PRESS RELEASES - SKI.F.T. SKILLS FOR TRANSITION
PRESS RELEASES
Press release # 5 - 06.05.2025
Creating territorial ecosystems facilitating green transition of micro and small social economy enterprises
Final capacity-building event of the SKI.F.T. project in Strasbourg
“Creating territorial ecosystems facilitating green transition of micro and small social economy enterprises” is the title of the fourth and final transnational capacity-building event of the SKI.F.T. project, which is organised in cooperation with the City and Eurometropole of Strasbourg and CRESS Grand-Est.
The event will bring together social economy actors, social economy support organisations, local and regional authorities and academics from different European Member States and the UK as well as representatives of European and international organisations.
They will be joined by micro and small social economy enterprises from Denmark, Greece, Italy, Malta, Poland and Spain – all of them beneficiaries of direct financing under the SKI.F.T. initiative, which is co-financed by the European COSME-SMP-Programme.
The event has the objective to:
- Share main results of the SKI.F.T. project.
- Present concrete tools for and best practices of green transition in the social economy.
- Discuss possibilities to better enable small and micro social economy actors to engage in green transition processes through the creation of local partnerships and conducive policy frameworks (including mechanisms of co-construction of public policies).
- Provide an opportunity for an interactive exchange of experience and know-how between social economy entrepreneurs, social economy support organisations, policy-makers and other stakeholders from France, other EU Member States and the UK.
- Develop perspectives for future policy action at different levels.
It will be hosted by Kaleidoscoop – a « cross-border place to live and work » , emblematic for green, social and economic transition.
Participants will have the opportunity to take part in thematic sessions on specific topics (local policy frameworks/financial support/impact measurement), follow panel discussions with representatives of the social economy and policy-makers, and meet micro and small social economy enterprises engaged in green transition processes from France, other European Member States and the UK.
For more information on SKI.F.T.: https://skift.kooperationen.dk/forside/
Press release # 4 - 24.02.2025
ESG applied by and for micro social economy enterprises – third capacity-building seminar of the European Skills for Transition project (SKI.F.T.)
Micro and small social economy enterprises from Denmark, Greece, Italy, Poland, Spain and Turkey joined the SKI.F.T. project consortium for its third transnational capacity-building seminar held on 18 February 2025 in Warsaw.
The event had the objective to provide participants with an opportunity
- to deepen knowledge on existing tools supporting green transition of (social economy) enterprises and therewith also
- to discuss possibilities to transform and implement (new) business models, as well as
- to draw inspiration from the sharing of experiences and ideas, learn from each other and create links for future partnerships and exchange.
The specific focus of the event was on ESG. Experts gave the participating social economy enterprises and SKI.F.T. partners a deeper insight into ESG reporting and implementation. Particular attention was paid also to stakeholder identification and involvement, ESG as an opportunity to build new partnerships, as well as to ESG reporting as a tool of communication.
All participating enterprises are beneficiaries of direct financial support from the EU COSME-SMP Programme. They represent (social) cooperatives, associations and small foundations from a diversity of sectors and fields of activity, such as food and retail, education and training, IT, social services, circular economy or research. With the financing they will be able to purchase expert services providing them with the necessary knowledge and expertise to advance in their efforts to make products, services or the operations of their enterprise in general more environmentally sustainable. Projects envisaged by the beneficiary enterprises in this context include the improvement of (ESG) reporting, a revision of business models (e.g. versus better circularity), enhanced capacities to use and develop digital solutions, the revision of stakeholder relationships and creation of new partnerships, or the strengthening of communication skills.
Asked about their motivation to join the SKI.F.T. capacity-building event in Warsaw, many enterprises pointed to the opportunity to learn more about the concrete application of frameworks and tools such as ESG, but also and not at least to the occasion to connect with other micro and small social economy enterprises and use the learnings from this exchange as an inspiration for their own projects.
About SKI.F.T.: The project SKI.F.T. (Skills for Transition – Increasing the Impact of Micro and Small Social Economy Enterprises) aims to support the development of small and micro social economy enterprises for green transition. The project will provide these enterprises with mentoring, coaching and other business support services as well as with direct financial support to help them adjust their business models, engage in or strengthen collaboration with public and private actors with a view also to integrate local “social green” value chains, and improve communication.
