Events

The 27-th Annual Conference of Social Firms Europe, CEFEC 2014

Legacoopsociali in partnership with Social Firms Europe-CEFEC, Arcobaleno social cooperative, ŠENT Slovenia, SEA and Alleanza delle Cooperative Italiane cordially invite you to participate in the 27-th Annual European Conference of Social Firms Europe, CEFEC 2014 entitled “1914 – 2014 from the Europe of WW1 to Social Europe” to be held in Gorizia/Nova Gorica (Italy/Slovenia) from May 28 to May 31st 2014.

The 2014 Annual Conference of Social Firms Europe CEFEC will be an excellent opportunity for policy makers, social entrepreneurs, academics, social economy researchers, market and industry analysts, government officials, NGOs and professionals in the field of social economy, the international and national community to discuss and debate on the topic of Social Europe 2020: the development of Social Business Initiatives and the legislation in the field of social enterprises.

We have the honor to invite you at the 27-th Annual Conference of Social Firms Europe, CEFEC 2014. For more information or assistance please don’t hesitate to contact us.

Kind regards,

Petru Vasile Gafiuc,

General Secretary of SFE CEFEC

For more details please contact:

CEFEC Conference Secretariat: 27cefec@arcobalenogorizia.it or SFE CEFEC Secretariat: socialfirmseurope@cefec.biz

 

Invitation – 2014 SFE CEFEC Conference

Programme of the 2014 SFE CEFEC Conference

Registration Form Conference

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2nd International Multi-Sector Conference of Social Enterprises, Lodz (Poland), 14-15 November 2013

Social Support Association “Me-You-Us” (Poland) would like to invite representatives of social enterprises, public institutions and non-governmental organizations from Europe to II International Multi-Sector Conference of Social Enterprises, devoted to social economy issues, which takes place in Poland (Lodz) on 14-15 November 2013.

The main goal of the conference is to exchange and share best practices in running and supporting European social enterprises and cooperation between public sector and social enterprises. The conference will provide an invaluable opportunity to exchange and share on the international level knowledge and experience concerning management and support of social enterprises which operate in specific business sectors. Moreover, it will also contribute to establishing transnational partnerships between various social economy organizations and institutions supporting social enterprises.

Apart from the plenary session, the event will also include meetings (workshops) and study visits in the following sector groups:

. Hotel and gastronomy

. Creative industry: graphics, multimedia, printing

. Elderly and disabled people care sector

. Social enterprises providing communal services – recycling, gardening and cleaning services

. Artistic products/handicraft

. Organizations supporting social enterprises

. Public servants supporting social economy

In order to ensure your organization is represented, please complete and return the conference registration form at your earliest convenience ( to download registration form, please click here ).

For further information, please visit our website http://www.socialenterprises.pl/en.

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The 26-th Annual Conference of Social Firms Europe, CEFEC 2013: “Social Entrepreneurship Today: Grasping the Challenges and the Opportunities”

The Pan-Hellenic Federation of Social Cooperatives (PO.Koi.S.P.E.) and the Kerkira (Corfu) Koi.S.P.E. “New Horizons” cordially invite you to participate in the 26-th Annual European Conference of Social Firms Europe, CEFEC 2013 on “Social Entrepreneurship Today: Grasping the Challenges and the Opportunities” to be held in Corfu (Kerkyra Island), Greece, from September 18 to September 21st, under the auspices of the Municipality of Corfu, the Chamber of Corfu and the Ionian University. 

The 2013 Annual Conference of Social Firms Europe CEFEC is organized again in Greece after a period of ten years and it will be an excellent opportunity for the international and national community, academics, social economy researchers, market and industry analysts, government officials and policy makers and entrepreneurs to discuss and debate on the topic of social entrepreneurship during the present times, the possibilities and challenges that arise today in this field.

The organizing committee of the Conference has been working hard to provide you with a full and interesting agenda for all four days. The Conference programme is a combination of plenary sessions, study visits and a number of attractive interactive workshop sessions. More details about the programme will be available within the next months.

We sincerely hope that you will join us in making the 26-th Annual Conference of Social Firms Europe, CEFEC 2013 a true success. If you have any questions or concerns, or if we may be of assistance in any way, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Kind regards,

Athena Frangouli

Social Firms Europe CEFEC Chairperson

For more details please contact:

E-mailcefecsecr2013@yahoo.gr (Social Cooperative of Fokida) or socialfirmseurope@cefec.biz (SFE CEFEC Secretariat)

Phone/Fax: 0030-210-9227611 / 0030-210-9231210

Websitehttp://26cefecconference.blogspot.gr/

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Social Firms UK Launches new Online Diagnostic and Support Tool

 On 4th March 2013, Social Firms UK launches Social Firms InfoMine (www.socialfirmsinfomine.org.uk), a new online diagnostic and support tool for Social Firms and other Work Integration Social Enterprises.

Social Firms InfoMine is an online tool designed to identify  and supply information needs on the social firm sector and developing a social firm. It guides the user through a carefully established set of questions, and – based on responses – will generate a  report containing information tailored to their specific requirements. This report provides access to relevant resources – such as guides, links to websites, fact sheets, case studies and various services – all in one place. It also signposts to invaluable information the user may not even have realised they needed. In this way it increases user knowledge about the areas of support.

Social Firms InfoMine has been developed as part of a Knowledge Transfer Partnership project between Social Firms UK and Middlesex University’s Social Policy Research Centre with support from NOMS CFO and Remploy. 

