many find it difficult to secure stable employment and reliable wages. More than 18% of young people under the age of 30 are unemployed, with women, people living in rural areas, and people with disabilities especially affected. NESs’t investments in Poland focus on social enterprises that connect these potential workers with training and jobs in growth industries like technology, business process outsourcing and health care.

DALBA is an award-winning craft beer brewery in Puck, Poland that employs people with intellectual disabilities. It is the first in Poland and sixth in the world of its kind. The business addresses one of the most serious social problems in Poland: labour exclusion and social marginalization of people with intellectual disabilities. Today, only 10% of people with disabilities participate in the labor market.

The production process of DALBA’s craft beer counts on a group of 30 young men with disabilities who are also shareholders of the cooperative. Some prepare malts with a recipe and boil it, while others are involved in bottling or labeling. They do so without supervision, having received training from management to work with precision.

DALBA was co-founded by Agnieszka Dejna, a mother of children with disabilities, and Janusz Golisowicz, an occupational therapist of patients with disabilities. Agnieszka and Janusz often heard these young people seeking greater independence in their lives, but unable to achieve it as a result of their parents fear of discrimination and harassment in the workforce. Today, DALBA’s craft beers are rated Top 50 out of 270+ brands in Poland.

Browar Spółdzielczy (Cooperative Brewery) originated from the passion for beer, sea and the need for change. We brew our beer in a traditional manner, in small brewery in Puck, Poland. The brewery is owned by Spółdzielnia Socjalna DALBA (Social Cooperative DALBA).

This is not just an ordinary workplace, this is passion. Most employees of the cooperative are the people who have not had a chance on the open job market due to their disabilities. Their engagement and determination results in our beer being something exceptional, dreams coming true and a chance.

That’s why DALBA slogan reads “Piwo, które warzy więcej” – it’s a word play on the Polish words “warzyć” (to brew) and “ważyć” (here: to mean).

DALBA and NESsT partnered to increase the production capacity of the enterprise, positioning it to generate higher revenues and to increase its employment of people with disabilities. With a grant from NESsT, DALBA upgraded its equipment, generating a production growth of 15%. The next phase of investment is the expansion of its production hall.

DALBA’s tailored business mentoring focuses on consolidating its rapid growth, leveraging co-investments, and strengthening its impact measurement. As it prepares to launch five locations in the next two years, NESsT and DALBA have also been collaborating on managing the enterprise’s product portfolio, by identifying and developing products with higher margins, and on ramping up its sales efforts.

NESsT is excited to support DALBA as the enterprise has proven to be equally committed to empowering youth with disabilities and developing award-winning craft beer.

Answering the global Covid-19 crisis, NESsT has developed a special support plan for its portfolio. To support Dalba, we are working together to remodel communication and marketing strategy in order to generate additional revenues to sustain Dalba’s operational costs and revenues that decreased due to Covid crisis.

Source and more information: https://www.nesst.org/dalba; https://en.browarspoldzielczy.com/strona-glowna

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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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Youth Building Skills and Gaining Opportunities Through Entrepreneurship and Social Innovation

“Nearly 90% of young people today live in low and middle-income countries.  Around 200 million adolescent people are not in education programs and 13% of young people globally are unemployed. This presents numerous challenges and hinders young people from acquiring skills which will be useful for their further development and activation in society. However social innovation presents an opportunity for young people to create their own opportunities by themselves.

The covid-19 pandemic presented a challenge in terms of peer-to-peer interaction, education, community involvement and overall engagement. The need to adapt to difficult circumstances has inspired young people to find new ways to interact, especially through ICT solutions. A study commissioned by the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre named ‘ICT-enabled social innovation services for active inclusion of young people”, stresses that ICT driven social innovation for young people is focused on three main areas: education and training, active inclusion aimed at supporting young people’s entry into the labour market and youth inclusion addressing issues around social and civic participation. Many youth initiatives have done the best they could with their resources thanks to ICT solutions. Social innovation became the cornerstone to transforming youth initiatives into smart organisations.

