Project description

The “Abilities Matter in the Market Economy” project aims to set up 8 new social businesses, which will provide new services for people with disabilities, which are currently offered at low standards of quality or not provided at all.

The project is developed by Motivation Romania Foundation in partnership with Shaw Trust UK and Sports Club Association Wheels of Change, St. Sava from Buzau Foundation for Children, Sports Club Association Supernova Neamt,  Motivation Ilfov Regional Association for Sports for Persons with Disabilities, Sports Club Association Astral Wheels.

The project “Abilities Matter in the Market Economy” is cofinanced by the European Social Fund, through the Operational Programme for Human Resources Development 2007-2013, Invest in People!.

The 8 social businesses will be established in Brasov, Buzău,  Cluj, Ilfov, Neamț, Prahova, Sibiu, Timiș Counties and 5 of them will be set up in the countryside (Buzău, Cluj, Ilfov, Neamț and Sibiu Counties).

Due to an extensive activity of good practies exchange, the know how from  Motivation Romania Foundation and Shaw Trust will be transfered to the 8 new social businesses.

The main purpose of the project is to increase the participation of vulnerable groups in the labor market and also in the economic and social live, on one hand by improving their skills and by developing their entrepreneurship abilities and on the other hand by implementing an effective model of social business, by using the transfer of good practices.

The specific objectives of the project are:

(1)  establishing 8 social businesses that will create a total number of 41 jobs, out of which 28 for persons belonging to vulnerable groups;

(2)  improvement of professional skills and competition in the labor market for 41 persons from the social businesses, out of which 28 persons belonging to vulnerable groups;

(3)  strengthening the capacity of the 8 social businesses.

(4)  increasing the quality standards for services provided to people with disabilities in Romania;

The originality elements of the project are piloting and transfering to Romania a model of good practice from the social economy field, implemented by the partner in the United Kingdom. The partner successfully coordinates a total of 8 social businesses which provide services in various areas of employment for people with disabilities. Within this project, we will also apply in Romania this model of good practice in order to develop a network of social franchise.