Last week (16 October, 2020), the Lithuanian Social Business Association together with Entrepreneurial Lithuania (Marijampolė and Klaipėda agency “Spiečius”), LAG “Pajūrio kraštas”, Gerinorai.lt and local partners brought together Klaipėda, Marijampolė and Gargždai social business communities and decision makers for joint discussions and individual consultations on social business. opportunities, definition. Examples of good practice were shared, and opportunities for specific municipalities to cooperate with the non-governmental sector were discussed.

And although social business in Europe creates high added value: there are about 2 million social businesses (10% of all EU companies) employing more than 11 million people (about 6% of EU employees), the social business ecosystem is still developing in Lithuania.

“I was pleasantly surprised by the sincerity, activity and unique ideas of social business in the people of Marijampolė and Klaipėda regions”, – Viktorija Bražiūnaitė, Head of the Lithuanian Social Business Association, shares her impressions.

Meanwhile, Jurgita Ribinskaite-Glatzer, head of “Geri norai”, noted and welcomed the enthusiasm of Klaipėda city and district, the sensitivity of responsible people and great potential in delivering public services: “There are many niches for social business: “It’s inspiring when the municipality, local communities and civic organizations sit at the same table and look for solutions to problems effectively and innovatively”.

According to Rasa Viederytė, associate professor of the Department of Economics, Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities in Klaipėda University, the development of social entrepreneurship skills is very important among young people, from adolescence: “It is important to learn to think about the meaning of a business idea not only for yourself, but also become able to notice and formulate its need for the whole regional community.”

These discussions are part of the Lithuanian Social Business Association’s ongoing initiative to introduce Lithuanian regions with social business perspectives and opportunities.

Please join to the newly created FB group on Social entrepereneurship in Klaipeda – here.

 

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This publication has been prepared within INDIGISE project. The content of this publication is the sole responsibility of the project coordinator and may not always reflect the views of the European Commission or the National Agency.