There are numerous examples of how young people have taken the initiative and have created socially innovative solutions in many EU countries as well as globally, before, during and after the Covid-19 pandemic. We have the example of Zafer Elçik, a 24 year old from Turkey who recognised that his autistic brother was most attentive when he was using his smartphone, which gave him the inspiration for the idea of an educational Gaming app which would serve children and young people with learning difficulties and special needs in order to help them develop their cognitive skills. Otsimo, the app he developed is now helping more than 30.000 users and is downloadable for free. There are numerous European initiatives which have been pioneers in social innovation among youth, such as Capacitare, Consultoria e Negócios Lda,   Citizens in Power, Geopaideia, etc.

In this period of uncertainty, having young people collaborate and innovate along with their peers to find solutions which are socially advantageous is more important than ever. Through peer to peer collaboration they can find solace during troubling times and contribute in their community, therefore regaining a little agency in the development of their social circles as well as beyond their initial sphere of influence.

The labour market is currently governed by large industries, nevertheless it is still noticeable that entrepreneurship is becoming increasingly important. The labour market can be shaped and renewed thanks to the potential that can be brought by young social entrepreneurs and their innovative solutions. Although social entrepreneurship is an innovative concept in and by itself,  there are still areas and niches which have not been explored and have not been served. This presents an opportunity for young people not only to focus on an activity which has a positive impact on society and turn it into an enterprise, but to automatically reduce youth unemployment as well.

It is important to remind young people that before starting to develop their project or business idea they need to start by creating a solid plan and form a team of peers that can help them navigate their project. They can seek the help and consultation from civil society organisations in their vicinity, they can pitch their ideas to potential investors and therefore involve more potential partners in what they have envisioned.

There are a plethora of opportunities for young people who want to start something of their own.  One of these examples is the Erasmus programme for young entrepreneurs, thanks to which a young person can be mentored and assisted by an experienced entrepreneur in another EU country.

A network which can be of relevant importance to young people who are interested in developing their idea or in finding like-minded individuals to develop their socially innovative idea with, is the JEUNE network – The Young Entrepreneurs Organization of the European Union, which currently represents as many as over 1,660,000 young people from 20 countries who are interested in entrepreneurship. As it is the largest European-wide network of young entrepreneurs it is crucial to foster and create relations between civil society, companies as well as governments with the aim of voicing the needs for development of entrepreneurship among youth, as well as improving the opportunities for youth by creating a relevant and useful network, which is at their disposal should they need it to further their prospects.

To conclude, it is clear that young people nowadays come across many challenges in acquiring employment opportunities, and social innovation through entrepreneurship is still what can be considered a niche through which they can become active members of their communities as well as earn their living or even create employment opportunities for their peers. It is up to decision makers to help foster this and it is up to CSOs to offer guidance and partnership to those young people that wish to become social innovators in their communities. ”

by Caterina Rende Dominis

Source: https://digitalsocialinnovation.org/youth-building-skills-and-gaining-opportunities-through-entrepreneurship-and-social-innovation/

 

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This publication has been prepared  for the Social Innovation Network project and is fully consistent with INDIGISE project objectives.  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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Young People and Social Innovation in Europe

By Ljupka Janevska.

“Social innovation is the process of developing creative ideas that will eventually ‘’grow’’ into practical solutions, which will improve the overall wellbeing of the community. The primary goal of implementing or designing a new social innovation is to solve different systemic issues that will hopefully contribute in increasing the enviorenment value. However, the basics of implementing a new social innovation can be found in the energy and passion of the young people, who are brave enough, not only to identify, but also to challenge and address global problems that are worthy of attention and investment.

In Europe, the process of youth social innovation is a growing challenge. Fortunately, there are a lot of successful social innovations in Europe that aim to raise awareness of the positive outcome that social innovations can have on young people and communities.

  • Student integration in employment

Young graduates often struggle to find their first employment experience. In Latvia, young people are almost twice as likely to be unemployed compared to the rest of the population, due to lack of a professional network and skills experience. The youth social innovation of ‘’The Demola platform’’, established in 2014 in Finland, connects companies with university students. The companies can submit a specific problem situation for students to address , and by participating in problem-solving workshops the students are developing their skills as potential problem-solvers instead of as young people in need of work experience.

