Open days – October 2006 Models of best practices in partnership developed by Equal projects By Dorotea DANIELE DIESIS Rue Guillaume Tell Brussels, Belgium Tel Fax

Open days – October 2006 DIESIS European and International Research and Development Service for the Social Economy and the Co-operatives Its mission to support the development of the social economy and, in particular, of cooperatives and social enterprises in Europe and in the world through the implementation of knowledge-based activities, such as training, project design, consulting and advisory services, technical assistance and research. Its services Project related services Information and communication Training Networking Study and research

Open days – October 2006 Main features of Equal social economy development partnerships (DPs) Broad and diversified (involvement of all the actors of local development) Presence of actors rarely involved in social economy (business representative organisations, private sector, etc.) Appropriate partnership management structures Medium term goals and focus on mainstreaming Engagement, flexibility and empowerment

Open days – October 2006 QUASAR - Quality for the Network Systems of Social Enterprises (Italy) – PARTNERSHIP AsseforCamere: national training and entrepreneurship promotional branch of the Chambers of Commerce Aster-x: strategic agency made up of 16 national organisations representing cultural and voluntary associations and social co- operatives, promoting the development of Social Economy (SE). Censis: national research institute Tagliacarne Institute: a foundation of Unioncamere promoting economic policies through research, information and advisory activities SITES: Rome, Florence, Milan, Treviso, Cagliari, Palermo, Potenza, Forlì-Cesena, Bari

Open days – October 2006 ACTIVITIES Seven specialised working groups combining experts from SE and Chambers, working on Finance, Training, Social quality, Local development, Social services reform, Organizational Tools and Social Economy Observatories. Studies on the socio-economic conditions in each of the pilot areas and on the strengths and weaknesses of the social enterprise sector. 8 local and 1 national training courses, for approx. 180 people from chambers and social enterprises. Check-up of 240 social enterprises. Creation of 8 local Observatory of the Civil Economy, in the Chambers.

Open days – October 2006 KEY RESULTS A collaborative relationships has been established between SE umbrella organizations and the Chambers of Commerce network (Traditional Economy). At local level QUASAR created a permanent partnerships between chambers, SE, Universities, and Local Authorities. The ABI (Italian Banks Association) has been involved in the discussion about specialized Financial Tools for S.E. New markets for the SE result from business partnerships between social enterprises and conventional businesses Quasar has improved the regulatory environment: the DP was heard by the Italian Parliament, during the definition of the new law on Social Enterprises. The partnership continues working after the end of the project: Chambers of Rome, Perugia, Pisa and Benevento have started Observatories off their own budget. Other chambers are joining.

Open days – October 2006 SLUP (Sweden) – NETWORK Stockholm City County Council KIC (Kooperativ utveckling i Sverige – Cooperative Development Agency CDA) Rådet för lokal utveckling (Association for local development of the Stockholm region) SITE Stockholm region

Open days – October 2006 ACTIVITIES The project worked as an open partnership right from the beginning and gave practical opportunities for everybody to participate to create a strong networking organisation for local development in the Stockholm region. The partnership created new and better management and development methods for small co-operatives and associations, producing social audit tools, a manual on public procurement, a training method for leaders, a useful manual showing how to find financing and a manual from voluntary association to social business in the welfare sector. A new broad regional association was created including the biggest actors of the regional social economy.

Open days – October 2006 RESULTS The Slup.se association is a regional support structure associating more than 40 organizations, including two banks. The process began in 2000, continued with the Equal project, and is now linked in to the public sectors and the governments regular development planning process. Slup.se provides services to the social economy, especially small cooperatives and associations. In particular, services concern social auditing and participation in public procurement. The actors providing the services are mainly actors of the social economy itself. The Slup.se association together with the County board and the European social fund (ESF) work in a Platform for local development of social economy.