Development of social entrepreneurship in Khmelnytskyi region: sharing the achievements of the Platform for Social Change
One of the projects that the Platform for Social Change is currently implementing is the project “Promoting Socially Responsible Economic Growth in Khmelnytsky Oblast”!
What is our goal?
Our main goal is to increase the economic self-sufficiency and social impact of NGOs in the region by supporting their transition to social entrepreneurship and the implementation of sustainable business models. The project is aimed at addressing the key challenges faced by the communities of Khmelnytskyi Oblast, particularly in the context of post-war recovery and economic development.
In the first six months of the project, we have achieved significant results, so we are happy to share our impact.
Conducted the first enrollment of the School of Social Entrepreneurship, a training program for developing social entrepreneurship skills for 27 CSO representatives. The training program has significantly deepened the participants’ understanding of social entrepreneurship and helped them develop their projects. Graduates improved their skills in project management, strategic planning, business development, and market analysis. Part of the School’s training was a mentoring program, which became a cornerstone of the training, providing targeted professional assistance and support to increase the success of social entrepreneurship initiatives. The program brought together 25 projects with an individual mentor, which provided targeted and personalized support. Three School alumni projects are currently undergoing intensive mentoring to receive grants upon graduation.
On June 28, the International Social Business Day, we held a Pitch Day that summarized the School of Social Entrepreneurship’s activities and brought together alumni on the Social Change Platform. The event brought together 54 participants who had the opportunity to meet each other, share experiences and discuss the creation and development of their social enterprises.
We did not stop in the online learning sector either. Thus, the Platform conducted two online programs: Marketing for CSOs and Development Strategy for CSOs. More than 50 people joined the training on our online educational platform Siplatform and strengthened their knowledge in a wide range of topics such as marketing, delegation, social impact measurement, teamwork and operational optimization.
An important vector of the Platform’s activities is also advocacy. Thus, we held three events covering important topics related to social entrepreneurship, namely
- Social entrepreneurship as a response of society to social needs and challenges of wartime
- Social services commissioning in the provision of social services: Partnership of civil society and government
- The impact of investment as a tool for social capacity development
The events were attended by 78 participants, including representatives of public authorities, NGOs, charitable organizations, and the business sector.
Another important result was a comprehensive regional study on the current state of social entrepreneurship in Khmelnytsky Oblast. It highlights significant potential for development as well as challenges that need to be addressed. The study also provides recommendations for stimulating the growth of social entrepreneurship, which will improve access to social services for vulnerable groups, economic development and the creation of a more sustainable and inclusive society.
The team of the Platform for Social Change continues to work on creating conditions for the development of social entrepreneurship in Khmelnytskyi region. Our efforts are aimed at community development, as well as ensuring sustainable economic growth and improving the quality of life in the region.