  • Active youth participation in local decision-making

One of the priorities of the EU is to provide meaningful social, civic and political engagement opportunities for all young people. Young people prefer to support causes that are directly relevant to them, and they usually engage in them through alternative participation methods, such as volunteering or online support. ‘’The Youth Participatory Budgeting (YPB)’’ is a Portuguese youth social innovation that aims to foster an active participation of young people in the decision-making process, and thus promote a stronger sense of citizenship, through an online platform that serves young people’s need for democratic participation.

●     European exchange programme for young Entrepreneurs

Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs is a youth social innovation that provides ambitious young European entrepreneurs with the necessary skills to start or successfully run a small business in Europe. New entrepreneurs gather and exchange knowledge and business ideas with an experienced entrepreneur, with whom they stay and collaborate for a period of 1 to 6 months. ‘’Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs’’ is financed by the European Commission and operates across the Participating Countries with the help of the local contact points, competent in business support.

  • Youth opportunities in the economy

‘’REvive Greece’’ is an interesting social innovation in Greece that helps young people from the most vulnerable groups (unemployed Greeks, refugees, migrants, etc.). ‘’REvive’’ is a registered non-profit mission that has the goal to integrate these vulnerable, social groups into the socioeconomic system by helping them to gain skills in the IT sector.

Conclusion

All over the world in the past decades, there has been an increased interest in social innovation as a way to achieve sustainable and economic growth. Today, social innovation as a valuable practice and worldwide movement is helping to solve some of the world’s most pressing problems with new solutions such as fair trade, distance learning, mobile money transfer, restorative justice, and zero-carbon housing. But, besides solving, social innovation by understanding and identifying a problem contributes in changing people’s beliefs , perceptions and practices about social enterprises, business engagement, and philanthropy. So, the rise of social entrepreneurs and social enterprises is not only encouraging the mobilization of people in the innovation process but also providing the’’force’’ for economic growth and social equality in the enviorenment.”

 

Source: https://digitalsocialinnovation.org/young-people-and-social-innovation-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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Learn more about the latest #socialeconomy developments in Spain!

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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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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.

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Youth Entrepreneurship and the 21st Century Economy

We highly recommend you to follow the discussion by Philantropy Rountable  on the youth entrepreneurship in the face of the 21st Century Economy.

 

“Philanthropy Roundtable works with donors who want to build strong communities by introducing them to organizations that help people access economic opportunity. This includes programs that teach young people the skills and mindsets they need to succeed as entrepreneurs in a 21st century economy.

The Roundtable recently interviewed three leaders of nonprofit organizations involved in this work to seek their perspectives on the importance of youth entrepreneurship education and the challenges and opportunities on the horizon for aspiring entrepreneurs. They are Kylie Stupka, president of Empowered; Nicole Cassier-Mason, chief executive officer of Lemonade Day and Ayele Shakur, chief executive officer of BUILD.

Roundtable: How does an education in youth entrepreneurship lead to success in the 21st century economy for those who receive it and for society at large?

 Kylie Stupka: Like any career path, starting a business may not “work” for everyone — but the components of an entrepreneurial mindset are universally applicable.

An entrepreneurial or growth mindset helps young people see challenge as an opportunity, not an obstacle. The development of essential skills like innovation, confidence and collaboration prepares students for their careers and lives. Experience-based, individualized, real-world relevant learning also helps graduates to create and seize opportunities. This type of education generally leads to happier, healthier people, who are more likely to positively contribute to society.

Our organization, Empowered, works with K-12 teachers who guide students through learning experiences that help them discover their unique passions and skills so they can, in time, succeed in our modern marketplace.

Nicole Cassier-Mason: Entrepreneurship is about much more than starting your own business. It’s a way to define yourself and make an impact on the world.

Our vision is for all children to be introduced to entrepreneurship through the real-world experience of starting their own business:  a lemonade stand. Through our licensed program, children learn how to set a goal, make a plan and work the plan.

By running their own lemonade stand, students understand the importance of earning, saving and spending money wisely. These skills are proven to ensure a lifetime of freedom from financial burdens, enabling important life steps, such as access to college, employment, housing and health care. By planting the seed of innovation and building foundational skills, youth are prepared to transition to what comes next in life.