Social Firms InfoMine is a major step forward in the provision of support to social firms. It answers the most obvious question: “what do I need to know and where can I find it”. It allows users to access the information they need straight away in a format that they can work through systematically. Best of all, the tailored report that is generated tells them why they need to know it” said Social Firms UK CEO Michele Rigby.

Two early users commented:

“Very professional looking, the site is easy to use and the results of the questionnaire are displayed in a usable and professional format”;

“Very relevant questions and they produced the results I was looking for”.

Social Firms InfoMine will make it more straightforward for start-up and growing social firms to find relevant information quickly and easily so they can create more jobs for disabled people” said Jo Munns Director of Strategy and Consumer Services at  Remploy Ltd.

“We are pleased to have worked with Social Firms UK on this KTP partnership, and to have been involved in producing such a ground-breaking service” said Alessio D’Angelo, Senior Lecturer at Middlesex University

 

-Ends  -

 

Notes:

  1. Social Firms UK is the national support agency for social enterprises committed to supporting the employability of people at greatest disadvantage in the labour market. At least 25% of a Social Firm’s workforce is severely disadvantaged because, for example, they have a learning disability, mental health problem, a prison record or a history of homelessness or drug or alcohol misuse.
  1. Social Firms are market-led companies that generate at least 50% of their income through trade, reinvesting profits to create more jobs.  Social Firms operate in a wide range of commercial sectors; see www.justbuy.org.uk for details. Since 1999 the number of Social Firms has increased from 5 to over 180 and collectively they now employ over 2000 people, 51% of whom face major labour market disadvantage.
  2. Knowledge Transfer Partnerships link business with academics and offer graduate associates the opportunity to gain experience running a project. KTPs are  run and managed on behalf of the government funding organisations by the Technology Strategy Board, a non-departmental public body. www.ktponline.org.uk/
  3. The Social Policy Research Centre (SPRC) at Middlesex University, London initiates and supports high quality research of national and international standing. Its researchers use innovative methodologies to undertake research on new and emerging topics within the social sciences, in particular with neglected and marginalised communities, at a local, national and international level. The Centre actively promotes interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary research. http://sprc.info/
  4. NOMS is an Executive Agency of the Ministry of Justice, which brings together the Probation and Prison Service, to enable more efficient and effective delivery of services. A key objective for NOMS is the reduction of re-offending. NOMS Co-financing provision contributes to this by assisting ex-offenders to access mainstream services and employment opportunities. www.co-financing.org/
  5. Remploy Ltd is one of the UK’s leading providers of employment services and to employment to people with barriers to work. www.remploy.co.uk

 

 


 

 

Past CEFEC conferences

25th Anniversary Conference of Social Firms Europe CEFEC 20th-22nd September 2012
Suceava, Romania.
“Social Economy, Trend or Reality”

http://www.economiesociala.eu/cefec2012/
24th Social Firms Europe CEFEC Annual Conference 5th – 7th October 2011
Merano Italy “Work, Dignity and Social Responsibility” The Mission of Social Firms.

30th June – 3rd July 2010
23rd Social Firms Europe CEFEC Conference, Cambridge UK
“Harnessing the power of business to change lives.”
www.socialfirmsuk.co.uk/events/past-events/social-firms-uk-annual-conferences-events/social-firms-uk-annual-conference-2010

10th – 12th September 2009
22th CEFEC Conference, Prague, Czech Republic
“Social Firms – A New Dimension of Enterprise”
www.cefec2009inprague.cz

26th – 28th June 2008
21st CEFEC Conference, Lisbon, Portugal
“Social Firms, Employment and Quality of Life: Common Strategies for Social Inclusion in Europe”

11th – 13th October 2007
20th CEFEC Conference, Linz, Austria
“New Work – new culture the future of the world of work”

19th -21st October 2006
19th CEFEC Conference, Seville, Spain
“The Social Economy and Employment of people with mental health problems”

8th -10th September 2005
18th CEFEC Conference, Novo mesto, Slovenia
“Social Economy – Innovative Approaches to Employment”

30th September – 2nd October 2004
17th CEFEC Conference, Thun, Switzerland
“Social Firms – The Challenge of Ethical Business”

October 2003
16th CEFEC Conference, Athens, Greece
“Social Economy, European Social Firms-Cooperatives What-How-Why”

June 2002
15th CEFEC Conference, Guilford, UK
“Social Firm Networking and Development”
www.socialfirms.co.uk

September 2001
14th CEFEC Conference, Berlin, Germany
“Develop Social Entrepreneurship in Europe”
www.faf-gmbh.de

June 2000
13th CEFEC Conference, Lisbon, Portugal
“Equality of opportunities in access to employment and citizenship”

June 1999
12th CEFEC Conference, Helsinki, Finland
“Potency of Social Firms and Networks”

September 1998
11th CEFEC Conference, Athens, Greece
“The Reality in Social Firms and Cooperatives: an employee’s perspective”

October 1997
10th CEFEC Conference, Zaragosa, Spain
“Looking back to move ahead”

October 1996
9th CEFEC Conference, Linz, Austria
“Profit-Nonprofit-Profit”

October 1995
8th CEFEC Conference, Turin, Italy

October 1994
7th CEFEC Conference, Spa, Belgium

1993
6th CEFEC Conference, Northern Ireland

1992
5th CEFEC Conference, Delphi, Greece

1991
4th CEFEC Conference, Southampton, England

1990
3rd CEFEC Conference, Maastricht, The Netherlands

1989
2nd CEFEC Conference, Torino, Italy

1988
1st CEFEC Conference, Berlin, Germany