Innovative Laboratory for Reciprocal Entrepreneurship in the Social Economy (LIDERES)

Background

The Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey - Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Education, often referred to as ‘Tecnológico de Monterrey’, in Mexico, has a partnership agreement with the Consejería de Economía y Hacienda de Gobierno de Cantabria - Regional Ministry of Economy and Finance of the Government of Cantabria, in Spain, in the field of social entrepreneurship. Among other objectives, it aims to promote a social innovation laboratory in Cantabria, based on an existing model in Monterrey, known as the 'Comillas Hub for Social Entrepreneurship and Educational Innovation' in Spain.

At the same time, within the framework of the European Union's AL-INVEST programme, the Tecnológico de Monterrey had the opportunity to lead the social innovation training for various institutions in Latin America and the Caribbean, including the Cámara de Industria, Comercio, Servicios y Turismo de Santa Cruz (Chamber of Industry and Commerce - CAINCO), in Bolivia. This collaboration marked the start of 'Santa Cruz Innova', the first social innovation agency in Bolivia.

As a result of these successful collaborative experiences, the Tecnológico de Monterrey established this Partnership, based on two key elements shared among all the entities: their regional focus and scope of work. Based on this common thread, and in order to foster synergies between the public, private business and academic sectors, the aim is to develop a model of support for social entrepreneurship, adapted to the regional context and centred on maximising the potential of each actor by integrating their design, development and application into the Partnership's framework.

In order to reinforce this approach, two entities were added to provide significant value to the Initiative. Ashoka Mexico was invited to participate, drawing on its extensive and demonstrated experience in methodologies to promote agents of change in universities and university students, in addition to Fundación Carolina, in Spain, in order to tap into its renowned expertise in public policy analysis in Europe and Latin America.

Entities and roles

Beneficiary entities

Cámara de Industria, Comercio, Servicios y Turismo de Santa Cruz

Bolivia

First provider entities

Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey

Mexico

Second provider entities

Consejería de Economía y Hacienda del Gobierno de Cantabria

Spain

Collaborating entities

Ashoka México, Mexico

Fundación Carolina, Spain

Development challenges

Thanks to this Triangular Cooperation Initiative, the Cámara de Industria, Comercio, Servicios y Turismo de Santa Cruz (Chamber of Industry and Commerce - CAINCO) was able to maximise all of the knowledge, experience and relational capital in the field of social economy and social entrepreneurship of the Tecnológico de Monterrey and of the Consejería de Economía y Hacienda de Gobierno de Cantabria, as a contribution to its goal of laying the foundations for a model to support social entrepreneurship, adapted to the regional context and able to harness the potential of all the local stakeholders.

As all of the entities had been in the process of exploring and creating their own models at the time, while also maintaining an open dialogue with many actors in their field of work, the experience resulted in many insights and lessons learnt in both Jalisco and Cantabria.

Moreover, because of the many actors with whom a permanent dialogue was maintained and who were involved at different stages of the Initiative, and thanks to the important networks and platforms they belong to in the framework of EU projects and programmes, such as AL-INVEST, the lessons learnt from the Initiative and the resulting model will have an impact far beyond the scope of the Partnership itself.

This Triangular Cooperation Initiative strengthened the capacities of the Partnership member entities and various with whom they work in their territories, to design and implement models to support social entrepreneurship within the region (tapping into the unique characteristics of the region and the strengths of each of the actors), with the aim of contributing to the creation of territorial development models that reduce inequalities and promote social cohesion.

Triangular approach

The social economy is essential for the socio-economic recovery, following the crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, thanks to its strong contribution to economic growth and prosperity while also contributing to reducing inequalities and fostering social cohesion; one of the hallmarks of the post-pandemic economy. In order to boost the social economy, bold and robust models of support for social entrepreneurship are needed in order to fully maximise the potential of these business models.