Ayele Shakur: I truly believe our next generation of young people need entrepreneurship education to develop the skills necessary for success in a 21st-century economy. With the global workforce and economy rapidly changing, many of today’s jobs will not exist tomorrow and many of tomorrow’s jobs have yet to be invented.

We need to create a generation of young people who are prepared to thrive in an uncertain world, equipped with the mindset and ability to adapt, pivot, invent and reinvent within a digital, socially responsible and equitable society.

At BUILD, we teach our students the 21st-century “Spark Skills”: communication, collaboration, problem-solving, innovation, grit and self-management. Through the growth of their own businesses, our students demonstrate acquisition of and increased proficiency in these skills, and as they do, they grow in knowledge and self-confidence. Ultimately, entrepreneurship education helps young people become the CEOs of their own lives.

Roundtable: Why do you believe traditional schools do not train students in youth entrepreneurship and how does your organization attempt to fill the gap?

Kylie Stupka: Our traditional, national model for K-12 education is outdated and broken. Teachers and schools are not evaluated on the long-term value they create when they prepare students for life; they are judged by standardized test scores and forced rankings. There is no incentive to truly prepare students for life in the current system.

Empowered aims to fill that gap by reimagining an education system that better serves students and society, thanks to its community of great teachers. You can see the benefits in the 30%+ of students who start their own businesses through our education programs. And you can see it in the 95%+ of teachers who cite our organization’s support as a reason they remain in the classroom at a time when dissatisfaction and exodus are at an all-time high nationally.

Nicole Cassier-Mason: Traditional school learning is incongruous with the new world in which we operate. Youth entrepreneurship isn’t a textbook activity that may not be applicable in real life. It’s about things like negotiating terms, seeking investments, studying geography, dealing with difficult customers and using your creative and technical skills — all while dreaming and innovating.

Lemonade Day plays a vital role in the education and workforce ecosystem. We help prepare youth for life by introducing them and their families to an entrepreneurship model that provides tools for socioemotional learning, financial literacy, mentorship and sound business acumen. We develop strategic partnerships with schools, after-school alliances, community and economic development organizations, religious institutions, businesses and more to improve access to youth entrepreneurship education.

Ayele Shakur: Unfortunately, our outdated, 19th-century education system was designed to teach students to find the “right answer,” to fear failure and to limit creative thinking. Schools have become over reliant on standardized testing in order to prove growth and attainment of skills. However, life isn’t graded on a scale or a curve. Success in life is often determined by how you can overcome obstacles, demonstrate flexibility and exercise compassion.

At BUILD, our program is designed to help young people, particularly those from under-resourced communities, start real businesses in the ninth grade based on their passions and interests. Students learn and develop skills outside of what they traditionally learn in the classroom. Examples of success include students like Mehrin, a BUILD participant in New York City, who overcame adversity when her team was able to pivot, adapt and pitch their business successfully despite last-minute challenges they faced with their product.

Roundtable: What are the challenges and opportunities on the horizon for youth entrepreneurship?

Kylie Stupka: One major challenge is ensuring change-making teachers have support and freedom in their careers and classrooms. Our future needs passionate teachers to “fix” our schools and reverse the trend of underprepared graduates. Teachers choose the profession wanting to build a brighter tomorrow, yet 40% quit within five years out of frustration.

Teachers are also our best opportunity. Educators, second only to parents, have the opportunity to influence the paths and outcomes of young people. Many of the frustrations they experience stem from a lack of resources, support and trust. Empowered aims to provide relief in the form of tools and encouragement as they collaborate to re-imagine schools from the bottom up.

Nicole Cassier-Mason: On the opportunity front, we must meet our children where they are and find creative, relatable ways to inspire them into action. Youth receive information differently today – on social media and YouTube. These are dynamic sources of information that shape their minds, perspectives, experiences and beliefs. By contrast, traditional school learning has been about sitting down and listening to the teacher.

Lemonade Day is committed to making youth entrepreneurship fun, engaging and experiential. Through our new digital platform, we borrow from the entertainment industry to make learning more entertaining.

Also, concepts around financial literacy and career development historically aren’t introduced until high school or college, assuming a youth is college bound. Studies prove such concepts must be introduced in early childhood to be lasting. This is especially true in underserved communities, and is an opportunity that should be undertaken.

