3rd STAKEHOLDER MEETING HELD IN ROMANIA
On June 26, 2024 - OIR PECU BI hosted the 3rd Stakeholder Meeting in Romania for the MICROFUTURE project at the Grand Hotel Continental in Bucharest. The event had provided a platform for discussion and innovation for stakeholders involved in microfinance and social economy sectors.
Purpose and Theme of the Event
Under the central theme "Call for Action - We Know the Needs of Social Economy for Microfinance. What Do We Do Next?", Florentina Soare moderated a meeting to foster dialogue and identify innovative solutions for current and future microfinance challenges.
Participation and Contributions
The meeting featured valuable contributions from key stakeholders in the field of microfinance and social economy in Romania. Roxana Lupu from Ashoka Romania, a project stakeholder and speaker, moderated two essential sessions. Victoria Anghel from OIR BI presented a challenging topic, encouraging participants to actively contribute to the discussions. Valuable interventions from experts such as Luara David from BCR Social Finance, Andra Vereș from FNGCIMM, Ana Maria Radu from fonduristructurale.ro, Anemari Nițu from Social Incubator, and Dana Ene from Ateliere Fără Frontiere significantly contributed to the success of the event.
Presentation of the Current Status of the MICROFUTURE Project
The event's agenda included a section on the MICROFUTURE project's current status, highlighting its commitment to knowledge exchange, best practices for improving public policies in microfinance, and its objectives to enhance public policy frameworks and increase the capacity of microfinance actors.
Ashoka Moment - GAP Analysis and Challenges in Promoting Collaboration
During the second Interregional Event in Bucharest, a discussion on "future-proof" development of the microfinance and social economy sectors revealed diverse European perspectives. The presentation by Ashoka focused on GAP analysis, highlighting key findings and strategic considerations, promoting collaborative models, political support, capacity development, and partnerships.
Financial Guarantee Instrument Proposed by FNGCIMM
An integral part of the meeting was the reminder of FNGCIMM's financial instrument under the Education and Employment Program (PEO) 2021-2027, which supports social entrepreneurship in Romania by financing social and insertion enterprises according to current legislation.
Interactive Group Discussion - Preparing the Beneficiary Survey
The session aimed to involve participants in identifying key questions for the final beneficiaries' questionnaire, facilitated by the MICROFUTURE project to gather valuable insights for FNGCIMM's financial instrument.
Measuring Social Impact
The discussion concluded with a focus on evaluating the social impact of FNGCIMM's proposed financial instrument. It was highly interactive, engaging participants in defining relevant methods and indicators for measuring this impact. The presentation underscored the necessity of rigorous evaluation to ensure financial interventions effectively foster the development of Romania's social economy.
Conclusions and Future Perspectives
The successful meeting marked a milestone for the MICROFUTURE project and future collaborations in microfinance and the social economy. Participants shared experiences and forged vital partnerships for sector sustainability.
MICROFUTURE aims to bolster Romania's microfinance and social economy through knowledge exchange and innovation. This press release encapsulates OIR PECU BI's event impact, underscoring strategic contributions to Romania's social economy and microfinance development.