Thanks to this Initiative, the expertise of the leading public, private and academic entities in Europe and Latin America in the social economy is being put to good use, together with their specific knowledge and experience in creating models to promote social entrepreneurship. They now have greater capacity to design and apply new models that respond to different challenges in the region, which can be replicated and scaled up from the very start. In addition, there were several opportunities for entrepreneurs to network, as well as opportunities for collaboration with third parties, thanks to study visits to Jalisco and Cantabria.

Because of the way the intervention methodology was designed and due to the very nature of the Initiative, this collaborative work led to a network or platform for collaboration that involved the members of the original Partnership along with all the key actors in each territory; thus generating and sharing learning that will be available to other public, private and academic actors in other regions of Europe and Latin America and the Caribbean who aim to be key players in the shift towards the social economy. In this regard, the Initiative set the stage for the creation of the network 'Laboratorio Innovador de Emprendimiento Recíproco en Economía Social' (LÍDERES); a new endeavour with a long road ahead.

Sectoral approach - Contribution to the 2030 Agenda

Primary SDG

Goal 8.3 Promote development-oriented policies that support productive activities, decent job creation, entrepreneurship, creativity and innovation, and encourage the formalization and growth of micro-, small- and medium-sized enterprises, including through access to financial services

Goal 8.5 By 2030, achieve full and productive employment and decent work for all women and men, including for young people and persons with disabilities, and equal pay for work of equal value

Secondary SDG

Goal 11.1 By 2030, ensure access for all to adequate, safe and affordable housing and basic services and upgrade slums

Goal 11.2 By 2030, provide access to safe, affordable, accessible and sustainable transport systems for all, improving road safety, notably by expanding public transport, with special attention to the needs of those in vulnerable situations, women, children, persons with disabilities and older persons

ADELANTE SDG

Goal 10.2 By 2030, empower and promote the social, economic and political inclusion of all, irrespective of age, sex, disability, race, ethnicity, origin, religion or economic or other status

Goal 10.3 Ensure equal opportunity and reduce inequalities of outcome, including by eliminating discriminatory laws, policies and practices and promoting appropriate legislation, policies and action in this regard

Goal 10.4 Adopt policies, especially fiscal, wage and social protection policies, and progressively achieve greater equality

Goal 17.1 Strengthen domestic resource mobilization, including through international support to developing countries, to improve domestic capacity for tax and other revenue collection

Goal 17.3 Mobilize additional financial resources for developing countries from multiple sources

Goal 17.6 Enhance North-South, South-South and triangular regional and international cooperation on and access to science, technology and innovation and enhance knowledge sharing on mutually agreed terms, including through improved coordination among existing mechanisms, in particular at the United Nations level, and through a global technology facilitation mechanism

Goal 17.17 Encourage and promote effective public, public-private and civil society partnerships, building on the experience and resourcing strategies of partnerships

Territorial approach

Intervention methodology

The intervention methodology for the Initiative was based on close collaboration between the professionals of the Partnership entities and their joint participation at strategic points in time, with great potential for new insights and the practical application of the knowledge generated, while also seeking the permanent triangulation of knowledge.

The three study visits were the cornerstone of the Initiative, which included representatives from all of the Partnership entities.

The first study visit was made to the State of Jalisco, Mexico, in order to tap into the knowledge of the Tecnológico de Monterrey and its innovation-driven academic ecosystem, oriented towards social entrepreneurship. In addition, the Initiative participated in the event 'Changemaker Day 2021 - University Festival of Social Innovation', which aimed to get the university community engaged in social issues, discover the tools for social transformation and demonstrate their capacity to contribute to the transformation of the economy, which was organised in partnership with Ashoka Mexico.

This study visit was accompanied by four successful training sessions, which, thanks to the various consultancies carried out, featured the best trainers in the fields of circular economy and waste management, and provided first-hand knowledge of two successful models in the State of Jalisco: the 'Addiction-Free Enterprise' model of the Fundación Social del Empresariado Jalisciense (Jalisco Entrepreneurship Social Foundation) and the social innovation model of the Beckman Foundation.

