Sub-grants to support Social Enterprise Development (Albania)

Deadline: 13-May-24

The Open Society Foundation for Albania (OSFA), in cooperation with the Social Action and Innovation Centre (KMOP) and the Municipality of Tirana (MoT) is implementing the three-year project titled: “Inclusive EduJobs – Towards Context Relevant Policies and Services Enhancing Employability and Educational Outcomes of Roma and Egyptians in Albania”.

The purpose of the project is to improve the inclusion of women and men, boys and girls from Roma and Egyptian communities in Albania by strengthening municipal and CSOs capacities to establish and deliver inclusive services to citizens in the area of employment and inclusive education, by fostering self-employment/employments schemes, social businesses and online education access for Roma and Egyptian children/students at the local level. This project will issue grants to municipalities and CSOs focusing on employment and education of Roma and Egyptians.

The social enterprises will be a space in which beneficiaries will develop relevant skills for the labour market, improve family incomes and potentially be an income generation mechanism for the CSOs to fund social activities prioritized from the community.

Objectives

The global objective of this call for proposals is:
- Enhancing CSOs to establish and manage social enterprises that employ Roma and Egyptians individuals, in the municipality of Shkodra. Simultaneously, this initiative aims to encourage these organizations to apply for the “Social Enterprise Status” and gain access to the national Social Enterprise Fund to support their social businesses.
The specific objective(s) of this call for proposals is/are:
- Provide financial support to non-profit organizations in Albania to foster the development and implementation of social entrepreneurship initiatives within the Roma and Egyptian communities, specifically in the municipality of Shkodra with the overarching goal of enhancing the local social economy.
- Scale up current social enterprises which are willing to employ Roma and Egyptians.
- Develop social enterprise models that make government funds and programs accessible and inclusive for Roma and Egyptians by identifying and addressing the difficulties they experience when trying to access funds.
- Develop social enterprise models which are sustainable in the long run, able to access governmental funds, and maintain their activity through self-funding.

Priorities

Design of social enterprises in the areas of social services for elderly, children, regulated recycling activity enabling the infrastructure to access waste directly from the source (schools, public institutions, cleaning and maintenance, hand crafts etc.) and/or monetarization of existing services offered by CSOs with the aim to employ Roma and Egyptian in the field of social services, employment mediation, legal aid, etc.

Funding Information

Minimum amount: EUR 30,000
Maximum amount: EUR 30,000
Duration of the Action
- Minimum: 12 months Maximum: 12 months

Types of Activities

Type of activities suggested – non exhaustive:
- Develop an overall methodology to establish and maintain a sustainable social enterprise for all stages of the business, from early start to scaling up on sustainable enterprise.
- Identify Roma/Egyptian individuals that will be employed by the Social Enterprise through consultation meetings with the R/E community, Local Employment Offices, or other institutions/organizations working with marginalised groups.
- Develop capacity-building activities for the Roma and Egyptians beneficiaries to engage effectively in the Social Enterprise and funding opportunities, i.e., trainings, workshops, etc.
- Create service models that enables the monetarization of existing services offered by CSOs with the aim to employ Roma and Egyptians in the field of social services, employment mediation, legal aid, cleaning and maintenance, crafting employment mediation and counselling, career advice, adult learning services, or other services for education attainment.
- Develop a business model through identifying market needs toward social enterprises, i.e., through market research.
- Create a comprehensive business plan that effectively accomplishes the predetermined project indicators within the set timeline provided in this guideline, while integrating sustainable mechanisms to ensure long-term viability and functionality over an extended period.
- Develop a strategy of marketing plan which effectively targets the focus group of the social enterprise.
- Activities aimed at enhancing the social enterprise’s capacity to secure additional funding for improved sustainability, i.e., networking events, roundtables with decision-makers, etc.

Expected Results

At least 8 Roma and Egyptians will be employed in the CSO by enhancing the creation or scaling of social enterprises in social services, recycling, services to elderly, children, cleaning and maintenance, hand crafts, social services, employment mediation, legal aid, etc.
Applicant CSOs will obtain the “Social Enterprise” status granted by the Ministry of Health and Social Protection.
Viable and effective social enterprise models that employ vulnerable Roma and Egyptian individuals will be created.

Eligibility Criteria

Lead applicant
- In order to be eligible for a sub-grant, the lead applicant must:
  - be a non-governmental organization/civil society organization registered and acting in the territory of Albania;
  - be non-profit making;
  - be directly responsible for the preparation and management of the project with the co-applicant(s) (if any), not acting as an intermediary;
  - have previous experience (during the last three years) in implementing grants targeting R/E.
Co-applicant(s)
- Co-applicants participate in designing and implementing the action, and the costs they incur are eligible in the same way as those incurred by the lead applicant.
- Co-applicants must satisfy the eligibility criteria as applicable to the lead applicant himself.
- Co-applicant(s) are not required to have direct experience with the R/E community.