Sergiu Gureu, founder of social business Floare de Cires
The Guide to Social Entrepreneurship, released by UNDP Moldova in 2022, is most often used as a methodological basis. In the developed countries of the world, including European countries, such entrepreneurship has been developing since the early 80s of the last century and plays a very significant role in society.
As a result, a new multi-billion dollar sector of the economy has even emerged – the civic sector, or, as it is often called, the third sector, along with the public and private sectors.
For example, there are now some 2.8 million social economy organizations in Europe, providing 13.6 million paid jobs. These organizations, often referred to as social enterprises, address social issues including helping people, the environment, caring for the sick, providing jobs for vulnerable groups and others.
There are some impressive examples of social entrepreneurship in Moldova that demonstrate the importance and potential of the “third sector”.
In 2012, the catering company Floare de Cires, created by the NGO Eco-Razeni, opened in the village of Razeni, Ialoveni district, combining entrepreneurial innovation with a deep social mission.
Thanks to this enterprise, young people with disabilities and citizens from vulnerable backgrounds get more than just a job – they find purpose, skills and meaning in life.
Today, Floare de Cires employs 51 people, 30 of whom are young people with disabilities or from disadvantaged social categories. They work as assistant cooks, waiters, event organizers or produce food for delivery throughout the country. For many, this is their first contact with the labor market or their first experience of real social inclusion.
Almost immediately, the company was able to become self-financing, but it does not refuse additional financial support for business development.
Over the years, the company has received several grants from various donors. For example, in 2023, Floare de Cires received a grant of 37,500 euros through the Eastern Europe Fund, which helped it re-equip its food production workshop, significantly increasing its productivity. The catering offer has now expanded from events for 400 people to 1,000.
“Thanks to these funds, we were able to buy a new catering vehicle, a professional freezer, more than 30 bistro tables and hundreds of wine glasses, champagne glasses, plates and coffee cups,” explains Sergiu Gureu, founder of social business Floare de Cires.
The company has become a national model of best practices in social entrepreneurship for Moldova. Clients across the country choose their catering services not only because of the quality of the food, but also because of the inspiring human stories behind each meal.
In 2019, Maria Pasat, a graduate of the Technical University in Cahul, founded an education center with two colleagues in a small building with modest equipment, but driven by a powerful incentive: to give children access to a digital future. With the support of a grant through the EU4Business initiative, with co-financing from Sweden, the first branch of Vibe Academy opened in Cahul.
Today, the company operates seven educational centers in Cahul, as well as branches in Chisinau, Orhei, Criuleni, Hincesti and Edinet. Children from 4 to 16 years old learn programming, robotics, 3D modeling, electronics and much more. The classrooms are equipped with modern equipment such as laptops, Arduino boards, 3D printers and interactive whiteboards.
Children also develop creativity, critical thinking, confidence and teamwork skills.
“Social entrepreneurship means giving back to the community. That’s what we’re doing – offering access to education where it otherwise wouldn’t exist,” says Maria Pasat.
In Tiraspol, the Kineto Life physical rehabilitation center offers more than therapy – it gives people a second chance at life. There, patients learn to walk again, regain self-confidence and become independent.
Kineto Life is the first center of its kind in the city, created with EU financial support in response to a critical need: access to modern, compassionate rehabilitation services.
“Our center is a state-of-the-art facility that supports the recovery of people who have undergone trauma, surgery, congenital neurological diseases or strokes,” explains Dmitriy Golosnoy, the center’s founder. It employs rehabilitation doctors, massage therapists and physiotherapists.
In the town of Floresti in northern Moldova, 22-year-old entrepreneur Dumitru Stoica turned a simple idea into an innovative social project: Connect Café, a mobile café designed for active young people involved in community life.
As the founder of the Regional Center for Social Initiatives and Sustainable Development (CRISDD), Dumitru identified the lack of places for recreation and socializing for young people in Floresti (not very relevant, for example, for Chisinau). This is how “Connect Café” came into being.
“It is a box-shaped unit that can be transported anywhere in the country, which is a great advantage. The equipment is professional and guarantees high quality coffee. The furniture is also eco-friendly because we aim to promote environmental awareness and environmentally responsible partnerships,” says Dumitru.
“Connect Café has quickly become a favorite meeting place for the city’s youth. It offers educational activities, board games, civic debates, creative workshops and themed quizzes.
These examples show how diverse social enterprises can be. And the importance of the development of the “third sector”. It is important to understand that the format of such a business is not to receive and spend grants, but to become self-financing within the framework of a non-profit organization (NPO). Then this segment of the economy can be successful and sustainable.
