Social Firms Europe CEFEC

03/04/2026

Congratulations to our members from Slovenia and organizers of the 2026 CEFEC Annual Conference, Center Ponovne Uporabe 🎊

03/04/2026

Easter greetings from Social Firms Europe CEFEC 🌸
Wishing all our members and friends a joyful and peaceful holiday!😊🐰

30/03/2026

💫 We join 124 other organisations in calling for a new EU Disability Employment and Skills Guarantee as part of the updated Disability Rights Strategy.

The European Commission will present this Strategy on the 6th of May 2026. We need the Guarantee to be a key action of it.

📌 Only 52.7% of persons with disabilities in the European Union are employed. Our research shows that this is mainly due to lack of necessary adjustments, insufficient offer of assistive technology and lower digital skills.

We need allocated funding from the EU to:

🔹 Give access to mainstream employment opportunities, apprenticeships or training.

🔹 Grant job opportunities in the open labour market (not in sheltered workshops).

🔹 Offer support to assist companies and organisations in providing necessary adjustments for the person at work.

🔹 Ensure access to certification that can attest to the skills acquired by participants with disabilities.

Read the call of 125 organisations 👉 https://www.edf-feph.org/publications/for-a-disability-employment-guarantee-as-flagship-initiative-of-the-enhanced-disability-strategy/

European Disability Forum

25/03/2026

Green Leaders – Pilot Training
📍 Meeting Three | 24 March 2026

Meeting Three of the GREEN LEADERS – Pilot Training for Young Green Social Entrepreneurs successfully took place on 24 March 2026, bringing participants together for another online session.

During this meeting, we had the opportunity to listen to Ophir from Shekulotov Group שכולו טוב, a leading social enterprise that creates inclusive employment opportunities for people with disabilities while promoting sustainability and social impact 🌎

What’s next?
This meeting marked an important step toward the upcoming selection process for the Green Leaders Academy in Bled, Slovenia 🇸🇮✨.

23/03/2026

Call for Applications is now open! Don’t forget to apply by 10 of April! 🌟😍

🌟 SFE CEFEC Award 2026 - Call for Applications! 🌟
We are proud to continue the SFE CEFEC Award tradition! This award is an opportunity for social enterprises, social firms, and social cooperatives to present and share their good and best practices across Europe!

🏆 The CEFEC Award 2026 celebrates innovative social enterprises that:
✔ Create real and measurable social impact
✔ Offer meaningful and inclusive jobs
✔ Support people facing exclusion or discrimination
✔ Successfully combine sustainability and entrepreneurship

📝 How to apply
To participate, please complete the online Award Application Form by 10 April 2026.
👉 Application link in the comments or scan the QR code in the image.

📍 Award Ceremony
The Award will be presented during the 40th CEFEC Conference in Bled, 4-5 June 2026.

Let’s continue showcasing the strength, creativity, and impact of our social economy. We look forward to your applications!

20/03/2026

📌 Between 28 June-02 July 2025 it took place the 5th edition of the SFE CEFEC Academy event, in Mainz/Germany. With the help of Organizatia Institutul Bucovina and the Green Leaders project we recorded a series of Podcasts with the participants.

📣 So, we continue by sharing with you the recording, with: 📌 Maj Kotnik from Slovenia.

🤩 Maj is 21 years old, he has an internship with of our CEFEC member Center Ponovne Uporabe & his motivation for participating in the Academy was 👉

"to learn new things about helping the environment, meet people with similar interests, and get better at leading green projects in my community."

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

19/03/2026

🌟 SFE CEFEC Award 2026 - Call for Applications! 🌟
We are proud to continue the SFE CEFEC Award tradition! This award is an opportunity for social enterprises, social firms, and social cooperatives to present and share their good and best practices across Europe!

🏆 The CEFEC Award 2026 celebrates innovative social enterprises that:
✔ Create real and measurable social impact
✔ Offer meaningful and inclusive jobs
✔ Support people facing exclusion or discrimination
✔ Successfully combine sustainability and entrepreneurship

📝 How to apply
To participate, please complete the online Award Application Form by 10 April 2026.
👉 Application link in the comments or scan the QR code in the image.

📍 Award Ceremony
The Award will be presented during the 40th CEFEC Conference in Bled, 4-5 June 2026.

Let’s continue showcasing the strength, creativity, and impact of our social economy. We look forward to your applications!

18/03/2026

On World Recycling Day, we celebrate how recycling drives both environmental sustainability and social inclusion.
Recycling is a powerful example of how the social economy creates impact: green jobs, inclusive workplaces, and stronger local communities across Europe.

Want to go deeper into how social firms are shaping a circular, inclusive future?
👉 Join the CEFEC Annual Conference

The conference will bring together social enterprises, policymakers, and experts to exchange ideas, share good practices, and strengthen the role of social firms in Europe’s green transition.

🔗 Register now: https://cefecannualconference.eu/

18/03/2026

📢 We join 68 European networks, in between SFE CEFEC, together with 288 national organisations from 32 countries, calling for a strong social EU budget.

We call on EU institutions to safeguard and strengthen the European Social Fund (ESF) and European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) as standalone, well-funded instruments in the next Multiannual Financial Framework (2028–2034).

As negotiations move forward, our message is clear:
👉 Build on what works
👉 Protect funding for social inclusion
👉 Ensure support reaches those most excluded

ESF+ and ERDF are essential to support employment, education, and inclusion across Europe — including for persons with disabilities. Strong, dedicated social funding is key to delivering real impact on the ground.

+

You can find the statement here and also following the link from comments 👇

12/03/2026

📌 Between 28 June-02 July 2025 it took place the 5th edition of the SFE CEFEC Academy event, in Mainz/Germany. With the help of Organizatia Institutul Bucovina and the Green Leaders project we recorded a series of Podcasts with the participants.

📣 So, we continue by sharing with you the recording, with: 📌 Jure Capl from Slovenia.

🤩 Jure is 21 years old, he has an internship with of our CEFEC member Center Ponovne Uporabe & his motivation for participating in the Academy was 👉

"to strengthen my leadership skills in sustainability and gain practical tools to drive meaningful environmental change. This training offers a valuable opportunity to connect with like-minded individuals, exchange innovative ideas, and explore new approaches to promoting sustainability. I want to apply what I learn to my work in circular economy and social entrepreneurship, creating a more impactful and lasting difference."

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

10/03/2026

🌱 GREEN LEADERS – Pilot Training
📍 Meeting Two | 10 March 2026

Meeting Two of the GREEN LEADERS – Pilot Training for Young Green Social Entrepreneurs successfully took place on 10 March 2026, bringing participants together for another dynamic and inspiring online session.

Young changemakers from across Europe continued their journey by diving deeper into green entrepreneurship, social innovation, and sustainable impact, while strengthening collaboration and exchanging practical insights from their local contexts. 🌍

What’s next?
One final online meeting is coming up later in March 2026, leading toward the selection process for the Green Leaders Academy in Bled, Slovenia 🇸🇮✨

Want to learn more about the project?
Visit the official project profile here: Green Leaders

04/03/2026

📌 Between 28 June-02 July 2025 it took place the 5th edition of the SFE CEFEC Academy event, in Mainz/Germany. With the help of Organizatia Institutul Bucovina and the Green Leaders project we recorded a series of Podcasts with the participants.

📣 So, we continue by sharing with you the recording, with: 📌 Marco Nachtsheim from Germany.

🤩 He is an employee of our CEFEC member gpe gGmbH Mainz & his motivation for participating in the Academy was 👉

"self-development, networking with motivated people, gaining inspiration, and contributing to a community focused on growth."

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.