DIGITAL LIBRARY
A PROJECT TO DEVELOP A PRACTICAL APPLICATION OF SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP
1 Polytechnic Institute of Tomar & CIAEGT-IPT (PORTUGAL)
2 Polytechnic Institute of Aveiro & CGOVCOOP-UA (PORTUGAL)
3 Escola Superior de Tecnologias de Fafe (PORTUGAL)
4 Polytechnic Institute of Tomar (PORTUGAL)
About this paper:
Appears in: INTED2020 Proceedings
Publication year: 2020
Pages: 339-346
ISBN: 978-84-09-17939-8
ISSN: 2340-1079
doi: 10.21125/inted.2020.0151
Conference name: 14th International Technology, Education and Development Conference
Dates: 2-4 March, 2020
Location: Valencia, Spain
Abstract:
Social entrepreneurship aims to take advantage of opportunities, using available resources to create social value not only for individuals but also for community. Social entrepreneurship aims to create value for individuals and the community.

Through social entrepreneurship applied is possible to develop an alternative to take advantage of opportunities, add economically and create social value for the community. The development of the capacity to take advantage of opportunities, social entrepreneurship aims to create value for the community. Thus, the objective of this work is presenting a practical proposal for social entrepreneurship, capable of promoting long-term sustainability, in addition to integrating socially and preserving the environment. In this project, it is about offering food production that is sustainable and environmentally friendly, to promote long-term sustainability.

As a consequence of the community work aiming the same objective, to develop a community production using local available resources mainly the voluntary contribution of people, the project foresees also identified two specific objectives:
i) promoting the integration of people; and
iii) motivating individuals to improve personal, social, community and professional life. Leadership and communication are transversal skills to be developed. It is very important to identify opportunities and threats from the environment.

In the first phase, the collaborative strategy suggests defining the efforts and benefits. In the second phase, the project involves the production and management of production. The result of production is expected to remunerate people's work. So, the third phase is the commercialization of the products. The main assumption is optimizing natural and human available resources.

The methodology involves different tasks that should be combined with different talents. To avoid the risk of doing things for money, the proposal is paying a balanced remuneration suitable for choosing the task instead of the salary. And each participant should identify the competencies and skills, or even describe the tasks that want to collaborate. It means to identify what each one likes to do.

In order to provide initial tangible resources, the project needs an investor, public or private, preferably a local one, who will be rewarded with previously agreed benefits. Another way is to place proposals on Crowdfunding platforms. Investors will be officially invited to support small socially sustainable projects.

Once the investor has been identified, the negotiation phase will begin on the efforts to be undertaken, as well as the expected benefits for each party, over time. It is estimated that this phase could last between three and six months. In parallel, the planning of all production, including marketing, will be developed as the next step.

In order to optimize available resources, the best plan must be developed and adapted, foreseeing different scenarios. Wherever possible, activities should be profitable and sustainable, and also concerned about preserving the environment.

Social entrepreneurship can be focused on the results or on the opportunities, but both of these approaches are based on effort and innovation to solve social problems. In terms of results, significant results are expected beyond the output of the economic activity. The well-being of the population and health are structural pillars of the proposal.
Keywords:
Social entrepreneurship, organic composting, community productivity, sustainability, preservation of the environment.