Social Entrepreneurship Incubator
About of project:
Period: 01.02.2016 − 31.07.2019
Budget: €798,919.20
Implementing agency: ODB Brussels (Belgium), TNU Network University (the Netherlands) and Belarusian Youth Association "New Faces"
Location: Belarus
Description
Social entrepreneurship withstands social and environmental challenges by making use sustainable business models, often engaging vulnerable categories in the enterprise operations. Social entrepreneurs re-invest the largest share of their revenues in resolution of their community issues, or donate it to charities. Their main goal is to maximize the social effect: improve the livelihoods of as many distressed people as possible, resolve the problems of starvation and inadequate access to education and health, reduce the environmental footprint.
The project provides for development of social entrepreneurship in Belarus. Its participants will have a unique opportunity to benefit from high-quality international training in the field of socially oriented business.
Goal and objectives: Develop a package of Russian language social entrepreneurship training programmes based on innovative international practices, as well as experience of Belarusian diaspora who have achieved success in countries of the European Union, Eastern Partnership, Russia and the USA.
Оutcomes: Taking into account international practices, the project partners have developed, tested and improved the Biz4All learning programme for social entrepreneurs. The programme consists of 27 mixed online/offline learning modules and it helps the participants walk their way from the product/service creation to business registration and the first sales.
166 persons (44 teams) have successfully completed the social entrepreneurship course, and almost half of them keep developing their social business now. They address the matters of inclusion of disabled persons, reduction of CO2 emissions, preservation of customs, integration of children with autism, rehabilitation of persons with mental disorders, as well as women in difficult situations, monitoring of the elderly persons' health, development of agro-ecotourism, and fostering of active longevity.
During the summer vacations of 2017 and 2017, more than sixty 15-18 year-old girls and boys from across Belarus learnt how to be entrepreneurs in "SEI Youth. My First Business" School; they received mentor support and a great impetus for future achievements, they have made friends and some have started their own business.
Owing to the project, social entrepreneurship has been debated nationwide, attracting a large number of actors. The Social Business Forum has been co-held in Minsk three times with Belarusian partners; it engaged experts and practitioners from the United Kingdom, Germany, Denmark, the Netherlands, Latvia, Lithuania, Russia and Ukraine, as well as leading Belarusian experts and social innovators, representatives of ministries and businesses. A documentary film about social entrepreneurs in Belarus was released in January of 2019; in total, more than 100 seminars, meet-ups, master classes, working meetings and training workshops have been held under the project with the participation of Belarusian and international experts.
Contacts: Alyona Lis, Project Coordinator (ODB Brussels)
+32474254750, +375293529468, alyona@odb-office.eu
Web link: https://by.odb-office.eu/ekspertyza_/sacyjalnaje-pradprymalnictva
