Sample case for Social Entrepreneurship Workshop

Case 1

The Gulmi Trade Coffee Company was established as the first fair trade-exclusive café in Nepal. All profits are reinvested into Palms, an independent organization placing skilled development volunteers, at the request of communities, around the world. As a social enterprise, the café is a natural fit with ideological commitment to promoting a more just and fair world, and encouraging everyday people to play a role in securing social and economic justice with simple acts, such as purchasing fair trade tea or coffee.

Despite operating in a competitive restaurant environment, the Gulmi Trade Coffee Company has established a niche in providing high quality fair trade, coffee and chocolate, as well as a gathering place for community members with similar values and a shared concern for fair trade with developing countries around the world.

Questions to be answered

·         How will you mobilize market

·         Social outcomes

Case 2

Cleanable is a non-profit cleaning business run as a social firm

This social enterprise was created to provide long term employment and retraining opportunities for individuals excluded from the mainstream labour market such as physically challenged people, deprived group. Previously, company had experienced difficulty successfully placing this target group in mainstream employment, and attempts using underdeveloped social enterprise models had failed either financially or in providing a suitable workplace. The social firm model is premised on providing employment for the target group in an integrated workplace with mainstream award wages and appropriate workplace supports within viable businesses.

Cleanable offers a range of commercial, domestic and industrial environmentally friendly cleaning and maintenance services,. Today, Cleanable works at 60 sites and has 16 employees with a mental illness, 15 deprived. 20 physically challenged people. It is one of only a handful of social firms in this emerging space.

Questions to be answered

·         Role of cleanable company in development of society

·         Challenges

Case 3

The group of women produces and sells vegetables during the off-season. The aim of this is to improve food security and nutrition during periods of the year when severe weather conditions prevent growth. The enterprise also provides the poorest people in the community with an income which improves livelihoods and assists with empowerment of women.

This women’s group is effectively a cooperative, owned and managed by a group of women farmers from Thehe VDC (Village Development Council) in the Humla District of Nepal. These women farmers each have their own small area of agricultural land which they have adapted to enable them to produce vegetables during the off-season. The women combine their produce to sell at local markets and the revenue generated is divided equally amongst all members with a small percentage being saved for the on-going management and administration of the business.

Questions to be answered

·         How will you market them

·         Possibilities and challenges