Implementation period: 15.11.2018– 31.05.2021.
Social entrepreneurship – A chance for economic development
The social mission of reducing economic and social inequalities among citizens is now possible through a new form of entrepreneurship. The EU experience shows that investing profits in employment, social and health services, education, environmental protection and cultural activities in the community can be realized through social entrepreneurship.
According to the official statistics of the statistical institutions of BiH, the unemployment rate of the working-age population is over 21%, while 566,025 citizens live on the poverty line. In Republika Srpska there are about 191,604 social assistance beneficiaries and there are 351,132 in the Federation of BiH.
In BiH there are various forms of business entities that call themselves social enterprises. Social enterprises market their products and services on a commercial basis and generate profit. The profit of a social enterprise is not used to increase the wealth of its owners, but to create social equity and social security. Through the marketing of social enterprises, a certain social change is created which leads to social inclusion and the creation of jobs.
In BiH, the system of social entrepreneurship has not been established due to the lack of an institutional and legal framework. Through public consultations, the project will contribute to the inclusion of CSOs in the creation of legal solutions for the operation of social enterprises and social cooperatives. This will lead to the creation of new jobs and the reduction of unemployed people.
The project will identify civil society organizations and active social enterprises that will be networked within the Association for Social Entrepreneurship. Members of the newly formed association will be supported through the project in the form of training and direct financial assistance in order to be able to actively participate in the creation of social entrepreneurship policies and to expand their market capacity.
Through promotional campaigns, the project will animate the public and make the work of social enterprises and cooperatives more visible and recognizable in the community. This will ensure the sustainability of the operations of existing and newly formed social enterprises.
