The Project aims to contribute to the development of a more favourable social entrepreneurship ecosystem in the Eastern Partnership region. This will be done through raising awareness, promotion of social innovation, and relevant exchanges with various policy and decision-making stakeholders that will ultimately lead to an increase in the number of social investors, social entrepreneurs, and collaboration across the region. As a result, civil society organisations and social enterprises will benefit from social investment to become sustainable and have a positive societal impact. Alongside providing financial support to establish venture philanthropy funds in the region, the action will include specific components for Armenia.
The Armenia component, developed in partnership with the EU Delegation to Armenia, will comprise an Emergency Covid-19 Relief Fund for social enterprises, incubation and acceleration programmes, as well as social innovation competition events aimed at promoting new social business models.

The overall objective of the project is to contribute to a more favourable ecosystem for social entrepreneurship in Eastern Partnership countries and Russia.

The specific objectives of the action should lead to:

-Increased number of social investors in EaP countries and Russia.
-Increased level of collaboration at the regional and local level in the field of social entrepreneurship among EaP countries and Russia.
-Increased level of skills and business competences among social enterprises and CSOs, benefitting from the incubation/acceleration activities in Armenia.
-Promotion of social innovation and development of the new business models for financing CSOs and purpose-driven businesses.

- Mapping studies, other data collection exercises and studies conducted in EaP countries and Russia.
- Awareness raising/educational events organised at regional and national level.
- Social investors circles/clubs in EaP countries established.
- Scholarships for local stakeholders and study visits organised.
- Landing website for the project created, local country-based websites created, and the online platform for sharing resources, connections, projects and deals is active.
- Policy dialogue and policy nexus for EaP countries prepared.
- Emergency fund in Armenia created through financing support to third parties.
- Acceleration/incubation programme in Armenia implemented.
- Competitions of ideas for CSOs, social enterprises and purpose-driven businesses organised.
- Best practices in social entrepreneurship/social investment from EaP countries and Russia.
- Venture philanthropy funds created.