SUPPORT FOR SES: FROM
THEORY TO PRACTICE
At the end of the first pilot phase, the Italian partners, Finpiemonte and Fondazion Brodolini, organized an online meeting on March 22, «Support for new SEs: from theory to practice».
The meeting provided the pilot participants with an overview of all stakeholders involved in the process, priorities and methods of intervention of different types of organisations offering financial support to business projects and local development initiatives which highlight the importance of generating social impact.
The workshop included a training with a group of experts from the public and private financial sector, on the topic of support of social entrepreneurship. Speakers provided tips an suggestions about how to access different funding sources, and listed several upcoming opportunities from both public and private
institutions.
Pilot participants improved their understanding of different sources of funding and the processes to obtain resources.
The workshop was also an opportunity for networking, connecting pilot projects’ teams with the speakers, and for initiating interactions beneficial prior to upcoming individual meetings with financial stakeholders. Financial support experts recommended strengthening economic aspects of project proposals as some projects developed throughout the pilot strongly focused on social innovation at the community level, but were deemed weaker when it comes to economic sustainability and business management. Focus should be shifted to the definition of the idea and value proposition, a careful choice of both social and economic objectives that are key for effective fundraising. The event also stressed the importance of extra-territorial networks. Lastly, financial stakeholders highlighted the importance of creating an ecosystem supporting social
enterprises operating in marginalized areas.
« It was very useful for us to attend the workshop, a great opportunity to increase our knowledge of stakeholders/ investors interested in the issues of local development and socially responsible enterprises.» Germinale Cooperative
