About the CONSE project

Project “Co-network of social enterprises (CONSE)”

Summary

The main objective of the project is strengthening the transnational cooperation, exchange of experiences, importation of good practices, models and ICTs for enhancing the social entrepreneurship by stimulating the participation of private enterprises in social economy.

Specific objectives: Improve management capacity of social enterprises; Stimulate private enterprises involvement in social economy; Develop and implement innovative business model that stimulate the development of social enterprises by creating a platform for shared resources.

Target group of the project: People working in institutions and organizations, related to the social entrepreneurship, municipalities, cooperative societies, employer’s associations, NGOs, social enterprises and other stakeholders, including entrepreneurs who aim to develop the social economy.

 

Main activities:

  • Preparing a comparative analysis of Belgium’s experience in innovative socio-entrepreneurial practices;
  • Enhancing the capacity of partners and stakeholders in developing, implementing good practices and innovative approaches related to social entrepreneurship and the social economy;
  • Adapting innovative social practices and business models:
  • Evaluation of achieved results:
  • Dissemination of achieved results;
  • Creation of a partner network

Transnational partnership activities:

  • Promotion of social entrepreneurship through Improvement of management capacity of social enterprises;
  • Promotion of social entrepreneurship through stimulation of the social involvement of private enterprises;
  • Promotion of starting up of sustainable micro enterprises in the social entrepreneurship sector;
  • Exploration of methods to create economies of scale (like social franchising) for social enterprises;
  • Building a sustainable employment for disadvantaged people by implementing innovative business models that will support the sustainable development of the social enterprises;
  • Develop a community-oriented business model, define concrete implementation possibilities and test them in at least one pilot framework.
  • Creation of unifying platform based on the solutions existing in transnational partners through implementation of project tasks, including those of transnational nature, with a database of daily exchange of information between different actors in the social economy (managers, employees, educators, public authorities, employers and external partners).

 

Expected results:

  • Improved transnational cooperation between the partners from Bulgaria and Belgium;
  • Identified 3 proposals for social innovation;
  • Transition of 2 social innovations;
  • Introduction social innovations in 2 Bulgarian enterprises;
  • Building partnerships skills between transnational partners in the field of social innovation;
  • Improved management capacity in 2 Bulgarian societal enterprises;
  • Established unifying platform
  • Created partner network;
  • Developed handbook and recommendations for institutions and enterprises that introduce a new decision / practice.

Main project partners:

Viva Pautalia – Bulgaria (http://innovitas-bg.com/)

Viva Pautalia Association is a non-profit, non-governmental organization founded in 2008 by highly experienced in the field of EU project management members. Association’s main activities are aimed at development, implementation and transfer of innovative approaches and services in the social and ecological sphere.

Our main goals are development, implementation and transfer of innovative approaches and methodologies in various areas related to products of potential ecological and social importance.

Organisation’s priorities in the social sphere have reflected in the implementation of a number of projects fostering the problems of disadvantaged and marginalised children and youth, completed on a national and international level.

Our main projects:

Joker – Belgium (https://www.joker.be/en)

Joker is a Belgian tour operator founded in 1981, considered as pioneer in sustainable tourism. The founders believed that by multiplying the occasions for intercultural encounters, communication and knowledge would increase and this would engender a more tolerant society.

Mission is to offer memorable and joyful experiences for both travelers and local hosts around the world, committed to sustainable tourism as leverage for socio-economic development and increased tolerance. Joker is grounded on four values: ‘Openness’, ‘’Equality’, ‘Dialogue’,  ‘Amazement’

From the start Joker created a hybrid network, where profit and social profit enterprises are developed under the same mission. They are active on 4 continents. Today the total staff of Joker is around 80 people, there are 9 sales offices in Northern Belgium; 350 tour leaders are travelling around the world.

Beginning 2018 Joker is elected by the Belgian Federal Institute for Sustainable Development as SDG voice 2018 along with the Federation of Enterprises in Belgium (VBO-FEB), the Association of Cities and Municipalities (VVSG), Natagora, Metro newspaper and Mooov.

 

Transnational partners:

VIAVIA TOURISM ACADEMY (http://www.viaviatourismacademy.com/)

ViaVia Tourism Academy (VVTA), which was founded in 2001 by the Joker/ViaVia network, is a Belgian autonomous non-profit center, sharing knowledge and expertise for a more enjoyable and sustainable world. ViaVia Tourism Academy is the coordinator of the ‘Learning Network of Sustainable and Innovative Tourism’ in Tourism education programmes of Flemish High Schools, University Colleges and Universities. They are conducting Vocational Trainings on four continents and are partner in different European projects.