Ayele Shakur: I think the biggest challenge that our industry faces is a lack of recognition that entrepreneurship education should be taught as a foundational course in every high school across America. Leaders in our education system need to be cognizant that the skills students learn through entrepreneurship are as important as what they learn in geometry or algebra.

Students today often don’t see the relevance in what they’re learning, and we’re at a critical moment in our nation’s history to make education relevant. With the spotlight on post-pandemic recovery and growing racial and social inequities, it’s time we equip young people with the skills they need to lead as a generation of entrepreneurial changemakers.”

For a deeper discussion on the subject of youth entrepreneurship, watch the Roundtable’s webinar Youth Entrepreneurship: Effective Community Based Programs featuring Kylie Stupka, Nicole Cassier-Mason and Ayele Shakur. 

Source: https://www.philanthropyroundtable.org/home

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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 Economy for the full inclusion of people with disabilities BEST PRACTICE GUIDE

Social Economy for the Full Inclusion of People with Disabilities: How and Why – An Introduction to Our Best Practice Guide

Actions speak louder than words, but how can companies, businesses and employers further include people with disabilities if they are not fully aware of the possibilities? The willingness of companies to make their businesses more accessible and inclusive is improving as various legal and societal incentives put healthy pressure on businesses to maximise opportunities for #inclusion4all. However, there is still much to be done to provide accessible information and create good practice examples that clearly demonstrate the benefits of inclusivity for all.

People with disabilities face a wide range of barriers daily to access services, transport, education and training, and employment. However, one area that has been highly successful in supporting, training, and employing people with disabilities is the social economy. This economic model (cooperatives, mutuals, associations, foundations and social enterprises, among other specific legal forms) is indeed a powerful tool that can contribute to the empowerment of people with disabilities, creating meaningful jobs and promoting inclusive working conditions. Indeed, social economy organisations represent a significant 6 to 8% of GDP across 27 European Union[1], which is committed to the labour integration of people with disabilities (in some countries they employ up to three times more workers with disabilities than traditional enterprises). Social economy organisations are people-centred entities applying internal flexibility to save jobs and maintain the socio-economic activity.

[1] What future for the social economy? (europa.eu)

Introducing the Best Practice Guide

To share highly successful and impactful examples of inclusivity in action, and demonstrate how barriers can be reduced or removed, Social Economy Europe has released a best practices guide: Social Economy for the Full Inclusion of People with Disabilities.  The aim is to help communicate good practices which can be mirrored and adopted by any business, and raise awareness of the social economy’s potential for inclusion regarding the post-2020 Disability Strategy.

The post-2020 Disability Strategy will be a chance to take a comprehensive approach and generate awareness of the current contribution and the future potential of the social economy for a barrier-free Europe where people with disabilities can fully participate in society and enjoy their fundamental rights.

– Juan Antonio Pedreño, President of Social Economy EuropeTweet

We should keep in mind that this Guide is not an end in itself, but just one more step forward on the long road to full integration of persons with disabilities into society

– Yannis Vardakastanis, President of the European Disability Forum.Tweet

The Guide explores how social economy enterprises and organisations can work towards implementing the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and further contributing to the full integration of people with disabilities. It reminds us that both EU and national government leaders have the responsibility to create the right political and legislative environment that allows this integration to happen as well as incorporate appropriate funding! ​​​​​​​In 2017, the European Parliament adopted a Report calling for a new EU disability strategy 2020-2030. The report also contains various health-related recommendations, such as including a disability component. The guide states that “the new EU’s Disability Strategy 2020-2030 must ensure a harmonised implementation of the UN CRPD both by the EU and by the Member States and commit to new disability policies and legislations, in line with the 2030 Agenda.”

Let’s Meet the Best Practices

The 12 good practices include APEMH (Association des Parents d’Enfants Mentalement Handicapés), Luxembourg; Adelante Dolmen, Italy; Juncker Plan investment in ILUNION, Spain; The League of Historical and Accessible Cities, Europe; Ateliers Jean Del’Cour (JD’C), Belgium; FENACERCI, Portugal; AMADIP ESMENT, Spain; Tricentenaire group, Luxembourg; Les Genêts d’Or, France; Humana Nova, Croatia; TPK “Mara Dencheva” worker cooperative, Bulgaria and CECAP’s Group Social Business Factory, Spain.

