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Grameen Italia issues the challenge – Social Farming in the Apennines

Our challenge

Grameen Italia issues the challenge Social Farming in the Apennines: a call addressed to start-ups, businesses and non-profit organizations willing to start or to develop small agricultural or extra-agricultural activities with social aims in the Bolognese Apennines.

A 30,000-euro grant will be given to the proposers of the best solution to the challenge, up to a maximum of three eligible solutions (without splitting the grant).

The loan will be disbursed in two separate tranches: 80% will be awarded in advance and the remaining 20% ​​at the end of a six-month period. Furthermore, a supporting program will be implemented by Grameen Italia to help the winners in the implementation of the solution.

The goal of the challenge is to promote the repopulation of the mountain areas, which are being abandoned, through agricultural business projects designed to integrate disadvantaged people into society and labor market.

Social Farming in the Apennines refers to the Social Farm Model created by Grameen Italia: a highly inclusive business model that generates economic, environmental and social value for all the subjects involved and for the community hosting the Social Farms. The Model promotes the synergy between private profit and non-profit sectors to support the high-quality production chains respecting the territorial tradition and the environment.

The deadline for submitting your application is 21st December 2017.

The context

Our challenge is one of 30 already online on the Social Challenges Innovation Platform, an expression of the European Horizon 2020 project coordinated by META with the support of the partners European BIC Network (EBN) and Impact Hub, promoted by Aster in Italy.

The platform aims to build a digital ecosystem of social projects and solutions in order to encourage interaction between the public and private sectors and to co-develop innovative projects suitable for the market with clear social goals.

How to partecipate?

The text of the regulation is online.

Start-ups, companies and third sector organizations can apply with a project written in English. Group projects can also be presented, in a number not exceeding 3 participants. The steps to participate are:

  •    Create an account on the Socialchallenges.eu platform.
  •    Upload your proposal (written in the points required by the regulation on page 7)
  •   Wait for the proposal’s eligibility assessment (criteria on page 8 of the regulation)
  •  Once the proposal is accepted, wait for the winners to be elected (criteria and score on page 9 of the regulation)

An Italian guide is also available explaining how to load the project on the Social Challenges platform.

We hope to receive various proposals and we remain available for clarification at the email address info@grameenitalia.it.