Location: Albania
Implementation period: May 2022 – December 2024
Funding: EU
Total Budget: €488,712
Implementing partners: ENGIM - Ente Nazionale Giuseppini del Murialdo, LIBERA - Associazioni, nomi e numeri contro le mafie, Qendra Sociale Murialdo
Help -- Hilfe zur Selbsthilfe, in partnership with ENGIM, LIBERA, and Qendra Sociale Murialdo, and with the support of the European Union, implemented the project "Spreading Social Enterprise: Training, Work and Inclusion."
The project aimed to strengthen the social enterprise ecosystem in Albania by building the capacity of civil society organizations, fostering policy dialogue, providing entrepreneurship training, and promoting inclusive economic models that support marginalized groups.
Key results:
- 4 roundtables with civil society organizations engaged 85+ participants in discussions on sustainability, profitability, legal frameworks, and challenges facing social enterprises in Albania.
- 8 days of training and information sessions delivered on legal frameworks, social enterprise concepts, European models, business planning, and operational challenges for NGOs.
- 4 technical-institutional roundtables convened 110+ stakeholders including government representatives, CSOs, social enterprises, and experts to develop policy recommendations on revising SE legislation, introducing fiscal incentives, and promoting use of confiscated assets for social purposes.
- 23 participants received specialized coaching and training through financial management courses and simulation-based Micro Business Game training, developing skills in business planning, market analysis, and growth strategies.
- 1 study visit to Belgium provided 5 Albanian institutional representatives with firsthand experience on social reuse of confiscated assets and social economy best practices.
- Sub-granting scheme established and implemented to support local social enterprise initiatives.
- Capitalization report produced consolidating lessons learned, challenges, and best practices from Albania and Europe.
This initiative strengthened Albania's social enterprise sector by enhancing the knowledge and capacity of CSOs, improving the legal and policy environment, and fostering collaboration between civil society, government institutions, and international partners to promote inclusive economic development.
