Cooperation that will help social entrepreneurs in Slovakia
On October 27, 2020, the Regional Centre of the National Business Centre (NPC) in Banská Bystrica held an online information day for social enterprises, production cooperatives and non-governmental organizations that carry out economic activities.
Participants were able to find out about the possibilities of free consultancy for entrepreneurs, how does Creative Point work, and what are the possibilities of obtaining microloans for their own growth.
Entrepreneurs in the social economy are not different from other micro, small or medium-sized enterprises in business activities, but they have their unique position on the market. Their contribution is responsible social entrepreneurship, and their aim to have a positive social impact. Profit is not their primary goal, it can be perceived more as a means to achieve a public benefit goal, whether in the community or in the region. Employment in the form of providing a beneficial service to the public as well as the integration of disadvantaged and vulnerable groups of people can be carried out thanks to the functioning of such entities, and helps the development of our regions.
The event also started the joint cooperation of the Regional Centre in Banská Bystrica with the Regional Centres of Social Economy.
Social enterprises can thus receive assistance from two sides - the Institute of Social Economy (under which the Regional Centres of SE belong) helps to establish social enterprises and subsequently these entrepreneurs receive a helping hand from the National Business Centre in maintaining their business. This platform can thus effectively contribute to the support, retention and subsequent growth of entrepreneurs in the social economy and thus also employment.
In times of expected economic crisis, this platform shall provide a pillar that can maintain or develop jobs at non-standard entrepreneurs, at those entrepreneurs operating in the social economy who help to create the network of assistance to the most vulnerable.