So What are the Best Practices?

As a whole, the organisations, some of which comprise of umbrella organisations facilitating the work of other socially responsible entities, provide inclusive work opportunities in several areas including:

  • Gardening services
  • Cleaning
  • Examples of services
  • Chocolaterie Brand “Les chocolats du cœur”
  • Printing
  • Packaging services
  • Tea brand Au cœur du thé
  • Sales
  • Microbrewery
  • sewing and tailoring services.
  • Manufacturing of paper and cardboard products
  • Plastic products
  • Bookbinding services
  • Personal Protective Equipment for both local and foreign customers

This impressive group of organisations include fantastic initiatives which all businesses could potentially incorporate into their policies and practices. Just imagine the benefit from companies investing some of their profits to achieve this social goal. Good practices from this list include, but are by no means limited to; adapted support to individuals, often by providing residence and educational support structures; and incorporation of easy read and accessible information; specified training (often adapted to prepare young people with disabilities for their professional life, including internships). And is essential for a truly inclusive business, initiatives are often conceived in partnership with people with disabilities, ensuring equal opportunities and projects have a duel societal and ecological goal.

The projects focus on accessibility from the entire experience of the worker, from developing applications and software to facilitating people’s involvement as well as providing assistive devices. Redesigned routes for transport in cities, tactile billboards and sign language guides highlight the infrastructural changes that are often important and necessary for accessibility. Some of the companies demonstrate intelligent use of funding and government subsidies to offset initial costs. Furthermore, some examples use social assistants to ensure personal finances, health matters, administration and housing for employees is adequate.

Training can focus on two pillars; autonomy and increased skills to facilitate people’s integration into working life. Other companies promote transnational cooperation while teaching with alternate curricula and use sport for inclusion. The incorporation of professional certification following rigorous, personalised training of up to 2637 hours of “learning by doing” is a fine example of work integration.

This publication and the elaboration of this guide are co-funded by the European Social Fund, in the framework of the Transnational Cooperation initiative, Social Economy and Disability (SE&D), led by Fundación ONCE within the ESF Spanish OP “Social Inclusion and Social Economy” 2014-2020. The responsibility for the opinions expressed in this work is exclusively of their authors.

 

Read the full text here: SEE_SocialEconomy-4-the-inclusion-of-People-with-Disabilities_compressed

 

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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Wises’ Social Impact Measurement in the Baltic States

WISEs’ Social Impact Measurement in the Baltic States

  • Audrone UrmanavicieneTallinn University
DOI: https://doi.org/10.13135/2704-9906/5091
Keywords: Social enterprise, WISEs, Social impact measurement, Measurement indicators

ABSTRACT

WISEs devote most of their time and resources to working with the target group – not only organizing their employment activities and developing skills but also adapting their work environment, improving the psychological climate, organizational culture, etc. Thus, the implementation of the social mission of this type of social enterprise requires a particularly large amount of time and other resources. In addition, they have to take care of the financial sustainability of their organization. However, WISEs as all social enterprises face the pressure from society and other stakeholders to measure their social impact. Nevertheless, it is also important to note that scientists still disagree on the definition of social impact. It is noteworthy that there are no common criteria for measuring social impacts and there are many different methods and tools for impact assessment and measurement (Arena et al. al., 2015; Hadad and Găucă, 2014). Thus, it remains unclear what and how WISEs should measure their social impact. However, it can be argued that social impact measurement it’s very important for the WISE itself. The aim of this article – to identify what and how WISEs should measure their social impact in the organization. The methods of the research are an analysis of scientific literature and experts’ interview. The results of the research disclosed the possible measurement framework and indicators.

Urmanaviciene, A., & Arachchi, U. (2020). The effective methods and practices for accelerating social entrepreneurship through corporate social responsibility. European Journal of Social Impact and Circular Economy, 1(2), 27-47. https://doi.org/10.13135/2704-9906/5085

 

Read here: https://www.ojs.unito.it/index.php/ejsice/article/view/5091/4690 

 

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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.