General social support based businesses to increase employment of people disadvantaged in the labor market

1. October, 2013 – 31. December, 2014

Project Aim

Our aim is to pass on the Swiss experience with social entrepreneurship in Slovakia and the present model, which combines principles of the business sector with the principles of social work and regional development. The project does not address the regulatory environment in the field of social entrepreneurship and business plans, which are the output of the project will not rely on the functioning of public subsidy schemes. We want communities to assist in the development of such business plans, under which the municipality will be able to set up and operate a financially sustainable social enterprise. The project envisages significant help of volunteers.

Starting position

Tackling unemployment in rural areas, although belongs to the competence of the state, but often just lies on the shoulders of the village and its leaders. On smaller communities where registered unemployment rate normally exceeds 20%, the entrepreneurial initiative of the village often the only realistic option to get a job or work experience. Fittest mayors create jobs in the so-called. general social enterprises, and thanks to a few examples of good practice (eg. Spiš Hrhov), this type of business is becoming increasingly popular among municipalities.

Expected results

Create new jobs for people with various forms of discrimination on grounds of quality to identify such business opportunities that will allow selected municipalities to establish a stable social enterprise for people with various forms of disadvantage.

Main Activities

Providing assistance to local governments in the form of identifying real business opportunities, developing a business plan and financial strategy of the business plan. In our experience the most successful active use of general social enterprises in Slovakia and try to imagine a model that combines the principles of business sector with the principles of social work and regional development, and does not depend on subsidies from public funds. Assistance we provide to municipalities, focusing on:

  • identification of business opportunities,
  • development of a business plan,
  • establishment of social enterprise,
  • establish contacts with the business sector,
  • linking communities that are trying to implement municipal undertaking,
  • provide documentation of a financial support needed to launch the operation of social enterprise.

Within the program of cooperation with the sampled 12 municipalities of Banska Bystrica, Prešov and Košice regions that have the potential for the establishment of a social enterprise. Involved governments provide support through volunteers from the business environment.

Outputs

General social enterprises – List of business opportunities

Donors

The project supports The Swiss – Slovak cooperation in the enlarged European Union. Administrators Block Grant to support partnerships in the framework of the Swiss-Slovak Cooperation Foundation EKOPOLIS.

Partners

Social Business Earth