Social Firms Europe CEFEC

01/06/2026

The 6th edition of the Social Firms Europe CEFEC Academy has officially started in Bled, Slovenia, as part of the Green Leaders project! 🇸🇮

🤩 Today marked the 1st day of the event, bringing together 19 motivated participants from 7 countries, for an inspiring week of learning, collaboration, and innovation.

Over the next 📝 5 days, participants will work intensively on developing their green social entrepreneurship ideas, transforming challenges into opportunities and creating solutions with a positive social impact.

♻️ Through workshops, mentoring, teamwork, and hands-on activities, they will refine their concepts, strengthen their entrepreneurial skills, and learn how to turn their ideas into reality. ✨

Organizatia Institutul Bucovina Center Ponovne Uporabe gpe gGmbH Mainz

29/05/2026

📌 As we are impatiently waiting for the 2026 CEFEC Academy from Bled/Slovenia (1-5 June), we remind you that between 28 June-02 July 2025 it took place the 5th edition, in Mainz/Germany. With the help of Organizatia Institutul Bucovina and the Green Leaders project we recorded a series of Podcasts with the participants.

📣 So, we continue by sharing with you the last recording of 2025, with: 📌 Irene Lezier from Italy.

🤩 Irene is 34 years old and she is an employee of our Italian CEFEC member Duemilauno Agenzia Sociale.

Her motivation for participating in the Academy was 👉

"I work with disabled children and adults in Trieste, so for me it's very important to learn how to help them to look for a job and help them develop a plan for their future, after they finish school."

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28/05/2026

Social Firms Europe CEFEC was honoured to participate in the 20th anniversary events of Koi.S.P.E. Corfu “Neoi Orizontes”, held in Corfu on 15–16 May 2026 represented by Mr. Chris McCleary from ΚοιΣΠΕ Διαδρομές / Koispe Diadromes.

🎉The anniversary event, entitled “From Vision to Practice”, highlighted the remarkable 20-year journey of Koi.S.P.E. Corfu, as a strong example of social entrepreneurship, supported employment, mental health promotion and social inclusion in Greece.

On behalf of CEFEC, Chris McCleary participated in the event and delivered a ✨presentation focusing on the role of social enterprises in Europe, the importance of supported employment, and the need to strengthen inclusive labour markets for people experiencing psychosocial difficulties and other vulnerable groups.

🤩 The event brought together representatives from the Greek Government, local authorities, the Panhellenic Federation of Koi.S.P.E., the European Commission, the WHO Athens Office, ASEE, SFE CEFEC, and many national and European stakeholders in the fields of social economy, mental health and employment.

SFE CEFEC warmly 🥳 congratulates Koi.S.P.E. Corfu “Neoi Orizontes” for its 20 years of meaningful work, its strong social and professional impact, and its continued commitment to combining economic sustainability with social value.

📌 We look forward to continuing our collaboration and common efforts towards a more inclusive Europe, where work, dignity and social participation are recognised as fundamental rights for all.

26/05/2026

Next week in Bled/Slovenia for the 40th Social Firms Europe CEFEC Conference 🤩

Center Ponovne Uporabe ETRI skupina

22/05/2026

One last touch before Bled! 🇸🇮✨

The Social Firms Europe CEFEC Annual General Assembly took place yesterday, 21 May 2026, online, bringing together members from across Europe for a productive exchange and important discussions ahead of meeting in person later this year.

🗓 Highlights from the agenda:
✅ 2025–2026 Management Report,
✅ Finance & membership updates,
✅ Updates from CEFEC working groups
✅ Further details about the 2026 SFE CEFEC Annual Conference in Bled, Slovenia, hosted by our members at Center Ponovne Uporabe & ETRI skupina
✅ Presentation of the 2026 SFE CEFEC Academy
✅ First information about the 2027 SFE CEFEC Annual Conference, hosted by Fundació Catalana de l’Esplai
✅ Discussions on future plans, including the 2028 conference and upcoming CEFEC meetings

🤝 Thank you to all members for your active participation!

See you soon in Bled! 🇸🇮

22/05/2026

Social Firms Europe CEFEC, represented by Mrs. Anna Barbara Sum from BAG Inklusionsfirmen, was delighted to take part in the European Disability Forum's Annual General Assembly in Limassol (Cyprus), where 🎉 Gunta Anča (Chairperson of the Latvian disability NGO umbrella SUSTENTO) was elected as the new President, alongside new governing bodies for 2026–2030.

