“Social enterprises are key to addressing societal challenges”
Collaboration between municipalities and regions and social enterprises is a key factor in addressing societal challenges and achieving the goals of the 2030 Agenda. That is the view of Anders Bro, who has written a handbook on how collaboration with social enterprises can contribute to new welfare solutions. Anders Bro is a development manager at Region Örebro County and, on behalf of…
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Collaboration between municipalities and regions and social enterprises is a key factor in addressing societal challenges and achieving the goals of the 2030 Agenda. That is the view of Anders Bro, who has written a handbook on how collaboration with social enterprises can contribute to new welfare solutions.
Anders Bro is a development manager at Region Örebro County and, on behalf of the Swedish Association of Local Authorities and Regions (SKR), has written a handbook on how Swedish municipalities and regions can collaborate with social enterprises.
This week, he presented the handbook at a well-attended webinar organized by Forum for Social Innovation Sweden collaboration with SKR.
“There are many reasons why municipalities and regions should increase their collaboration with social enterprises. Some of the most important are that societal challenges are so complex and that public resources will need to be used more efficiently in the future. This situation means we must find new solutions,” he says.
By highlighting practical tips and best practices, SKR aims to inspire and increase knowledge among politicians and officials working in the public sector about what collaboration with social enterprises can look like.
One example highlighted during the webinar comes from the municipality of Karlskoga. Here, the municipality has been collaborating for many years with the Funkis Association, a social enterprise that integrates people into the workforce, where all profits are reinvested in the business.
“We get more out of every tax dollar”
The Funkis Association runs cafés, restaurants, day programs, and a cleaning service, with the goal of employing people who are far removed from the job market.
“Today we have a total of 20 employees, and last year we had a turnover of 9 million kronor. Here we give people the chance to gradually build the ability to support themselves,” says Mari Cedervall, chair of Funkis Karlskoga.
Nils Varg, head of the workforce development unit at Karlskoga Municipality, believes the partnership is highly valuable for the municipality.
“Funkis means we have a place where people can receive on-the-job training and gain the opportunity to enter the labor market. It costs us only half as much as when the municipality ran this operation itself. So we’re getting more out of every tax dollar now, while the participants also have greater influence,” he says.
Social enterprises working to get more people into the labor market have a long tradition in Sweden. But Anders Bro believes that social enterprises can help solve challenges in other areas as well. This could involve, for example, integration, reducing climate impact, the circular economy, or other challenges linked to the Sustainable Development Goals and Agenda 2030.
“It is quite clear that social enterprises can contribute a great deal when it comes to all kinds of societal challenges. Municipalities and local communities must identify the challenges themselves and work together to find solutions. There are so many exciting new paths forward,” says Anders Bro.
