At least 90 social and solidarity economy enterprises will benefit from the Capacity Building training package specifically outlined by SOFIGREEN partnership to support the strengthening of their environmental performance. Later, at least 60 out of 90 will receive further financial support through grants and coaching to improve their capacity to attract investment and their ecosystem approach, so as to facilitate their access to possible – and better – financing opportunities for their green transition.

The selection of the 90 companies to be trained will take place through a special call for proposals covering all three target areas: Italy, France and Spain. The call will outline the requirements that will guide the selection of the 90 organizations that will take part in the SOFIGREEN classes and the criteria for the second selection of those that will also receive the grant and additional coaching. Selected participants will embrace a comprehensive course designed to maximize their capacity to generate environmental and social impacts.

The criteria that partners are following in drafting it are:

• clarity in the presentation of the company’s activity, its objectives, its reference market, customers, operational team, social/environmental/territorial impacts, belonging to the social economy sector, diversity in terms of age and gender;
• evidence of the economic sustainability of the business model: the information provided by the entrepreneurs is sufficient to assess the economic soundness of the activity;
• evidence of the potential for improving the environmental performance of the company, by making more environmentally efficient its existing processes or by launching a new environmental service/product (addressing ecological challenges);
• evidence of the commitment of the company in attending the training and achieving a successful environmental transition;
• leverage effect: the business model is potentially replicable and expandable and has a strong potential to be engaged in international cooperation initiatives/business partnerships;
• finally, extra points will be assigned to participants who speak foreign languages (English/Spanish/French/Italian).

Specific objectives of the Capacity Building program are:

• tailored training, aimed at responding to the needs of each company by ensuring relevance and effectiveness on relevant issues such as analyzing its environmental performance and identifying areas for improvement, integration of environmental management strategies (eco design, circular economy, etc. ), planning related investments, etc.;
• opportunity for professional networking through a specific platform, to foster valuable connections and facilitate the exchange of knowledge and experience at international level;
• access to finance, thanks to the direct involvement of a large number of financial intermediaries (ethical finance actors, banks, Foundations) that could support its development.

The call for proposals will be aimed exclusively at established businesses and will be available online on SOFIGREEN official website and partners’ websites. It will define the entry requirements, outline the services offered, the criteria that will guide both selection procedures, grant features and how to use them.

Selection will open in May while classes – one for early-stage companies the other for growth ones – will begin in September.

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.