EU

Project: Support to Civil Society Organizations capacities

Lead Partner: CCP

Partner: RDA

Donor: EU

Year: 2018-2019

Specific Objective: Encouraging and supporting the Civil Society Organisations-CSOs considering the development of social enterprises and collective cooperatives for ensuring financial stability of their activities, as new business model for business development of the Albanian economy and social inclusion of vulnerable and marginalized groups.

 Project Summary

The Project will contribute: (i) Development of social enterprises in Albania as a good opportunity for introducing a new business model for economic empower mostly for vulnerable groups and disadvantaged areas all over the country. (ii) Creation of financial stability for the CSOs in Albania. Through the development of cooperative forms, social enterprises and other forms of cooperation, as a new source for sustain funding for sustainability of the CSOs’ activities.

The concept of social business, social enterprise and social entrepreneurship was discussed in Albania since 2011. A public organisation “Promotion of Social Business” was established and a study on social enterprises (prepared by Social Enterprise-Europe) and EU project lead to drafting and approval of the law no. 65 dt. 9.6.2016 “On Social Enterprises”. Development of social enterprises or other cooperative forms as a form to support CSOs to maintain their continuous activities is a key concern of this project.

On the other side, with relation to the technical and management capacity of the CSOs that are target group of the Project is identified that among different organisations small or newly established are missing capacities to fundraising, to prepare project proposal, a difficulty that do not support their continuity. A number of NGOs registered in the Court are not active, because of the missing funds.

Under this activity the project will contribute to resolve this problem for 32 organisations by supporting them financially and nearly 80 of them will enhance the capacity to better management their organisations.

 Based on field researches and the analysis resulting by the lively extensive experience of the applicants gained in daily work with economic operators, it is identified that production and processing home-made, food traditional products and bio products in small scale it’s a good opportunity for the development of social business. Mostly agriculture sector, as specific varieties of fruit growing, rowing of lavender, beans, medicinal plants, paulownia, original fresh flowers etc., can be very productive. Creative economy, as another opportunity contributing to the social economy, is a promising economic sector with the potential to contribute to the local, regional and national, as well as to job creation. In the other side the development of creative economy or traditional crafts, as sewing, embroidering, wool products (carpets, socks) silver, carving and embellishment of wood, marble, alabaster and rush-work, ceramics, will contribute to the vitalisation and valorisation of cultural heritage of Albania for which through the development of social businesses will be the best solution and with great of social impact.

Through the support and cooperation with CSOs operating all over the country, for the development of the social businesses, like social enterprises the project in itself will contribute to speed up: the preparation of the under legal acts for the establishment of the new social enterprises; improvement of the education and professional training system; financial support and strengthening capacities through the support of CSOs.

 Expected results:

• Contribution with recommendations for preparation of bylaws for social enterprises
• One publication of the report on the results of assessment and the recommendations from the study;
• capacity building to prepare their business plan for a social enterprise through participation in the training
• CSOs are informed about the project through the dissemination of the project information to the potential target groups and about the rues and regulation for financial supporting scheme
• 40 potential CSOs candidates prepare their applications to be financed for the social business plans;
• 32 CSOs are financed to develop social businesses through financial grant scheme