Press release #3 - 05.11.2024
Small and Micro Social Economy Enterprises as important players in Europe’s journey towards Green Transition: Potential and Challenges - Impressions from the SKI.F.T. webinar
New perspectives for small and micro social economy enterprises in the context of green transition stood at the centre of a webinar organised by the partners of the EU-funded SKI.F.T. project on 29 October 2024.
The event brought together social economy enterprises of different size, social economy support organisations, other economic actors, civil society organisations and academics from 9 EU Member States, Switzerland, the UK and Turkey, as well as representatives of European organisations and the European Commission.
During the webinar, testimonies of several micro and small social economy actors from different fields of activity (recycling&upcycling, construction, IT, waste management, …) were a proof of the huge (innovation) potential and added value of these enterprises when it comes to social green transition. A potential which too often cannot be fully exploited due to a number of challenges, including frequently limited access to funding opportunities which are still very much targeted at medium and large enterprises, a lack of capacity in terms of human resources, insufficient knowledge regarding potential partners (including suppliers or experts), legislative hurdles, or simply a lack of visibility and recognition of their added value…
These challenges must be taken into account also by (social economy) support organisations and other actors having developed and/or developing tools and programmes to respond to the specific needs of small and micro (social economy) enterprises wishing to engage (more) in green transition processes. Some participants pointed out that, in a social economy perspective, the task of these organisations goes (or should go) beyond being simple training/service providers towards animating networks at local, regional and national level. Such networks should enable cooperation, mutualisation and the creation of local ‘social green’ value chains in which small and micro social economy enterprises are fully integrated.
Among the possible pathways and actions to be incorporated in the future by the social economy and policy-makers at regional, national and/or EU level there are, according to speakers and participants, the following ones:
- The need for Europe to build on its rich SME landscape and its diversity in general instead of focusing investment and attention mainly on "European champions".
- Development of innovation: Enhanced cooperation between social economy enterprises, as well as between social economy enterprises and other type of companies.
- Further investment in skills development.
- Ensuring financial support (also by maintaining and fine-tuning Invest EU and its social window to mobilise private financing by ethical and alternative banks as well as other type of finance actors);
- Creation of more fiscal incentives.
In his conclusions, Giuseppe Guerini, President of CECOP and Member of the European Economic and Social Committee, reminded participants of the importance of combining principles around sustainable development and entrepreneurship also with values such as democracy and inclusion. He suggested complementing the triple bottom line “People, Planet, Profit” which is supposed to measure the success of entrepreneurship also in terms of sustainability by “Productivity, Participation and Progress for all”.
The organisers would like to thank in particular Joanna Wierzba (Social Cooperative Zero Ban - PL), Laura Klakk (Log Ladies - DK), Maria Rosa Manca (Social Cooperative Padre Daniele Badiali - IT), Davide Specchio (Association Virtual Life - IT), Anna Skocz (sTOP - PL), Manon Tondeur and Laurence Vandenhoeke (Groupe One - BE), Henrik Nørgaard (Clean Cluster - DK), Lois Pimentel Iglesias (European Commission, DG Grow), Daniel Sorrosal (FEBEA) and not at least Giuseppe Guerini, President of CECOP and Member of the European Economic and Social Committee.
You can find further information on SKI.F.T. and, in some weeks ahead, the short report of the webinar here.
Press release #2 - 06.05.2024
Green transition of micro and small social economy enterprises: Combining environmental impact with core principles of the social economy
Second meeting of the SKI.F.T project in Bologna 23-24th May 2024
Sustainability development, planning, implementing, measuring and communicating processes of green transition - what does or should this mean from the perspective of a micro or small social economy enterprise? How should it be put in practice, allowing for a combination of both – environmental considerations and the values and principles of the social economy?
Partners of the transnational project SKI.F.T. « Skills for Transition – Increasing the impact of micro and small social economy enterprises » had the occasion to dive deeper into these and related questions during their second transnational capacity-building seminar which took place on 23 and 24 April 2024 in Bologna (IT).
The objective of the event was to give further inspiration as well as to share knowledge and know-how for the upcoming advisory and coaching activities SKI.F.T. partners – social economy intermediary organisations from Denmark, Italy and Poland – will provide to micro and small social economy enterprises wishing to (further) engage in green transition processes.
