The Republic of Moldova feels the pressing need to solve environmental and community problems, problems related to the social and economic inclusion of persons with disabilities. For the purpose, an increasing number of entrepreneurs carry out activities aimed at offering direct solutions without exerting pressure on the state budget. This way, they become social entrepreneurs. In a move to facilitate the development of social entrepreneurship and to support this area for promoting good practices, the Organization for the Development of the Sector of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises of the Republic of Moldova (ODIMM) launched a campaign to inform about and promote social entrepreneurship.
According to statistics, European social economy employees over 14 million paid employees, which is equal to 6.5% of the working population. Approximately one in four European businesses has the status of social enterprise. Compared with the EU average, the Republic of Moldova is acutely short of capacities to provide social, inclusion, education and health services. Also, the Republic of Moldova lacks capacities to protect the environment, primarily to collect, recycle and store waste and to manage protected areas. This shortage should be regarded as a priority by which the development of social enterprises is supported. “At the central and local levels, companies need to be subcontracted to provide social and environmental services,” said Iulia Costin, ODIMM director general.
She noted that the social entrepreneurship concept for Moldova is relatively new. It took root during the past five years, but develops slower than in the EU. This kind of activity is now regulated by a normative framework. The extension of social entrepreneurship is important also because these businesses offer jobs to persons who would get employed at an ordinary company with difficulty, such as persons with disabilities, single mothers, unemployed persons and older people.
“ODIMM is finalizing the Financing and Mentoring Program for Social Enterprises for 2021-2025. This program is intended for private individuals and legal entities that want to launch and develop a social business. The program will have three implementation stages: promotion, training and formation, financing of social enterprises, including startups, development, and monitoring. There will be financed social enterprises that will create jobs, about 15% of which will be intended for persons from disadvantaged categories,” said Iulia Costin.
In Moldova, there are only four companies registered as social insertion ones with the National Commission for Social Entrepreneurship. Another 46 companies stage social activities periodically. Many companies actively become involved in social responsibility activities in the communities in which they work.
The campaign was initiated and is supported by the Finance4SocialChange transboundary project that is co-financed by European funds (ERFD, IPA, ENI).
