Important activities and tools for the dissemination and effective support of Social Entrepreneurship and Social Economy were presented at an Information and Awareness Event held by the Region of Central Macedonia and the Regional Development Fund of Central Macedonia in Thessaloniki.
The event was implemented within the framework of the project “Cross-Border Action Plan for the Development and Operation of an Executive Mechanism for Supporting and Promoting Social Entrepreneurship in the Social Economy and Social Innovation”, with the acronym “Action Plan for Social Entrepreneurship”, co-funded by the European Program for Cross-Border Cooperation “INTERREG VA GREECE – BULGARIA 2014-2020”, in which the Region of Central Macedonia participates as the Lead Beneficiary.
At the event, in which representatives of Social and Solidarity Economy enterpises attended, the Deputy Head of the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Division of the Region of Central Macedonia, Mr. Konstantinos Michailides, referred to the social entrepreneurship support structure that will operate in the Region of Central Macedonia, in order to support the existing and new social enterprises. This Support Center aims at the reinforcement of social entrepreneurship in Central Macedonia and in the development of existing and new social enterprises in the field of Social and Solidarity Economy.
Mrs Kyriaki Antoniadou, representative of the Joint Secretariat of the Interreg V-A “Greece-Bulgaria 2014-2020” Cooperation Programme, referred to the satisfying progress of the project and the good cooperation between the parties and she also invited the participants on the Information days concerning the 5th call for Project Proposals of the Cooperation Programme INTERREG V-A “Greece-Bulgaria 2014-2020”.
Subsequently, Mr. George Galanos, lecturer and representative of Democritus University of Thrace, emphasized both on the current status of the Social and Solidarity Economy and also on the Regional Planning and Strategy, which were produced through the project. The representative of Neofit Rilski University, one of Bulgaria’s two partners, referred to the Social Entrepreneurship in Bulgaria and presented the results of a research carried out under the project to social economy institutions in Bulgaria.
Mr. Nikolaos Podas, Technical Advisor of the Regional Development Fund and the Region of Central Macedonia, presented the training and counseling actions of the project “Action Plan for Social Entrepreneurship” and Mr. Neoklis Stamkos, Director of the Center for Business and Cultural Development (KEPA) and Micro-Credits Department, presented the existing Financial Means in which Social and Solidarity Economy organizations can accede to and he was also referred to the significant role of networking in the development of Social Entrepreneurship. The President of the Social Entrepreneurship NET (DIKTYO) of Central Macedonia, Mrs Eleni Papatheodosiou, addressed to the partners of the Social Enterprises and to all those who are interested in creating a new social enterprise and she referred to the active role of the Social Entrepreneurship NET (DIKTYO) of Central Macedonia, in this direction.
The presentations of the conference are available on the official website of the project: http://apfse.eu/
For any information regarding the project and its actions, you can contact the Regional Development Fund of Central Macedonia (Ms. Ellie Platsiouri, tel. 2310 403004, e-mail: apfse@rdfcm.gr).
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