High-level Capacity Building Seminar: Building enabling ecosystems for social enterprises - 22-23 April 2015, Brussels, Belgium

1. Enterprising
Solutions
in Low-Income
Communities in
Romania
NESsT
NESsT Romania
Despina Iancu
Enterprise
Development
Manager

2. 2
Capacity Building
Challenges
Solutions
⁻ Lack of entrepreneurial skills
⁻ Lack of proper planning and
market research
⁻ Lack of key skills to run and
develop the business
⁻ Limited capacity to attract
and retain professionals
⁻ Lack of access to markets
 Provide capacity building for
business planning through
Social Enterprise Competitions
 Venture planning grants
 One-on-one consulting for
planning, incubation and
expansion
 Access to Business Advisory
Network
 Annual portfolio retreat
 Exchange experience

3. 3
Financing Challenges Solutions
⁻ Lack of access to flexible
finance for both start-up and
development of the SE
⁻ Limited number of donors or
investors supporting SEs in
Romania
 Provide grants, soft-loan or
equity based on real needs of
the SE
 Promote venture philanthropy
among key donors and investors
 Made in Andrei’s Country –
Biggest SE Competition funded
by Petrom – 320.000 euro direct
investments in 10 social
enterprises

4. 4
Sector Challenges Solutions
⁻ Few true leaders and best
practice examples
⁻ Various definitions of social
enterprises
⁻ Lack of legal framework
⁻ Lack of effective
support/learning networks &
targeted events
 Educate and train social
enterprise leaders through
Social Enterprise Competition
 Participate in various events
presenting own definition
and methodology for
developing SEs
 Social Enterprise Competition
 Publication of best practice
(written and video case
studies)

5. 5
• 198 people received training in social
enterprise planning
• 98 organizations have received support in
business planning.
• 18 social enterprises have been members
of the NESsT Romania portfolio.
• 18 incubation portfolio members
• $1,490,344 in total income created by
social enterprises
To date, NESsT Romania has benefitted 5,896 people
in marginalized communities and created more than
3,000 new income opportunities.
NESsT ROMANIA: PORTFOLIO IMPACT
• 1,867 users of affordable technology
• $1,428,850 total investments in
Romanian enterprises
• $947,183 total investment in building
capacity
• $480,850 total venture grants awarded
• $3 return on investment for every $1
invested in a social enterprise