4th STAKEHOLDER MEETING HELD IN SLOVENIA
Development Centre of the Heart of Slovenia (DCHS) organized the 4th Local Stakeholder Group meeting, which was held in Ljubljana on February 19, 2025, in the premises of ETRI Group in the location of "Tasting under the Roof that was established and is coordinated by social innovator Mrs. Lenka Puh. It has been operating for 12 years. They provide hot meals for the socially vulnerable, reduce food surpluses, promote intergenerational cooperation and project cooperation with related organisations of sustainable and circular thinking. They are employing 70 people and 75% are hard-to-employ people from vulnerable groups.
At the meeting DCHS presented several European good practices and discussed the possibilities of their transfer to the Slovenian environment. Part of the meeting was also devoted to planning the study visit of foreign partners to Slovenia, which will take place on 21 and 22 May 2025, and to developing the framework content for the new project of the Local Action Group (LAG) Heart of Slovenia.
The meeting was also attended by representatives from Zadruga Kikštarter, represented by Mrs. Nika Škrjanec, Ministry of Economy, Tourism and Sport, represented by Mrs. Petra Kovačec, Biotechnical Faculty, represented by Mrs. Ilona Racand the Technology Park Ljubljana, represented by Mr. David Rakar, who is working on the programme Erasmus for young entrepreneurs.
Anita Molka presented the project and 10 selected good practices from France, Romania, Sweden and Italy. The ETRI group highlighted the interest in the good practice of "CIGALES Clubs", which want to use their savings to financially support local social enterprises or projects. Also of interest to the participants was the good practice of Mikrofonden from Sweden in the field of local food, the social restaurant and catering ASSOC Baia Mare and Farm of possibilities - from seed to plate are interesting.
Nika Škrjanec from the Kikštarter Cooperative in Kamnik stressed the importance of supporting future social enterprises. They provide assistance to would-be and existing entrepreneurs, but are not yet focused on promoting social enterprises. In addition, they already provide loans, which young people turn to, but she notes that they often lack knowledge, suggesting that systemic support is crucial for their success and development.
Petra Kovačec from the Social Economy Sector of the Ministry of Economy Tourism and Sport pointed out that they have launched a Call for Proposals for the creation of an advocacy organisation in the field of the social economy, which is now closed. The advocacy organisation, which will consist of a consortium, will be key in promoting social entrepreneurship, developing information and education systems and providing support services to social enterprises. The aim is to reach as many people as possible and results are expected by the end of March 2025.
David Rakar from the Ljubljana Technology Park stressed the importance of connecting young entrepreneurs with good practices from other countries, recommending that young people should have the opportunity to visit successful entrepreneurial stories, learn from their experiences and return as more prepared and successful entrepreneurs, which is also possible through programmes such as Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs.
Mitja Bratun presented the call for proposals of the Local Action Group LAG Heart of Slovenia, which addresses vulnerable target groups and contributes to the achievement of the objectives and measures of the Local Development Strategy, environmental sustainability, social sustainability, equal involvement of different partners, innovation, etc. Beneficiaries with the status of a social enterprise will receive two additional points, and the level of public support for each project will be 80% of the eligible costs of the project.