Press releases

Organisation for the Development of the Sector of Small and Medium Enterprises of Moldova launched Map Social Entrepreneurshipa single platform dedicated to promoting and supporting social enterprises and social organisations in the Republic of Moldova. The launch of the platform took place as part of the closing event of the Social Entrepreneurship Campaign on 2 December 2021.

The highlights of the event were Iulia Costin, Director of the Organisation for the Development of Sector of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (ODIMM) of the Republic of Moldova, Silviu Neghine, Deputy Head of Directorate for Business Development, Ministry of Economy, Stephen Jonathan Halligan, Programme Office, Joint Secretariat of the Danube Transnational Programme, Project Finance4SocialChange, Olesea Ghedrovici, Policy Manager, MEPA, GIZ project, Sergiu Gurău, Social Entrepreneur, Igor Hincu, Social Entrepreneur and Victor Nistoric, future Social Entrepreneur.

Iulia Costin, Director General ODIMMstated at the opening of the event that “Social entrepreneurship is a concept used in many countries and is the entrepreneurship model that aims to increase society’s well-being and not just profit maximisation.

The IMMO has always been close to entrepreneurs, providing them with access to information, quality entrepreneurial education, access to a wide range of financing instruments, business support infrastructure in the regions of the country and countless opportunities to connect to the local and international community.

Through the Finance4SocialChange transnational project, ODIMM launched on 28 Octombrie, a comprehensive communication and social entrepreneurship campaign, a relatively new area for RM’s business environment, but with huge potential for the development of both the economy and the social problems of our communities.”

Present at the event via the Zoom platform, Stephen Jonathan Halligan, Programme Ofier, Joint Secretariat of the Danube Transnational Programme, Project Finance4SocialChange, leading project partner for social entrepreneurship developmentstated that The “Transnational One Programme” is a programme that promotes transnational and international cooperation and provides solutions to common challenges. The programme involves 15 countries, of which 5 are non-EU, including Moldova. We are very proud that we have managed to include so many non-EU countries in the Danube region in this programme. Social enterprises are relatively new for the Republic of Moldova, and the Finance4SocialChange project implemented with the support of the ODIMM has managed to promote this concept.”

Silviu Neghine, Head of Directorate for Business Development, Ministry of Economyspoke about the programmes on which the authorities work, in support of the development of social entrepreneurship in the Republic of Moldova.

“The need for society as a whole to become aware of the importance of social entrepreneurship is imperative to conduct such information campaigns. In order to catalyse the increased level of interest in this type of entrepreneurship, with the support of development partners, a National Programme for the Development of Social Entrepreneurship for the Republic of Moldova has been initiated, which will include an action plan for the development of social entrepreneurship for a period of four years. A Support and mentoring Programme for Social Entrepreneurship has also been developed and will be implemented by the IMMO and shortly to be proposed for approval by the Government. For its implementation, the draft Law on the State Budget for 2022, which is currently being discussed on the parliamentary platform, provides for financial means amounting to lei 1 million, but financial means could also be raised from external assistance”.

Olesea Ghedrovici policy window manager, MEPA, GIZ projectnoted that the National Funding and mentoring Programme was developed with the support of national and international experts: “Together with the Ministry of Economy and IMMOs we managed to develop the project of this funding and mentoring programme for social enterprises, which we hope that it will soon be approved and a real support for social enterprises.Together with ODIMM colleagues we have developed a very simpatic logo: “Initiation for the promotion of social entrepreneurship in the Republic of Moldova” which will be an image for ODIMM and in the future’.

Social entrepreneurs, invited to the event, shared from the experiences gained and the reasons behind the investments made in tackling Community and environmental problems.

Social Entrepreneurship Map Platform

Finodora Marcu, Finance Project Manager4SocialChangepresented “Social entrepreneurship – a WEB platform, through which entrepreneurs, NGOs representatives, public authorities, investors, as well as other stakeholders can obtain useful and up-to-date information on the legal framework, the steps to achieve social or employability status, the particularities of managing a social enterprise and other educational materials on the development of social entrepreneurship in RM.

At the same time it will serve as a platform to promote social enterprise products and services at both national and international level.”

Finodora Marcu presented the way the platform operates, the benefits to entrepreneurs and society through its use. It also announced the following information sessions and Workshops where entrepreneurs will obtain free training on how to register on the WEB platform.

The exact agenda of the events will be published later, on the page www.odimm.md.

Results of the Social Entrepreneur Campaign – today’s eroes

The event also presented the results achieved through the Social Entrepreneurship Information and Promotion Campaign, namely:

●Over 1.500.000 inhabitants of the Republic of Moldova learned about Social Entrepreneurship in the Republic of Moldova, successful histories of Social Enpreneurs;

● More than 1200 economic operators obtained price information on registration, management of social enterprises;

● More than 100 actors wishing to launch social entrepreneurship activities have been identified in the next year.

The social entrepreneurship information and promotion campaign was initiated and supported by the Transnational Finance4SocialChange project, co-financed by European Union funds (ERDF, IPA, ENI). The aim of the project is to promote social impacts and stimulate the development of companies interested in resolving Community problems. ODIMM is a partner, together with 19 other institutions from 15 countries in the Danube region.

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