Founders of social start-ups – so-called social entrepreneurs – have a one-stop contact point in Schleswig-Holstein: the yooweedoo programme. Based at Kiel University, yooweedoo facilitates social entrepreneurship with workshops, project advice, an ideas competition and an active network for sharing lessons learned.
Category: Fostering innovation
Social entrepreneurship enriches municipalities
At the virtual dialogue event held on 20, 21 and 23 September 2021, over 45 participants from 10 countries took a look at social entrepreneurship from a range of municipal perspectives. They found that this rather new target group for local business development has a great deal of potential for municipalities. Innovative examples from Kiel, the municipality hosting the virtual event, as well as from the UK and Uganda, showcased the wide range of funding opportunities and the great benefits that can arise when municipalities and social entrepreneurs work together.
So far, many municipalities have given barely any thought to social entrepreneurship. The dialogue event provided them with a good first impression. The international dialogue and examples from around the world also inspired many participants to take concrete action to promote social entrepreneurship.
Kiel – the true champion of social entrepreneurship
The German City of Kiel is committed to the Agenda 2030 with its 17 SDGs. The sustainibility price in 2021 helped pave the way. Kiel is a true champion of social entrepreneurship promotion. Many sustainability projects evolved with the support of the city and its people. The video presents four outstanding examples from the local entrepreneur scene.
Watch the video at YouTube:
Hazmieh in Lebanon: A lighthouse in good urban governance
Hazmieh municipality has set a comprehensive and effective strategy for local economic development, in which the public and the private sector’s participation in planning and decision-making are the cornerstones. The municipality has partnered with representatives of the local community and private sector to ensure the formulation of municipal development plans that prioritize the prosperity and common good of the local community and ensure gender equality and youth participation.
The municipality has attracted investments by diversifying local economy in the city. By employing the business model “Everything under one roof”, Hazmieh has succeeded in proving that one doesn’t need to leave the city boundaries to secure supplies, resulting in making the city an essential hub for investment in Lebanon.
Local Economic Development (LED) and Job Creation in Middle East and North Africa
Six municipalities from the MENA region have participated in the Local Projects Workshop, which was a 2-days virtual workshop held on the 19th-20th January 2021. The workshop consisted of a series of virtual discussions among the participating municipal representatives and technical and financial experts. The workshop was followed by two virtual sessions on proposal writing for funding and financing of municipal projects held on the 21st and 25th of January 2021 respectively.
The Local Projects Workshop was designed such that the activities are following a normal growth curve of what has been established during the LED Virtual Dialogue taking place in 2020. The harmony established among participants and the understanding of the rationale of the Connective Cities methodology was expanded on to foster peer-to-peer learning with more attention given this time to individual municipalities needs and visions. The Local Projects Workshop approach leveraged the progress made to date by the 6 participating municipalities while addressing further actions including:
- The interlinkages between LED projects and other areas like education, health, gender, environment, etc.
- Adapting the LED projects to national and global objectives and priorities
- Adapting the LED projects to available resources and existing expertise
- Establishing Strategic and impactful partnerships for the projects
- Risk forecasting and mitigation measures planning
- Best approaches to fund projects with different financing mechanisms and tools.
Customised pandemic stimulus packages for local businesses
Fast, competent and geared to business needs: Eager to assist local businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic, the business development agency (WFG) for the district of Unna has devised a wide range of services.
Interview with Harinjaka Ratozamanana: Innovation Ecosystems
In our Grand Season Finale, Harinjaka from Anatananarivo, Madagascar, tells us how the wisdom of his ancestors made sense during this pandemic.
More: https://youtu.be/7zJOBM0I6pw
Join us and watch a special series of videos and podcasts that will show how to overcome a crisis from many different points of view. More videos, podcasts and interviews on our COVID-19 page.
Interview with Faola Hodaj on Innovation Ecosystems
Learn through Faola Hodaj, Director of Innovation at Municipality of Tirana, how did the municipality reflect this innovative spirit through its services and response to the pandemic.
More: https://youtu.be/BpnLZLcky00
Join us and watch a special series of videos and podcasts that will show how to overcome a crisis from many different points of view. More videos, podcasts and interviews on our COVID-19 page.
Interview with Leila Ben Gacem: Social Innovation
Beni Khalled, Tunisia, a city famous for its citrus farms, is home of Leila Ben Gacem, social entrepreneur and as elected city councillor head of the Finance Committee. The brave woman worked late hours throughout the first lockdown in order to coordinate volunteers, health companies and municipal activities through social entrepreneurship skills.
More: https://youtu.be/w4ihfI_Gg00
Join us and watch a special series of videos and podcasts that will show how to overcome a crisis from many different points of view. More videos, podcasts and interviews coming soon on our COVID-19 page.
Podcast with Armin Berger: Digital Innovation
Welcome to Berlin, where thousands of artists lost their stages because of lockdown. Learn how Armin Berger got support from the senator of culture and how good ideas emerged during breakfast to fill Berlin with new life: Berlin(a)Live
More: https://youtu.be/UwqjbiMlIGE
Join us and watch a special series of videos and podcasts that will show how to overcome a crisis from many different points of view. More videos, podcasts and interviews coming soon on our COVID-19 page.