Social Firms Europe CEFEC

28/11/2025

Linz Appeal Country Focus - Finland 🇫🇮

Finland is showing how Social Enterprises can make a real difference in creating inclusive and sustainable employment! 💼✨
Our latest report dives into the Finnish social enterprise landscape, highlighting:
✅ Innovative work integration models
✅ Strong collaboration between municipalities, social enterprises & employment services
✅ Policies and frameworks that support people with disabilities and disadvantaged groups

📄 Read the full Finland report here: https://socialfirmseurope.eu/social-firms/research/

But that’s not all! 🎧 Listen to our podcast with Jukka Lindberg, who represents Valo–Valmennusyhdistys and is a member of the CEFEC Executive Committee. Jukka shares first-hand insights into Finland’s social enterprise ecosystem and inclusive employment practices.
👉 Listen on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7EhbIRxY9SI

Research Social Firms Europe CEFEC works on a continuous basis to carry out and build on research into both the existence of Social Firms and social co-operatives and to help evidence and prove their impact. Some of the research carried out to date include: The Linz Appeal Why should there be more S...

25/11/2025

📌 Between 28 June-02 July 2025 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 start by sharing with you the recording, with: 📌 Șerban Raia from Romania.

🤩 Șerban is 28 years old, he studied social entrepreneurship for 2 years in Sweden & his motivation for participating in the Academy was 👉

"reducing the knowing-doing gap within the field of green social economy".

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

21/11/2025

We are happy to share some exciting news from SFE CEFEC!🤩
Our former WG 1 - International Cooperation has evolved into the WG - International Projects.

The first meeting took place on 19th of November, marking the beginning of a stronger, more coordinated approach to international project work within our network.

This new structure will strengthen collaboration, support members in developing partnerships, and improve access to EU funding opportunities.

✨ Together, we aim to run impactful projects focused on inclusion, sustainability, training, and social enterprise.

More updates coming soon! 🚀

18/11/2025

The International Social Enterprise Day is always celebrated on the third Thursday of November!!
This year, it will be on Thursday, November 20th and you are warmly invited to participate in the virtual international morning coffee session, November 20th, 8.30 CET!!

The Social Economy Action Plan turned four this year and mid-term review is underway. The EU Council Recommendation to Member States on the implementation of the Action Plan also turns two years. Strategies for the social economy and social enterprises are being created and updated across Europe. What does this mean in practice?
European partner networks help the Finnish Centre of Expertise for Social Enterprises (YYO ) stay on top of these and other changes. At the morning coffee, representatives of two key networks of work integration social enterprises, Patrizia Bussi (Ensie - European Network of Social Integration Enterprises) and Felicitas Kresimon (Cefec - Social Firms Europe), together with Jukka Lindberg from YYO will discuss these questions and what cooperation in international networks offers.

More information and the link to access you can find here:

International Social Enterprise Day is always celebrated on the third Thursday of November. This year, it will be on Thursday, November 20th. We will mark the day with a virtual international morning coffee session. The Social Economy Action Plan turned four this year and mid-term review is underway...

17/11/2025

🥁 In 2023 & 2024 we managed to develop a series of podcasts with several Social Firms Europe CEFEC members, and we are very happy to continue with this tradition in 2025, with the help of Organizatia Institutul Bucovina and the Green Leaders project.

So, we are excited 🤩 to share with you the SFE CEFEC Podcast recording with:

📣 Hana Horii, Mihoko Tsukahara and Mikiko Yoshizaki, representing Jinzaikyoikusya from Japan.

✅ Mikiko is the President of JKS, managing a workplace
providing employment training for people with mental health problems, and promotes the establishment of social firms.

✨Hana is a specialist in placing disabled individuals in mainstream employment & Mihoko supports the organization as a psychiatrist.

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

13/11/2025

On 11th November, the Social Firms Europe CEFEC team visited Bled, the destination that will host the 40th CEFEC Annual Conference and the 6th CEFEC Academy in 2026. 🇸🇮✨

The 40th Conference will bring together members, partners, and collaborators from many places to reflect on our shared achievements, exchange knowledge, and look ahead to the future of social enterprises, inclusive employment, and sustainable growth. 🌱

We also had the pleasure of visiting the Etri skupina facility, where we were warmly welcomed and enjoyed lunch together. 🍽️

Thank you to Center Ponovne Uporabe for hosting us and see you soon, Bled! 😊

13/11/2025

11/11/2025

On 10th November, the Social Firms Europe CEFEC Executive Committee met in a hybrid format, with in-person participants gathering in Ljubljana, Slovenia. 🇸🇰🤗

It was a great opportunity to meet for preparations to the upcoming CEFEC Annual Conference and to visit Center Ponovne Uporabe CPU Slovenia, the main conference organizer with Etri skupina , an important local partner.

The work continues as we move forward and we’re excited to share more news soon about the 40th CEFEC Conference in 2026! 🤩

07/11/2025

🥁 In 2023 & 2024 we managed to develop a series of podcasts with several Social Firms Europe CEFEC members, and we are very happy to continue with this tradition in 2025, with the help of Organizatia Institutul Bucovina and the Green Leaders project.

So, we are excited 🤩 to share with you the SFE CEFEC Podcast recording with:

📣 Mr. Raymo Bucher, who works as the Ecological Advisor for Oeko Service GmbH from Switzerland.

✅ Oeko Service is an innovative company providing services in the area of cleaning, domestic maintenance and gardening on an ecologically, economically and socially sustainable basis.

✨Raymo has a master's degree in ecology at ETH Zürich and is responsible for the ecological requirements of the company and its CO2 neutral policy.

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

03/11/2025

🌍 GSEF 2025 – Bordeaux
The Global Social Economy Forum (GSEF) is the leading event bringing together cities, networks and organisations from around the world working on social and solidarity economy (SSE). Since its first edition in 2016, it has been held every few years — this time in Bordeaux from 30 October to 1 November 2025.
💬 Felicitas Kresimon, Secretary General of CEFEC, joined the Forum to highlight how the social economy is fundamentally an economy of peace, participation and justice.
📌 Around 4 000 participants from five continents gathered to connect, reflect and build together.

Important themes included:
"Profit with purpose" — aligning economic activity with social impact.
Global partnerships and cooperative financing models supporting SSE actors.
Community democracy and territorial regeneration, especially through education, inclusion and local dialogue.

✨ The message was clear: building a more just, inclusive and sustainable world means empowering people and communities.

30/10/2025

Another productive coordination meeting with our ALL4JOBS partners!😊

📢 ALL4JOBS Online Coordination Meeting – October 29th, 2025 🌍

We’re excited to gather once again with all our amazing partners for the All4Jobs project — working together to enhance competences and employability prospects of disadvantaged and disabled youth through digital innovation, inclusivity, and sustainability in youth work. 💪✨

Together, we continue shaping an inclusive future where every young person has equal access to digital and professional opportunities. 🌐🤝

Shannara Cooperativa Sociale Ίδρυμα Χρίστου Στέλιου Ιωάννου Social Firms Europe CEFEC Asociación Amicos Asociatia GAL Napoca Porolissum .hub4learning