Română 
In February, the ADV Romania team conducted a study visit to Norway as part of the project SEEDing – Enterprising for Tomorrow, co-financed by the EEA and Norway Grants.
For four days, project partners and eight Romanian entrepreneurs from the circular economy and IT&C sectors had the opportunity to visit social enterprises, NGOs, and companies in Norway.
Key ideas:
- Social inclusion is a bonus, not an excuse for lower quality.
- Social inclusion is costly and requires support from central and local authorities. In Norway, this support is well-regulated, and the results are substantial.
- Traditional companies can increase their community impact through a bold approach to sustainability and by integrating social enterprises into their supply chain.
- The key word in Norway is cooperation. There is no competition for the same category of beneficiaries, on the same solutions or problems. There is a genuine desire to find and implement solutions that work together.
Ideas and inspiration from Norway
Matsentralen Norge: This network of food banks redistributes surplus food from the food industry to non-profit organizations that support disadvantaged people. Their efficient model of combating food waste and supporting those in need was a major source of inspiration.
Vestre: The world’s most sustainable furniture factory (The Plus), Vestre, has demonstrated how eco-friendly practices can be integrated into industrial production, thereby contributing to environmental protection.
OsloKollega: This is one of the largest employment and inclusion companies in Oslo, running circular economy workshops. Their activities focus on reintegrating vulnerable individuals into the workforce and reusing IT components and used bicycles, thus giving new life to existing resources.
WayBack: This foundation in Oslo facilitates the reintegration of former inmates into society, with employees who are themselves former inmates. This unique approach has been appreciated for its positive impact on the community and for providing real support to individuals undergoing rehabilitation.
Unikum AS: Our partners in Oslo, Norway, who facilitate professional integration through vocational training in seven diverse fields. The organization has approximately 80 employees across various departments:
- Social Kitchen: Producing 1,000 meals per week for vulnerable individuals (homeless people, drug addicts, single mothers, people with disabilities) – all ingredients come from the Matsentralen Food Bank in Oslo and are produced for the Bank’s beneficiaries.
- Fruit Basket Assembly Line: Delivering fruit baskets daily to offices around the city. 900 fruit baskets leave the Unikum warehouse weekly.
- Creative Workshops: Creating seasonal decorations, bags, and printed textiles using traditional methods.
- Urban Farm: Supplying vegetables, fruits, honey, meat, and dairy products for the farm’s restaurant.
- Logistics Team
- Delivery Team
- Maintenance Team
The goal of each activity is to offer a chance for integration and a sense of purpose – which comes from the satisfaction of belonging to a community, and together with the people in that community, doing something good, beautiful, and useful.
The study visit to Norway was a source of inspiration for all participants and offered multiple perspectives on how social enterprises and social innovation in business can contribute to solving social problems.
The study visit took place in the context of the SEEDing – Enterprising for Tomorrow project, co-financed by the EEA and Norway Grants. Representatives from the project partners – ADV Romania, Unikum AS, Ateliere Fara Frontiere, Social Finance Association, Rise Romania – the Romanian Network of Insertion Social Enterprises, and eight representatives from social enterprises and traditional companies in the circular economy and IT&C sectors participated in the study visit.
