The Civitas Foundation for Civil Society Cluj and Odorheiu Secuiesc, together with the World Vision Romania Foundation, are launching the Social Business Academy project in urban areas. Within this project, €61,000 in non-reimbursable grants will be awarded for 34 social business ideas in cities from three regions of Romania: North-West, Central, and North-East.
The project will finance business ideas with a social mission, reinvesting 90% of their profits into this mission, and employing people from disadvantaged groups on the labor market. This project is a response to the high risk of poverty or social exclusion (AROPE) in Romania, which was 32.0% in 2023, corresponding to 6.0 million people, according to the National Institute of Statistics.
“In Romania, the concept of social economy is still barely known. We have 2,931 social enterprises, employing 5,621 people (RUEIS, October 2024), which accounts for less than 1% of the total workforce at the national level, while in the European Union, those working in social enterprises represent more than 6% of EU employees. Through this project, we aim to accelerate sector growth and encourage the creation of new jobs, especially for disadvantaged people,” says Monica Călușer, project coordinator.
The project is co-financed by the European Union from the European Social Fund+ under the Education and Employment Program (POEO) 2021-2027.
What does the Social Business Academy in Urban Areas include?
In the project, 132 people will be selected, who will benefit from accredited Social Economy Entrepreneur courses and will compete to win a €61,000 grant for their social business idea. The program includes the following:
- Accredited Social Economy Entrepreneur Course: Those enrolled in the project will follow an accredited training program and participate in related workshops.
- Business Plan Competition: At the end of the course, after passing the exam, participants will compete for the €61,000 grant to establish their business.
- Mentorship and financing for 34 ideas with €61,000 each for launching the social business: The winners of the business competition will work on their ideas with the project team and receive the non-reimbursable grant to launch their business.
- 5 years of support in implementing the business plan: The project team will support entrepreneurs for 1.5 years in making purchases, executing the investment budget according to the business plan, and filling jobs.
Who can enroll in the project?
The Social Business Academy is open to those who want to set up a business with a positive impact on the community and meet the following conditions:
- They live in an urban area in one of the following three regions: North-West, Central, or North-East.
- They are at least 18 years old.
- They have completed at least secondary education (12 years of schooling).
- They do not already have a certificate of completion for a professional training program as a Social Economy Entrepreneur (COR code 112032).
- They are not enrolled in a similar project funded by the European Union.
- They are not in a conflict of interest with the Civitas Foundation for Civil Society (Cluj and Odorheiu Secuiesc) and the World Vision Romania Foundation.
- They have computer skills.
- They belong to one of these categories: young people aged 30-35, inactive persons, unemployed persons, single parents, post-institutionalized youth, persons with disabilities, or other disadvantaged categories on the labor market.
How can you enroll in the project?
To enroll in the project, interested individuals must complete an enrollment form, and they will be contacted by the project team for the next steps. Enrollment started on November 27, 2024, and participants are encouraged to register as soon as possible, as the places are limited to 44 people per region.
The enrollment form and additional details about the Social Business Academy in Urban Areas are available on the project page: https://civitas.ro/academia-de-afaceri-sociale-urban/.
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The project (SMIS Code: 305409) is co-financed by the European Union from the European Social Fund+ through the Education and Employment Program (POEO) 2021-2027, with a total value of 14,890,095.94 RON, of which 12,656,581.55 RON represents the European Union contribution. It will be implemented from November 2024 to April 2027.
The overall goal of the project is to increase the number of sustainable social enterprises in urban areas in the North-West, Central, and North-East regions by creating a dynamic and impactful framework that supports both the development of entrepreneurial skills for those wishing to establish social enterprises and the integration of people from vulnerable groups into the labor market, aiming for measures to increase the potential of the targeted areas.
Non-discrimination is the fundamental value of the social economy.
