The “SEEDing – Enterprising for Tomorrow” project, co-funded by EEA and Norway Grants, was a significant step towards increasing the competitiveness of social enterprises in Romania, focusing in particular on the ICT and green industry sectors.

The project was implemented by “Alături de Voi” Foundation Romania (ADV Romania) in collaboration with organisations from Romania and Norway with expertise in social economy, social inclusion, circular economy and social finance – Unikum AS, Ateliere Fara Frontiere (AFF), Romanian Network of Social Economy (RISE Romania), Social Finance Association (SFA). Through the partners’ expertise and diverse activities tailored to sector needs, the project has contributed to developing a solid and sustainable ecosystem for the social economy in Romania.

During 11 months (June 2023-April 2024), over 500 people from the social economy sector (including founders and employees) participated in courses, webinars, and mentoring sessions focused on the circular economy. Additionally, the project organized the first nationwide gala dedicated to social enterprises from Romania and an exclusive networking event, connecting social entrepreneurs with company founders and managers. Another highlight of the project were the study visits, which encouraged the adoption of best practices and fostered synergies between the traditional business environment and social entrepreneurs.

What added value did the project bring?

Skills development

The project’s activities enabled social enterprises in Romania to access free training in the fields of digitization, social finance and circular economy.

In total, over 500 individuals (including founders and employees of social economy enterprises) and 100 social enterprises participated in the courses. The new skills they acquired will enable them to adapt swiftly to today’s market challenges and opportunities.

While the importance of continuous learning and professional development is widely recognized, the low financial capacity of social enterprises in Romania (many of which are also start-ups) limits their ability to invest in courses. These enterprises face constant pressure to ensure cash flow for operational expenses, cover costs for social activities, and invest in the development of new products and services, all of which are often more urgent priorities.

Here are some of the testimonials shared by participants:

“Very good organization and a course full of exciting topics.”

“Should you organise more courses like this.”

“I liked the structure of the course, I didn’t even feel when the time passed. I wish you much success and can’t wait to see what else you release!”

“Attending the course was extremely enjoyable and useful. For me personally, as a social enterprise manager, this course came as a complement to the insufficient information on the circular economy, a concept I wanted to integrate into my company’s work. It was also very interesting to have the opportunity to see in real life how the principles of the circular economy are applied in two organisations we had the opportunity to visit, which crowned the theoretical information we received.”

Know-how transfer

Another success of the project has been the transfer of know-how in the fields of circular economy and social entrepreneurship, facilitated through study visits and webinars conducted by professionals from Norway.

• Study visit to Norway (for project partners, classical entrepreneurs, social entrepreneurs, employees of social enterprises).
• Study visit to ADV Romania’s social enterprises (social enterprise founders and employees, from all over the country).
• Visit to Ateliere Fara Frontiere and Atelierul de Pânză (part of the circular economy course organised by Ateliere Fara Frontiere within the project framework).
• Webinar – Sustainability and circular economy practices from Vestre, Norway, the world’s most sustainable furniture factory.
• Webinar – The path to social entrepreneurship – lessons from Norway

This knowledge transfer has had a positive impact on the capacity of Romanian social enterprises to implement sustainable and innovative practices.

Strengthening partnerships

Through the “Accelerator of Social Enterprise” cluster and various events that brought traditional entrepreneurs and social entrepreneurs together (including a business matching event, the study visit to Norway, and webinars attended by social enterprises and managers from companies or public institutions), the project fostered synergies and partnerships among companies, local entrepreneurs, and social enterprises.

Increasing the visibility of the social economy sector

The Accelerator of Social Enterprises Award and the first Gala dedicated to social enterprises in Romania

The event spotlighted social enterprises excelling in social inclusion and the circular economy, companies recognized for socially responsible procurement and exceptional environmental initiatives, and service providers dedicated to the social economy.

This unique initiative in Romania has brought social innovation to the forefront, enhanced the visibility of social enterprises and their community impact, and raised awareness among companies about the opportunities for collaboration with social enterprises.

The promotional campaign for this event ran for two months, attracting over 40,000 views on the campaign website and more than 300,000 views on social media. Over 200 people attended the Awards Gala in Iasi on April 17, 2024, and nearly 5,000 people watched the Gala online via Facebook or YouTube.

Mapping the social economy sector

The project produced a comprehensive mapping of the social economy sector and the needs of social enterprises in Romania – the Social Economy Barometer, 2023 edition. This mapping provided valuable data for identifying future development directions and formulating appropriate public policies.

As part of the SEEDing project, the European Social Enterprise Map was extended. Initially piloted by ADV Romania in Eastern Partnership countries through the EU4Youth program, this tool was later launched at the European level within the SocialTech4EU project.

Social enterprises from Romania and Norway have been included in the first European map dedicated to social enterprises, highlighting the significant contributions of the project.

This digital tool, which will be continuously maintained and updated by ADV Romania, gives social enterprises greater visibility, stimulates partnerships in the social economy sector and makes it possible to identify suppliers for socially responsible public and corporate procurement.

What other lasting effects does the project leave behind

A digital library with valuable content and best practice models for the social economy sector, catering to all stakeholders interested in social innovation and sustainability.

Recordings of the courses that took place online – digital skills, social funding, accessing and implementing European projects, CSR, fundraising, circular economy.

Webinar recordings of best practice models from Norway – Circular economy and sustainability and social entrepreneurship.

Film presenting the study visit to Norway – Best practice models in social innovation, inclusion, economy to inspire initiatives of impact driven leaders and teams.

• Olso Food Bank (manages 8-9 tons of food daily, being an important pillar in the fight against food waste while providing free meals for people in need – homeless people, social beneficiaries of associations and foundations in Oslo).
• Vestre (the world’s most sustainable furniture factory).
• Oslo Kollega (vocational integration of disadvantaged people through circular economy workshops – workshops for collecting and repairing bicycles and IT equipment).
• WayBack (a foundation in Oslo that reintegrates ex-prisoners into society).
• Unikum (an organisation in Olso that provides jobs for vulnerable people and facilitates their professional integration through vocational training in 7 different fields).

***

“SEEDing – Enterprising for Tomorrow” an initiative of ADV Romania, supported by EEA and Norway Grants 2014 – 2020.

Working together for a green, competitive and inclusive Europe
https://www.eeagrants.ro