👏 Congratulations to all, and a heartfelt thank you to Ioannis Vardakastanis for his outstanding leadership and dedication over the past years.

🤩 A historic milestone: for the first time, two persons with intellectual disabilities were elected to the Board: Soufiane El Amrani (Inclusion Europe, Belgium) and Joachim Busch (Deutscher Behindertenrat, Germany). This marks an important step forward for inclusive representation.

Delegates also discussed the 👉 European Commission's "Enhanced" Disability Rights Strategy, which falls short of EDF's demands and the EU's obligations under the UN CRPD.

Other 📝 key topics included the next EU Budget, the Disability Card, Passenger Rights, the proposed Regulation on the Protection of Adults, and important reforms in Cyprus on disability allowances, employment access, healthcare and inclusive education.

Social Firms Europe CEFEC stands ready to work with EDF and partners to turn ambition into action for inclusive employment and stronger disability rights across Europe.

15/05/2026

19 participants will be attending to the 6th Edition of the CEFEC Academy in Bled 🤗

🌍 “Empower the Future: Training for Young Green Social Entrepreneurs,” held between January and March 2026, brought together 118 participants from 15 countries.

🧩 Across all partners, the 17 training sessions organized created an engaging learning space focused on green social entrepreneurship, sustainability, inclusion, and innovative solutions for the future.

🇸🇮 As a next step, the Green Leaders Academy will take place in Bled, Slovenia, from 1–5 June 2026, bringing together 19 selected participants from the training programme.

This milestone reflects the strong commitment of young people and organisations to building a more sustainable, inclusive, and socially responsible future. 🌱

14/05/2026

📌 As we are impatiently waiting for the 2026 CEFEC Academy from Bled/Slovenia (1-5 June), we remind you that between 28 June-02 July 2025 it took place the 5th edition, in Mainz/Germany. With the help of Organizatia Institutul Bucovina and the Green Leaders project we recorded a series of Podcasts with the participants.

📣 So, we continue by sharing with you the recording, with: 📌 Alessia Wolf from Italy.

🤩 Alessia is 33 years old and she is an employee of our Italian CEFEC member Duemilauno Agenzia Sociale.

Her motivation for participating in the Academy was 👉

"to gain new perspectives and ideas for my work, especially in helping people with disabilities in my hometown. Since this is my first international project, I’m sure that meeting people from different European countries can help me see my job from other perspectives, discover new ideas, and maybe even find solutions that I can apply in my community."

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13/05/2026

📢 Important Update: 40th Annual CEFEC Conference 2026

We are pleased to announce that participation in the 40th Annual CEFEC Conference, taking place on 4–5 June 2026 in Bled, Slovenia, is now free of charge, thanks to the support of general sponsor, Panvita Group, and additional conference sponsors.

Key Information:
• Conference participation: Fully sponsored (free of charge)
• Optional sustainable gala dinner by Miša Koplova: €80 per person
• Registration deadline: 27 May 2026
• Voluntary contributions to support the conference organisation are welcome

The 40th Annual CEFEC Conference remains one of Europe’s leading events in the fields of social economy, social entrepreneurship, and the inclusive green economy.

08/05/2026

Excited to reshare this insightful upcoming webinar by the Let Her In International Network - “Defining Methodologies to Enhance Quality Benchmarks” 🌍
Join Dr. Elissavet Lykogianni, Founding Partner of The Square Dot Team, as she shares expert insights from 20+ years of experience in EU policy research, education, innovation, and project management.

We are pleased to invite you to an upcoming online webinar “Defining Methodologies to Enhance Quality Benchmarks”, hosted by the Let Her In International Network.

Event Details:
📅 Date: 19 May 2026
⏰ Time: 10:00 AM CET
🌐 Location: Online (Zoom)
👉 Register here: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/2JTx0FNVTsmz3lB6a6IoAg

This session will be led by Dr. Elissavet Lykogianni, Founding Partner of The Square Dot Team. With over 20 years of experience in EU policy research and project management, Dr. Lykogianni brings extensive expertise in education, digital policy, research & innovation, and employment. She has worked closely with the European Commission and led major international research initiatives.

During the webinar, participants will gain valuable insights into:
Effective methodologies for improving quality benchmarks
Practical applications in research and policy contexts
Lessons learned from large-scale EU projects
This is a great opportunity to learn from a leading expert and engage in meaningful discussion with professionals in the field.

We look forward to your participation!