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Tag ‘social inclusion’
Where are they now? Catching up with past EEPA winners
July
22
2016
2016 marks the 10th anniversary of the European Enterprise Promotion Awards (EEPA). In this new feature, we catch up with former EEPA honourees who’ve gone on to do great things since winning the award.
This week, Klaudia Valuskova (pictured) from the award-winning AV Mobilita project reflects on the impact of winning an EEPA two years on...
| Name | Klaudia Valuskova |
| Organisation | AV Mobilita |
| Country | Slovakia |
| Website | www.avmobilita.sk |
| Award won | Responsible, Social and Inclusive Entrepreneurship |
| Year | 2014 |
What was it like to win the award?
It was a complete surprise and satisfaction at the same time.
Tell us about your project?
AV Mobilita is a sheltered workshop specialising in integrating disabled people into all areas of life. It focuses on car repairs and it now coordinates other workshops forming part of the Škoda Handy Disabled Persons Project. The scheme has facilitated the smooth integration of disabled people into society through mediation of special-priced vehicle sales and through comprehensive theoretical and practical training of applicants seeking a licence to drive a car. In 2009, the workshop received an award from the Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs and Family of the Slovak Republic for the integration of disabled persons into the workplace.
What response did you receive from your colleagues and peers to receiving an EEPA?
We received a positive response.
What has been the long-term impact?
The award laid the foundation for other projects in this particular area.
Why did you decide to enter the national competition?
The main reason was to draw the public’s attention to our area of work and encourage those we work with, those with disabilities, to partake of our service. For me, the great achievement was winning the national award. The international success wasn’t even hoped for.
What advice would you give to others thinking of entering?
All good ideas should be shared and adapted by others and the award is great way to achieve this.
To find out more about AV Mobilita, visit www.avmobilita.sk.
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2012 European Enterprise Promotion Awards winner continues to be recognised for success in Italy
September
01
2014
Graphic courtesy of torinosocialinnovation.it
FaciliTO Giovani and Innovazione Sociale, projects set up by Turin Social Innovation Programme, have been designed to support young entrepreneurs and their projects.
Active from January 2014 to December 2015, the programme, aimed at aspiring entrepreneurs aged between 18 and 40 years old, seeks to add both social and economic value to society. It hopes to transform innovative ideas in a range of fields, from education to social inclusion.
FaciliTO is a model that the Municipality of Turin adopted to tackle the difficulties that small enterprises encounter in struggling urban areas. It won the Improving the Business Environment category of the 2012 European Enterprise Promotion Awards.
One enterprise that has benefited from FaciliTO is NISO Biomed, founded within the I3P incubator of the Polytechnic University of Turin in 2009. It develops and distributes diagnostic devices in gastroenterology and cancer prevention. Distinguished gastroenterologists around the world have tested its technology.
On the “Day of Italian Quality”, a day dedicated to celebrating the best of “Italian grown” business, NISO Biomed won the “Leonardo Start-up prize”. It was also named start-up of the year by the PNICube association of university incubators.
Turin Social Innovation’s start-up programme was also recognised as the best initiative in the sector by a group of experts appointed by six business associations: The Italian Private Equity and Venture Capital Association (AIFI), Italian Association of Science and Technology Parks (APSTI), Italian Business Angels Network (IBAN), Italy Startup Network for the Promotion of University Research (NETVAL), and the Association of Incubators and Business Plan Competitions Academic Italian (PNICube). The Ministry of Economic Development, the Leonardo Committee and the ICE – Agency of Promotion and Internationalisation of Italian Enterprise, coordinated the award.
