The project zefiR – Together for the power of action started in May 2013 to support Roma’s social inclusion and other disadvantaged groups from 12 communities from Dolj, Gorj, and Olt counties.
Since May 2016, in zefiR, a new economic development component was introduced to support at least 28 entrepreneurs from the three counties to start new business/income generating activities or to develop those already existing.
The economic development component will be implemented by Terre des hommes Foundation (consortium coordination and supporting income generating activities), PACT Foundation (support for associative business), and NESsT Romania Foundation (entrepreneurial education and business support).
The three organizations will offer:
- Courses for making a business plan, promoting and selling merchandize, and fund management;
- 2.000 – 15.000 Swiss francs funding, depending of the business’ domain and the impact it could create for the local development (for example: generating new jobs for Roma people and for other disadvantaged groups);
- Consulting and mentoring throughout the project (starting from registering the company to product selling);
- Facilitation for those entrepreneurs who want to work together to make an associative business (for example: producers association, cooperative etc.) in order to be able to use the same resources (for example: agricultural machineries) or to sell the merchandize together.
Project co-financed by a grant from Switzerland through the Swiss Contribution to the enlarged European Union.