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The conference formed part of the Empowerment of Social Entrepreneurship Ecosystem (ESEE project, co-funded by the Erasmus+ Programme of the European Union. Through ESEE, participants had the opportunity to explore best practices from advanced ecosystems and engage with international networks—most notably during collaborative activities with social organizations in Estonia.

The conference was coordinated by Dr. Stavros K. Parlalis, Associate Professor at Frederick University’s Department of Psychology and Social Sciences, in collaboration with the Nicosia Volunteer Coordinating Council and Tallinn University.

       

Event Highlights

The conference began with a warm welcome from Dr. Natali Loizidou, Chair of the Department of Psychology and Social Sciences at Frederick University.

The first session explored the current landscape of social entrepreneurship in Cyprus and across Europe:

• Marinos Aniftos, Head of the Social Enterprise Unit at the Cooperative Companies Service, outlined the legal framework and available incentives for social enterprises in Cyprus.
• Audrone Urmanaviciene, Lecturer at Tallinn University, emphasized the critical role of impact measurement in driving sustainable social change.
• Eleni Ploutarchou, Project Manager at CSI and representative of the Diversity Charter Cyprus, provided a broader European perspective, highlighting key developments and the role of the NESEI network.
• Francisco José Hernández, Director of RETO Cyprus, presented the organization’s unique operational model, Invitation of Hope, which supports social reintegration through enterprise.

The session concluded with an engaging open discussion, followed by a short networking break.

The second session focused on forward-looking initiatives, showcasing social enterprise concepts developed through the ESEE project:

• Maria Antoniou, Program Coordinator at the Nicosia Volunteer Coordinating Council, presented a compelling case for embedding social entrepreneurship within volunteer organizations.
• Vasilis Venizelou, Eugenia Kazakaiou, and Karolina Ontatzii—all social workers— introduced their original projects: Health Guardians, Ceramics with Heart, and CareCruise, respectively. Each initiative aimed to address specific community needs through creative and sustainable enterprise models.

The event closed with a summary and reflection on the project’s outcomes by Dr. Parlalis, highlighting the valuable connections, ideas, and future potential generated through the initiative. The conference served as a milestone in strengthening the social entrepreneurship ecosystem in Cyprus and demonstrated the growing enthusiasm for innovation with a social mission.

The ESEE project has officially concluded. The "Booklet of Assignments on Social Entrepreneurship" created through the project is available on the EPALE platform (in Greek).

For more details about the project, visit our   account. Follow us for updates, even after the project's completion.