The agenda included discussions on tools and procedures that might be used in the different stages of green transition-related initiatives within the enterprise. One of the key questions raised here concerned ways and means to adapt existing instruments such as those provided for example by the Open -ES platform to the reality and capacity of micro and small social economy structures, integrating concrete indicators and questions that would relate more specifically to the characteristics of the social economy. Partners also highlighted the necessity and discussed possibilities to move from mere reporting processes to real (long-term) strategies and concrete action for change. All these elements finally also led to reflections on how to better involve stakeholders all along the value chain in these processes.
Local experts and representatives of social economy enterprises and intermediary organisations from Emilia-Romagna shared valuable insights into their own (transition) practices, related challenges and opportunities : How to combine green transition strategies of an enterprise, SDGs and territorial sustainability plans? How to involve cooperators, employees and other stakeholders in transition planning and the realisation of related strategies and actions? How to use the development and implementation of green transition-related actions as an opportunity to better connect with different actors in a territory, set up new partnerships, contribute to the development of social green value chains and therewith strengthen the impact of the enterprise ? How to communicate the efforts and positive impact of an enterprise to the outside world?
SKI.F.T. partners intend to launch the first advisory activities related to the project in early summer
SKI.F.T., launched in October 2023, is co-funded by the EU SMP-COSME programme. It brings together social economy intermediary organisations and training providers from Denmark, Poland and Italy, as well as two European networks: Kooperationen (DK), FISE (PL), CSA COESI (IT), Demetra Formazione (IT), Legacoop Emilia-Romagna (IT), REVES aisbl and CECOP.
Through SKI.F.T. project partners will provide specific advisory and coaching services to micro and small social economy enterprises, enabling the latter to review their business model towards stronger environmental sustainability. Moreover, beneficiary enterprises will have the opportunity to receive direct financial support to purchase additional coaching and mentoring responding to their specific needs and fields of interest (e.g. creation of local social green value chains, communication, use of digital tools to facilitate certain type of processes, etc.). Specific attention will be paid to a collective approach, which will encourage stronger cooperation between micro and small social economy enterprises as such as well as between the latter and their different partners and stakeholders.
For more information
Press release #1 - 18.12.2023
Enabling micro and small social economy enterprises to engage in green transition
SKI.F.T. – from the Danish word for “change” - is the title of a new transnational initiative which has the objective to accompany micro and small social economy enterprises in their efforts to make their business model and related practices more environmentally sustainable.
The project, launched in October 2023, is co-funded by the EU SMP-COSME programme. It brings together social economy intermediary organizations and training providers from Denmark, Poland and Italy, as well as two European networks: Kooperationen (DK), FISE (PL), CSA COESI (IT), Demetra Formazione (IT), Legacoop Emilia-Romagna (IT), REVES aisbl and CECOP.
Through SKI.F.T. project partners will provide specific advisory and coaching services to micro and small social economy enterprises, enabling the latter to review their business model towards stronger environmental sustainability. Moreover, beneficiary enterprises will have the opportunity to receive direct financial support to purchase additional coaching and mentoring responding to their specific needs and fields of interest (e.g. creation of local social green value chains, communication, use of digital tools to facilitate certain type of processes, etc.). Specific attention will be paid to a collective approach, which will encourage stronger cooperation between micro and small social economy enterprises as such as well as between the latter and their different partners and stakeholders.
The first transnational meeting, organized by project leader Kooperationen and held on 5 and 6 December 2023 in Copenhagen, provided an opportunity for the project consortium to set the frame for the upcoming activities. Discussions focused in particular on the specific needs of micro and small social economy enterprises as well as on the construction of a common methodology partners would be able to use as a support and point of departure for advisory and coaching services.
Results of a first survey, undertaken before the meeting, shed some more light on the challenges micro and small social economy enterprises are facing not only with regard to missing knowledge and know-how, but also concerning their capacity to finance and find the time to take part in advice and training sessions.
A main objective and challenge of the SKI.F.T. consortium for the months to come is thus to develop a training offer which would be most closely related to the running activities of the target enterprises, take the aforementioned challenges into account and be tailor-made to the specific needs of the enterprise.
The next transnational meeting in February 2024 – organized online this time – will provide partners with the opportunity to exchange more in depth on tools of support which do already exist in the project consortium.
Contact Elsa Brander
E. eb@kooperationen.dk
M. +45 22 51 56 30
