Покана на Европейската комисия за „Действия за ускоряване на разработването на финансови пазари за социални предприятия"

The objective of the call is to develop social enterprise finance markets by bringing together the supply and demand side actors to facilitate the creation of financial instruments and to prepare social enterprises for investments.

This call is aimed at mobilising key partners (potential investors, financial intermediaries, support organisations and stakeholders) to cooperate with a view to setting up a concrete financial instrument and investment readiness programme targeting social enterprises that need investments below EUR 500 000. The grant is meant to enable the replication of tested solutions in a new territory or the establishment of innovative instruments and approaches. It supports the first steps towards a social finance instrument by facilitating the development of a consortium and commitment to act in view of laying the groundwork for, and developing, a future financial instrument. The call also aims to encourage learning from good practice examples and expertise that can guide the formation of this partnership.

The call also has the objective to identify, develop, promote and disseminate good practices in supporting social enterprise finance. To achieve this, the European Commission will facilitate transnational mutual learning through five workshops. The workshops will enable the sharing of practices, experience and lessons learnt in implementing the actions.

They will bring together organisations supported under this call and other competent organisations and experts. In addition, transnational mutual learning is encouraged among consortium members in order to transfer know-how among peers, support the replication and adaptation of tested solutions, and disseminate knowledge.

The grant is aimed at the actors entering into the early stages of collaboration towards the creation of a financial instrument to support social enterprises.

Actions must be fully carried out in ESF+ eligible countries and must focus on supporting social enterprises that are in need of smaller investments (< EUR 500 000).

In line with the ESF+ Regulation, a social enterprise is an undertaking, regardless of its legal form, including social economy enterprises, or a natural person which:

(a) in accordance with its articles of association, statutes or with any other legal document that may result in liability under the rules of the Member State where a social enterprise is located, has the achievement of measurable, positive social impacts, which may include environmental impacts, as its primary social objective rather than the generation of profit for other purposes, and which provides services or goods that generate a social return or employs methods of production of goods or

services that embody social objectives; 

(b) uses its profits first and foremost to achieve its primary social objective, and has predefined procedures and rules that ensure that the distribution of profits does not

undermine the primary social objective; 

(c) is managed in an entrepreneurial, participatory, accountable and transparent manner, in particular by involving workers, customers and stakeholders on whom its business activities have an impact.

The social enterprises must be established / in the process of being established in one or more of the ESF+ eligible countries.