“Danube4SEecosystem - Enhancing the development of Social Economy by engaging Local Public Authorities in the Social Enterprises supporting Ecosystem for a more inclusive Labor Market in the Danube Region” is financed under 1st Call  of Danube Region Programme 2021-2027, Programme priority 3 – A more social Danube Region, Specific objective 3.1 – Accessible, inclusive and effective labour markets.

The main objective of the project : to jointly develop inspiring policies for social enterprises by involving local public authorities into the social enterprises supporting ecosystem in order to enhance inclusive employment in the Danube region while supporting the sustainable operation of social enterprises as interpreted on the basis of a broad definition, in order to strengthen their employment role at the settlement and regional level.

Specific objectives:

• Development of public policies at local level for supporting SEs ecosystem in the Danube Region
• Enhancing Resilience, Innovation Management Knowledge & Skills of SE Ecosystem in the Danube Region
• Foster Transnational Cooperation and Coordination of SEs with their Ecosystem

Implementation period: 01.01.2024- 30.06.2026

Total budget of the project: 1.883.344,50 euro. Central Danube Development Agency Nonprofit Ltd.’s budget is 192.000 euro. Central Danube Development Agency Nonprofit Ltd.’s contribution in the project is 5 % - 9.600 euro.

Main results of the project:

Danube4SEEcosystem project will address the challenges in Danube Region by developing the policy and legal frameworks for creating the right environment for the social economy to thrive. Within the project, smart and coordinated public policies will be developed (Strategy for Inclusive Social Economy Ecosystem & Action plan) and will be pilot tested in 5 countries on 5 themes. PPs will disseminate the results and Policy Recommendations to policymakers and EUSDR representatives by organizing 3 PLDs for improving existing and future policies in the DR that will support municipalities to systematically sustain the functioning and development of social enterprises in their territory, with a focus on those SEs that involve people disadvantaged in the labour market.

Also, the project will enhance resilience and recovery of SEs, strengthen their skills and capacities, increase cooperation with Local Public Authorities and stakeholders by providing training that use micro-credential qualifications, networking and attending the Co-creation workshops.

D4SEE project foster cooperation of SEs with their ecosystem by creating the Danube Social Economy Network and testing the Strategy through the implementation of 5 pilot actions in 5 countries which will lead to 15 cooperation agreements. Pilot results will be embedded in the D4SEE Social Economy Support Methodology for applying solutions on SE collaborative models. Knowledge acquired will be passed on within 3 Transnational Knowledge Transfer Workshops & National Transfer Workshops. Danube Social Economy Network, formed by 115 stakeholders in the Danube region, will ensure transferability of project outputs and building links with Danube regional social economy ecosystem.

As a result of projects’ implementation, the newly developed solution targeting the needs and challenges in the partner countries are:

• 2 Skills Gap Assessment Tools for the SE sector in the Danube Region
• DS4SEE Capacity Building Programme for sustainable & resilient SEs and LPAs, based on microlearning approach
• Innovative & Inclusive 4SEE digital training platform for Ses (all resources are free, published as Open Education Resources (OER)
• Danube4SEecosystem Programme for effective Mentor Training
• Social Economy Support Methodology for applying solutions on SE collaborative models
• D4SEE Strategy for Inclusive Social Economy Ecosystem
• Danube Social Economy Network

Through Danube4SEecosystem (D4SEE) project, the consortium, associated strategic partners and stakeholders will aim to jointly develop inspiring policies for social enterprises by involving local public authorities into the social enterprises supporting ecosystem in order to enhance inclusive employment in the Danube region while supporting the sustainable operation of social enterprises.

• Lead Partner: South-Muntenia Regional Development Agency (Romania)
• CDDA - Central Danube Development Agency Nonprofit Ltd. (Hungary)
• SBA - Slovak Business Agency (Slovakia)
• PI REDEA - Public Institution for the Development of the Međimurje County REDEA (Croatia)
• RERA - Regional Development Agency of South Bohemia (Czechia)
• ZSI - Centre for Social Innovation (Austria)
• CCIS - Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Serbia (Serbia)
• RARS - Development Аgency of the Republic of Srpska (Bosnia and Herzegovina)
• ATS – Advanced Technology Systems (Romania)
• UM – University of Maribor (Slovenia)

• Civil Impact Nonprofit (Hungary)
• The regional association to the national network of Local Action Groups in the South Bohemian Region (Czechia)
• Ministry of Economy and Entrepreneurship of the Republic of Srpska (Bosnia and Herzegovina)
• Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs and Family of the Slovak Republic (Slovakia)
• Dambovita Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture (Romania)
• Budapest Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Hungary)
• Kemence Association (Hungary)
• Social Impact Investors Associations (Hungary)
• Association of Communes of Romania (Romania)