International Council for Cultural Centers (I3C)

Social enterprises (SE) are businesses set up to tackle social or environmental needs: increasing their presence means providing SEES with the opportunity for a prosperous, fair, inclusive and environmentally sustainable future.

The challenge is the overcoming of a number of problems summarized in the uncertainty of the legal framework in which SE operate, reduced capacity of access to public/private financial sources, lack of dedicated business support services and particularly the restriction to local markets. 

The overall objective of "ISEDE-NET" is to support the development of SE across the SEES thus contributing to the strengthening of social and economic cohesion over the transnational area of the project. The specific objectives of the project are:

1. Identification of the driving forces for the development of SE

2. Mobilizing a transnational network of SE and promoting their participation to a web based network 

3. Finding new solutions for the SE sector by implementing pilot innovative actions (finance, Business support services and market development)

4. Promoting the internal innovation of SE in terms of professionalization and  creation of new socially oriented businesses

5. Creation of a transnational network of public and private partner institutions committed to the development of the sector

6. Providing a chance for social inclusion of disadvantaged groups including ethnic miniroties (such as Romas) across the SEE space