The mission of ViaVia Tourism Academyis the deployment of Sustainable Tourism & Intercultural Entrepreneurship as a tool for economic, social and cultural development, and as a source for better understanding and (more) inclusive societies.

  • This aim is built on a dynamic ‘Knowledge – Experience – Sharing’ triangle:
  1. Translate state-of-the art knowledge and field experience into hands-on tools for sustainable tourism development and intercultural entrepreneurship (KNOWLEDGE)
  2. Apply the learnings in the context of the Joker ViaVia Network and other related sustainable tourism development projects while adjusting them when necessary (EXPERIENCE)

Share in countries/regions/organizations where our applied knowledge and experience may contribute to sustainable development and inclusive societies (SHARING).

  • Early 2015, ViaVia Tourism Academy, was named ‘ESF Ambassador 2015’ by EU Commissioner Marianne Thijssen for their transnational project on ethnic entrepreneurs: „Café Herman. A great good place in town” (European Social Fund).

ARTECONOMY – Belgium (http://www.arteconomy.be/en/)

ARTECONOMY [1] is a Belgian partner that connects art, creative industries, science, technology, economy, education outside their mental models with the aim of creating new ideas, new products, new services and a different view on the corporate culture. Cooperation based on connection between the art world and the economic world aims to develop people, the interpersonal relationship and the content. Both partners are equal and share responsibility. The end result is holistic and has a qualitative impact. Julie Vandenbroucke, founder of Arteconomy, received an Honorary Master in 2019 from the LUCA School of Arts of Flanders. She received this award because in the collaborative projects between art and economy set up by Arteconomy, the artist is not instrumentalized but retains his authenticity.

„DIE BERATER“ – Austria (https://dieberater.com/)

Die Berater is an Austrian organization that has considerable experience as provider of programs which prepare refugees for integration into the labor market and society . It is also an agency for the Austrian program “Freiwillliges Integrationsjahr” [1] financed by the Federal Ministry for Social Affairs and AMS. In this programme asylum seekers are matched with NGOs to do a volunteering year with accompanying training and integration support to gain first experiences with the Austrian labor market.

GLOCAL4IMPACT BVBA (http://www.globalimpact.be/)

Social enterprise for the sale and repair of camping goods and caravans. A center where many different social enterprises are located and can be transplanted.

VISIT GENT – Belgium (https://visit.gent.be)

The Tourist Office of the city of Ghent has agreed to act as inspiration-and sounding board due to the fact that the objectives of the Sundry Seeds project are fully in line with the priorities that the city of Ghent in their policy has registered. In Belgium Ghent is a touristic topper in Belgium, has a large diverse population and that way will function as embryo and concept generator for this project.

VDAB Belgium (https://www.vdab.be)

The VDAB is a Flemish government structure that presents an extremely interesting and promising social innovation, Social Impact Bond, through which the region attracts investors in the social entrepreneurship sector by setting certain social goals, while achieving some of its investment. the innovation is to promote employment and education for young people with difficulties in accessing the labor market.

VSI “Geros valios istaiga“ (Къща на добрата воля)

Geros Valios Istaiga Lithuania Vilnius is a national association working for the benefit of people speaking Russian and Belarusians, including Belarussians living in Belarus. The scope of the activity is to help large families, as well as support for Belarusian foster families, which number about 30,000 children on their dependents in Belarus. Support for Belarusian language, culture and folk traditions of Belarusians.

Bulgarian social enterprises selected by Viva Pautalia to participate in the study visits to the project:

Synergia Foundation (https://synergia-foundation.org/)

Synergia Foundation was established in early 2015. As a public benefit NGO, its mission is to improve the well-being of visually impaired people by implementing successful social entrepreneurship practices and fostering dialogue and interaction between citizens, businesses, state and NGO sector. Activities and scope of work – project management, social entrepreneurship, training for blind people, innovations in medicine and healthcare for people with visual impairments, audio recordings, audio ads, production and post-production, sound, theatre of shadows, corporate events and trainings, concerts, tactile tours (urban walks) without the participation of sight.

Creator of social innovation OMNIBOT, a device that provides a normal lifestyle for people with disabilities.

  • Good boys custom България

Association with activities in the field of finding individual solutions to the problems of people with disabilities.

Project No BG05M9OP001-4.003-0036 “Co-network of social enterprises (CONSE)” is co-funded by the European Union through the European Social Fund.

The total amount of grants from the European Social Fund through Operational Program Human Resources Development 2014-2020 amounts to 185 511.70 BGN (176 236.12 BGN European co-financing and 9 275.58 national co-financing).

Project duration: 23 months.