Social Entrepreneurs apply entrepreneurial skills to address social challenges. They provide others with the skills to set up organisations to address social or environmental change.
Social Enterprise is defined as ‘a business with primarily social objectives whose surpluses are principally reinvested for that purpose in the business or in the community’.
Social entrepreneurs are individuals with innovative solutions to society’s most pressing social problems. The social purpose of what they do is central to their business.
Social Entrepreneurship helps
NGO’s need to find more sustainable ways of growing their business, particularly while facing decreasing external support. Adopting a social enterprise approach is a workable model for NGOs.
Entrepreneurs are looking for opportunities to develop their business ideas and meet their need to bring positive social change to their communities
International Foundations are moving away from traditional service funding for social services. Organisations such as the Gates Foundation are placing greater scrutiny on business models to improve sustainability.
Companies are looking for new ways to make impact with their CSR investments and achieve their objectives at a time when they are under ever greater scrutiny over their social and environmental practices.
Governments are keen to explore different models beyond public/private partnerships for more efficient, sustainable ways of delivering services, which clearly demonstrate social returns on investment.
Young people want to work for themselves, in less formal structures; and are more aware of social and climate issues. Building their capacity is a priority.
Participating countries in South East Europe are: Croatia, Georgia, Serbia, Turkey and Ukraine.
As of today, the concept of social entrepreneurship is less known to the broad masses in Georgia However Social entrepreneurship possesses serious prospects and potential on a Georgian market as an effective tool for identifying alternative funding opportunities for the third sector.
British Council’s work with the third sector has been there for many years so developing Skills for Social Entrepreneurship - an international learning and networking programme here in Georgia we grasped the opportunity to demonstrate UK global leadership in governance management, third sector development, on the other hand, help local partners and beneficiaries to exploit knowledge from the UK, give access to a higher level of networking, enhance reputation of UK and of local partners.
Over the last year the British Council as a pioneer is actively engaged in the development and popularization of this concept in Georgia, as well as establishment of enabling environment for social entrepreneurship including using advocacy of the UK experience to help the lobbying of the concept to Georgian Government.
In close cooperation with Eurasia Partnership Foundation (EPF), Civil Society Institute (CSI) and Center for Strategic Research and Development of Georgia (CSRDG) we are implementing a joint program of intensive trainings on social entrepreneurship, provide access to start up funds to help new entrepreneurs set up business ventures and organize a study tour and a national level conference in order to share best practice and achievements.
Events in 2010:
Social Enterprise - New Opportunity for Development
15 December 2010
Tbilisi Event Hall, #1 Melikishvili Ave.
The event was dedicated to the popularization of new approaches towards fulfillment of social objectives in Georgia and organization in a new fashion of activities of the Civil Society Organizations operating in the social field.
For more details contact the Project Manager
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