Eng Baza

Social enterprises are non-profit private organizations, engaged in the production of goods and the provision of services, which is directly related to their clear goal that the community benefits from their activities. They rely on collective dynamics, including different types of stakeholders in their governing bodies; they value their autonomy and take the economic risk associated with their activities.

Social enterprises belong to “hybrid” business models, and their revenues are a combination of business, market revenues from the sale of goods and services to the private or public sector and non-market revenues from government subsidies, donations, private donations, in-kind contributions and the like.

Social enterprises are an important part of the world and European economy, as they employ 11,000,000 people in Europe, which is about 6.7% of employees in the EU. Cooperatives alone, as a form of social association, of which 240,000 are registered in the EU, directly employ 4.7 million people and have 143,000,000 members. At the same time, health and social care services provided by the social economy reach 120,000,000 beneficiaries. These companies have been given priority in the regional policy of the European Union, so for the period from 2014 to 2020, about 90,000,000 euros are intended for a new social financial instrument, which will help the EU repay debt and new investments of social enterprises.