Fourth meeting of the Regional Stakeholder Group

On Friday, August 30, we had the pleasure of holding the fourth meeting of the Regional Stakeholder Group of the SECON project, during which we presented detailed information on recent activities and the next steps that will be implemented in the SECON project. 

During the meeting, we presented the results from the implementation of the survey on regional needs and perceptions of the social economy in the Mazovian Voivodeship. The survey was conducted from June 4-17, 2024 and indicated a number of important elements regarding the development of the social economy in the region. Despite the existing support structures, which were evaluated positively, there are still areas in need of support, these include:

Promotion and education - There is a strong need to intensify promotional and educational activities. Participants in the survey indicated that social campaigns and education at all levels (schools, universities, local governments) can significantly increase public awareness of the social economy. In addition, in the field of education, special attention was paid to the need for training and the development of leaders' competencies, which are essential for the effective management of social enterprises. In the area of education, attention was also paid to the need to introduce educational programs already at the elementary school level, which would include both stories and good practices of the social economy.

Institutional, financial and political support - Participants in the survey emphasized the need to increase the availability of financial resources for social enterprises. Support should include preferential loans, subsidies for salaries and Social Security contributions, as well as funding for ongoing operations. In addition, the need for greater involvement of policymakers in the development of the social economy through their education and involvement in forums on the social economy was noted.

Laws and regulations - Simplification of procedures and reduction of bureaucratic requirements are necessary to facilitate the activities of social economy entities. Survey participants pointed to the need for clearer regulations and flexibility in the application of the law. Particularly emphasized was the need to reduce ambiguities and contradictions between different pieces of legislation. This currently restricts the activities of social economy entities. In addition, attention was drawn to the need to provide forms of support that are more tailored to the needs of entities operating in the social economy area.

Cooperation and partnership - The survey results indicate that a key factor in the development of the social economy in the region is the need for greater cooperation between sectors (public, private, social) and within the social economy sector. Building networks and cooperation platforms can contribute to a more efficient use of resources and competencies.

In the next point of the meeting, Ms. Katarzyna Kolanowska from the Węgrów-Miasto-Wieś Foundation, shared her reflections from a study visit to our partner in the SECON project of Romania's Harghita County. The visit included a review of good practices such as the KÖZ Community Café in the Odorhei region, the Civitas Foundation - Helyénvaló local products store, the Jakab Antal Study House of the Caritas Social Association in the Miercurea Ciuc region, and the Workshop of the Association of Disabled People Harghita district. It was a good opportunity to get an insight into how social economy entities function in practice at our Romanian partner in the SECON project.

At the end of the meeting, Mr. Krzysztof Pilecki from the Mazovian Center for Social Policy, presented how social inclusion and social economy are currently developing in Mazovia and what social economy initiatives will still be implemented in 2024. As always, there was no shortage of interesting initiatives on the part of MCPS, and the next planned events are also an interesting offer for Mazovian entities from the social economy sector. 

Thank you all for your involvement, valuable comments and inspiring ideas! We hope that our cooperation will be equally fruitful in the next stages of the SECON project. At the same time, all our current activities are reported on our Facebook page.

We invite you to follow our social media and see you at the next meeting!