Activities

CEFEC Activities

CEFEC supports organisations that want to create new workplaces

Exchange of information and mutual support on a national level

CEFEC gives its members a voice
A Database on social firms
Analysis of the current situation of social firms in Europe
Publications and practical support
Computer mailbox and Internet
Annual conferences
A definition of social firm

CEFEC supports organisations that want to create new workplaces

CEFEC supports any organisation that wants to create new workplaces for people with mental health problems and other people with disabilities. CEFEC has set up a guideline with detailed instructions on how to set up social firms.

Exchange of information and mutual support on a national level

CEFEC provides its members with current information on new developments in their country, and promotes the creation of national networks. In every country there is one elected representative who provides up-to-date information. CEFEC also organises regular national meetings in different european countries.

CEFEC gives its members a voice

CEFEC represents the interest of its members. CEFEC gives its members a voice against national governments and the European Commission. In the framework of the European Commission, CEFEC is a recognised NGO in the sector of economic integration.

A Database on social firms

CEFEC has set up a database with information on social firms in all european countries. The database contains information i.e. on address, contact persons, activities, areas of business and other.

Analysis of the current situation of social firms in the different European countries

CEFEC provides its members with up-to-date informationand publishes a Newsletter. The CEFEC secretariat also supports its members to find partners for transactional programmes and to organise transactional activities.

Annual conferences

CEFEC organises a conference on social firms every year. Each conference gives the possibility to meet partners in the field and to exchange information. The conference includes also a fair of social firms, where CEFEC members can present their products and services to colleagues and to a wider public.

CEFEC definition of social firms

	A social firm is a business created for the employment of people with a disability or other disadvantage in the labour market.
	It is a business, which uses its own market oriented production of goods and services to pursue its social mission.
	A significant number of its employees will be people with disability or other disadvantage in the labour market.
	Every worker will be paid a market wage or salary appropriate to the work- whatever their productive capacity.
	Work opportunities should be between disadvantaged and non- disadvantage employees. All should have the same employment rights and obligations.

(adopted by the general assembly 1996 in Linz, Austria)

Further explanations:

The social enterprise

Any business, which is created primarily for the purpose of promoting the economic and social integration of, disadvantaged people. (Its activities would include training, rehabilitation as well as commercial activity)

The cooperative

The term should be confined to a legal structure for a company, which is owned and managed democratically by its members.