January 2022 – December 2024

Buget:

1,123,596 EUR

Donors:

European Union, Sweden

Partners:

 East Europe Foundation, Contact Centre

The project aims to empower Moldovan CSOs to create social enterprises, which will contribute to the sustainable economic growth of communities. The project is proposing a strong capacity building program, especially around business and financial management both for social enterprises and for regional social business hubs, which will further guide the social enterprises. Additionally, with project support CSOs, it will empower disadvantaged people (youth, people with disability, returned migrants, Roma minority, elderly, etc.) to be socially and economically included in the labor market.  A favorable ecosystem for the development of social enterprises through access to professional consultations will be created at the regional level. Awareness will be raised through nationwide media campaign regarding social entrepreneurship.

Specific objectives:

1. Assessing the barriers for the development of social enterprises and exploring new intervention plans for the facilitation of social entrepreneurship in the Republic of Moldova.
2. Implementation of Regional Social Business Hubs with new complex approaches for the sustainable development of social enterprises by means of offline and online coaching, mentorship, coordination and knowledge sharing, facilitating networking and exchange of experience, e-learning platforms, business intelligent solutions, digital solutions, and e-commerce.
3. Creating better economic and social opportunities for disadvantaged people through social enterprises developed based on small grant scheme.
4. Increase awareness of the population and Local Authorities about the role of the social enterprises in community development through educational and promotional campaigns.

The project entails four interconnected components: KAP research for understanding the local and national context, setting up 4 Regional Social Business Hubs, creation or development of 15 Social Enterprises and education for social business.

1. Conducting a KAP research for understanding the local and national context, and barriers that hinder the further development of social entrepreneurship, and for understanding the level of population readiness to invest in social enterprises. Research will provide recommendations to relevant stakeholders and will serve as a base for Communication Strategy and intervention plans for specific target groups: CSOs, SMEs, unemployed population etc., in order to improve the level of perception, understanding and support of social entrepreneurship. Based on the results of this research, a media campaign and 5 raising awareness campaigns will be conducted.
2. Creation of a more favorable environment for social entrepreneurship through setting up 4 Regional Social Business Hubs (three on the right side of Nistru river and one on the left side of Nistru river). Each regional social business hub will be capacitated in: legislative framework for social entrepreneurship, business plan development, financial management, digital marketing and e-commerce. The Hubs will develop/update the internal regulations regarding their activity and offered services. At least 80 Social enterprises will be supported by Business Hubs to become more sustainable.
3. Development of 15 sustainable Social Enterprises. The Social Enterprises will improve the internal management and become more visible at local and regional level through continued guidance and mentoring from Regional Social Business hubs. The products/services developed within the social enterprises will be placed on marketplace adapted to the online sale. The project will create economic and social opportunities for at least 40 persons from disadvantaged categories, who will be included on the labor market. 300 disadvantaged persons will benefit of social enterprises’ activities.
4. Five CSOs shall develop at least 5 awareness raising activities at regional level. Considering that most social enterprises depend on external funds, due to awareness raising they shall diversify their funding base, including via crowdfunding platforms. The subgranted CSOs will promote the message to invest in the development of social enterprises. A step-by-step guide on how to attract investment in social enterprise will be elaborated afterwards. One national media campaign to change knowledges and attitudes of general population regarding social entrepreneurship will be conducted.