The SOFIGREEN partnership brings together social innovation clusters, civil society organizations and philanthropic foundations from three advanced social economy areas (Auverghe-Rhone-Alpes in France, southern Italy regions and Andalusia in Spain) together with EU social economy support networks.

These are organizations characterized by complementary missions and expertise that can provide the expertise needed to achieve project goals.

The design and implementation of the Capacity-Building training package, which combines access to finance with the ecosystem approach, is ensured by the combined expertise of all partner organizations, each for its specific field.

In particular, the management of financial support to beneficiaries is ensured by partners who have already managed such kind of incentives (mainly Fondazione con il SUD for Italy and MedWaves for the Mediterranean basin). The mainstreaming of the approach and tools developed during the project is ensured at national level by local partners and at European level by the FEBEA and REVES networks. MedWaves will mainstream them in the Mediterranean basin.

Recognized clusters of social and environmental innovation

MeSSInA Foundation (IT), leader partner of the project, is a non-profit philanthropic body that leads a wide social economy cluster in Messina (the ASC, Advanced Social Cluster). The ASC pursues social justice and sustainable human, economic and social development. Because of this it designs, experiments and promotes new socio-economic approaches and paradigms where people excluded from mainstream development policies become real citizens.

ARCHER GROUP (FR), is a social enterprise that currently employs 1200 people and operates in 20 business areas. Its primary objective is create jobs and promote the economic, social and ecological development of the Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes region that was losing its leather and footwear mono-industry on a massive scale. Since its establishment the Group has continued to transform itself in an attempt to adapt ever more effectively to the region’s economic and social needs. In synergy with other partners, it will deal with the training sessions and deliver grants.

BSOs’ network for social economy

MedWaves (ES) is the UNEP/MAP Regional Activity Center for Sustainable Consumption and Production based in Barcelona. MedWaves has a broad experience in designing capacity building methodologies to promote sustainable entrepreneurship.

FAECTA (ES) is the Andalusian Federation of Worker Cooperatives. Since its establishment in 1995 works for the representation, defense and promotion of the interests of cooperatives, their members and the cooperative model as a whole. The services provided include specialized and technical advice, support for cooperative business development and ongoing training initiatives. FAECTA will host in Andalusia social economy organizations from France and Italy to carry out on-site training sessions.

Social finance intermediaries

Banca Etica (IT) is the first one and only Italian bank entirely dedicated to ethical finance, operating for 25 years throughout the country through a network of branches and consultants thanks to home and mobile banking services. Banca Etica collects savings from responsible organizations and citizens and uses them entirely to finance projects aimed at collective welfare: cooperation and social innovation, international cooperation, culture and quality of life, environmental protection, responsible tourism, organic farming, right to housing, legality. Banca Etica joins SOFIGREEN as ethical finance intermediary, guaranteeing support for training activities and availability to evaluate possible financial support for selected SSEEs.

La Nef (FR) is a cooperative ethical bank based in France and national ethical finance reference. Since 1988 brought together professionals and private to build a more equitable and sustainable society. The cooperative promotes full transparency with a short circuit of money: it has no speculative activity on the financial markets and only finances ecological, social and cultural projects. It is the only French financial institution to publish the full list of its financing each year. In the project it will support training activities and guarantee its availability to evaluate possible financial support for selected organizations.

Philanthropic organizations

Fondazione con il SUD (IT) is a private non-profit organization established in 2006 by an alliance between banking origin Foundations and the world of the Third Sector and volunteerism. It is the first grant making organization to invest in the development of Southern Italy entirely through the private sector. Fondazione con il SUD will bring its expertise in SOFIGREEN, ensuring the proper management of financial support by beneficiaries.

EU networks

FEBEA (BE) is the European Federation of Ethical and Alternative Banks and Financiers. It is a network connecting 33 financial providers in 16 European countries, leader in financing the social economy by following and promoting the values of transparency, sobriety and democratic governance, among others. FEBEA’s participation to SOFIGREEN is fundamental for training social economy entrepreneurs according to the demands of investors, building upon the expertise of its members (La Nef, Banca Etica and Fondazione MeSSInA) with the European-wide perspective.

REVES (BE) is the European Network of Cities and Regions for the Social Economy. It brings together organizations promoting and recognizing individuals and social goals as priorities over capital and economic return. REVES will support the development of training programs and ensure the dissemination of results at European level.

Co-funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the authors only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or EISMEA. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.