SILab Ukraine aims to build the social entrepreneurship ecosystem in Ukraine. The organization works to develop entrepreneurship, investments and partnerships in Ukraine that will solve social problems through business methods. SILab achieves this by supporting social enterprises, advocating a supportive environment for social enterprises, fostering social investment practices and promoting social entrepreneurship as an innovative social change movement.
WebsiteEastern Europe Market Building
Collaborate for Impact is a pioneering five-year long project (2020-2025), which aims to develop a more favourable social entrepreneurship ecosystem in Eastern Europe.
We aim to raise awareness, promote social innovation and enter exchanges with various policy and decision-making stakeholders that will ultimately lead to increasing the number of social investors, social entrepreneurs, and collaboration across the region.
As a result, civil society organisations and social enterprises will benefit from social investment to become sustainable and have a positive social and environmental impact.
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Key achievements
> VIA Fund: the first impact fund in Armenia
> Actio: the first impact fund in Georgia
> Social Venture Fund: the first impact fund in Ukraine
Our main goals
Establishing impact funds
We will develop new business models and provide tailor made technical support (non-financial support) and financial support offered through the establishment of impact funds. This will strengthen existing social enterprises, civil society organisations, and purpose-driven businesses in the Eastern Partnership countries.
Awareness raising and promotion of social innovation
By showcasing examples of social innovation, social investment and mission driven business, we want to increase public recognition and understanding of the impact of social entrepreneurship. Educational activities, including workshops on the key principles of impact investing and social investment, will help ensure that social investors can build their capacity and measure the societal impact of their investment.
Policy dialogue and engagement
Both on the national and the regional level, we want to engage with policy makers and local stakeholders to showcase why and how policy and regulation can serve to accelerate the development of the social entrepreneurship sector. By sharing best practices from other Western and Central European countries and by actively engaging in exchanges, we aim to turn decision makers into allies, creating a true impact ecosystem in the region.
Engaging with local social investors, social entrepreneurs, civil society organisations, impact funds
We will share examples of other successful programmes to build their capacity and improve social inclusion skills, entrepreneurial and management skills (marketing and finance, business planning and development, skills for growth and scaling), as well as develop their impact reporting skills.
Our Partners
To implement our market building efforts on the ground, in addition to the EU, we have partnered with a growing list of invaluable partners.
In the Collaborate for Impact project in Eastern Europe, they are:
SILab Ukraine
Ukraine
Ecovisio
Moldova
Grassroots non-profit organization from Moldova, founded in 1999. Creating a vibrant community of changemakers by connecting more and more people who want to work on a prosperous future for the region.
WebsiteCenter for Strategic Research and Development
Georgia
The Center for Strategic Research and Development of Georgia (CSRDG) was established in 1995 with a mission to promote good governance, stable and inclusive economic development, and the formation of an active civil society for the welfare of Georgian society. The Center works to develop Social Entrepreneurship, Corporate Social Responsibility and civil society organisations in Georgia. In the area of social entrepreneurship, CSRDG provides financial and technical support to social enterprises, promote the involvement of business in achieving sustainable development objectives and the concept of social entrepreneurship, and create an enabling environment for social enterprises.
WebsiteEducation HUB
Azerbaijan
Education HUB is an innovative platform that brings together people who innovate in Azerbaijan society through socially responsible and sustainability initiatives. We have chosen an innovative approach based on education and social entrepreneurship as tools that have a direct impact. This includes a variety of areas where people can discover their abilities.
WebsiteImpact HUB Yerevan
Armenia
Impact HUB Yerevan in Armenia was established in 2016 and is a part of a global movement of 100+ Impact Hubs around the world. Since its establishment Impact Hub Yerevan has designed and implemented 20+ programmes, hosted over 400 educational workshops and events, and now hosts over 220 members with over 100 projects/organisations representing every sector in Armenia. It provides its entrepreneurs and innovators with networking opportunities, resources, educational programmes and events all within an inspiring space. Impact HUB is also a social innovation incubator and has multiyear experience in designing and leading incubation and acceleration programmes, where through education, networking opportunities and access to different resources they support social projects through the stages of ideas to implementation to impact.
Website
This project is funded by the European Union. The Member States of the European Union have decided to link together their know-how, resources and destinies. Together, they have built a zone of stability, democracy and sustainable development whilst maintaining cultural diversity, tolerance and individual freedoms. The European Union is committed to sharing its achievements and its values with countries and peoples beyond its borders.