Social entrepreneurship in rural areas – novel approaches to provide services?

The aim of the project is to provide novel approaches to maintain and strengthen rural services by promoting the social entrepreneurship in the village associations in Southern Ostrobothnia. Entrepreneurship is considered to be social, when part of the enterprise’s profit is directed back to the welfare of the village or is used to strengthen the vitality of the area.

The project measures an overview of local village associations’ preparedness and willingness to increase service provision in their area, their plane of knowledge to promote entrepreneur-oriented provision of services as well as the insights of local municipal actors towards the promotion of social entrepreneurship. In support of practical appliance the project organizes general and local workshops and produces a guidebook based on the best practices of social entrepreneurship adapted to the concept of local village associations.

The project is funded by Centre for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment South Ostrobothnia from the Rural Development Programme for Mainland Finland and it is implemented by University of Helsinki Ruralia Institute.