Co-ordination : FAF gGmbH

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EUROPEAN CO-OPERATION

All partners are members of the transnational development partnership "Le Mat - decent work through social economy". Le Mat is made up of a total of six development partnerships from Sweden, Italy, Germany, Great Britain and Greece that work to create new plans and strategies for the development of social enterprises in their country. Le Mat emphasises the quality of European social enterprises for improving the opportunities of disadvantaged people on the common labour market and dismantling discrimination. The value of these businesses for the employees in question is being considered in the transnational context. Interviews are being held with employees and managers as well as the supporters of social enterprises. These interviews will be evaluated and summarised in a book.

Three working groups are discussing current issues that equally affect the development of these businesses in all European countries. These working groups focus on the following points:

1. Training and recruitment of employees for social enterprises

2. Franchise models as supporting instruments for social enterprises

3. Instruments to represent the special quality of social enterprises as well as the "social capital"

Further information about the work of the transnational partnership can be found under www.lemat.org. This includes the results and experiences of the three working groups. Individual forums offer newsgroups for specialist discussions.