In order to learn about the work of CAINCO and the innovation agency 'Santa Cruz Innova', as well as previous experiences with social entrepreneurship and the participation of the local private business sector, a second study visit was made to the Department of Santa Cruz, Bolivia. The purpose of the visit was to begin defining the social entrepreneurship model to be developed. In addition, the participants in the study visit played an active role in an idea competition for entrepreneurship and social innovation, led by CAINCO, which sought to identify and promote innovative solutions in the social environment.

In line with the approach envisaged for Jalisco, this study visit was accompanied by two consultancies centred on an in-depth study of the challenges and opportunities of the social economy in Latin America. This training was also oriented towards the finalists of the idea competition, who benefitted from the specialised and context-specific tutoring and mentoring provided by these consultants and Partnership members.

A third study visit was made to the Autonomous Region of Cantabria, Spain, in order to learn about its public policies in the field of social entrepreneurship, as well as the ongoing experiences there, in order to reflect and expand on the role of the public sector as a key player in the social economy and as a driving force for social entrepreneurship. They also analysed the synergies with the other actors in strategic partnerships. The visit made to the 'Hub Comillas' is also worth highlighting, in which the Fundación Carolina participated, showcasing examples of public policies and debating the role of the public sector in this field in Spain and in the different Latin American countries.

This process, characterised by the direct relationship between the participants and by the triangulation of knowledge, featured two seminars: one at the beginning and another at the end of the Initiative, both featuring periods of internal work and opportunities for dissemination and awareness-raising.

At the opening seminar, in addition to the public presentation of the Initiative, the objectives and methodology of each of the study visits were established internally, also defining key actors, learning objectives and the associated outputs.

The closing seminar, in addition to being a formal and official public act that focused on accountability and the presentation of outcomes, and which coincided with the study visit to the Autonomous Region of Cantabria, served to define this new model of social entrepreneurship. With a regional scope and building on the synergies between all the actors involved, one of the main objectives was to design a roadmap for its application in Santa Cruz.

Direct beneficiaries (individuals)

According to Rule 9 of the Guidelines for Applicants: all persons participating in the activities of the Initiative.

The Initiative featured 303 direct beneficiaries from two well-defined groups: on the one hand, professionals from the Partnership entities that were especially involved in all the planned activities (approximately 83), and on the other hand, professionals from the public, business and academic sectors from each of the participating regions during the study visits (approximately 220). These participants benefited from both their direct involvement during the visits and from experiencing the creation of a social entrepreneurship model they can continue to contribute to, and from which they can directly or indirectly benefit.

It should be noted that many of the Initiative's activities were open to the public. In addition to the public events for the opening and closing seminars, the qualified training sessions that were held during the study visits are worth mentioning. These were open to participants of the 'Changemaker Day 2021' (Jalisco) and the CAINCO entrepreneurship and social innovation idea competition (Santa Cruz), and on specific occasions, to a broader specialised audience.

Budget

EU contribution: 74,739.29 €

Co-financing - Triangular Cooperation Partnership: 27,293.64 €

Total budget: 102,032.93 €

The information gathered in this IMPACT section is the result of the first 'joint ex post analysis exercise' of the Initiative which, as foreseen in the policy framework of the ADELANTE Window, took place one year after the end of the implementation period.

For more information on these exercises, please consult the ADELANTE Window 2021 Impact Report.

Continuity of the Partnership

STARTING POINT: Existing North-South and South-South relationship that was strengthened through the combination of both modalities (the First provider being the unifying partner). The Partnership, as such, has been strengthened and maintained over time.

The dynamic of collaboration and joint work between all the Partnership member entities in the core areas of the Initiative has been maintained.

This dynamic has made it possible to identify new areas of collaboration with a high added value.

CAINCO’s participation in the Programme for the Transfer of Incubation Methodology to Universities, carried out by the Technological Institute of Monterrey and financed by the IDB Lab.

Application of generated knowledge

The knowledge generated has been applied by all Partnership member entities.

This has led them to gain greater prominence in their scope of action, creating spaces for collaboration with more actors.

During its implementation, the Initiative involved final beneficiaries (entrepreneurial ecosystems).

The Partnership member entities have continued to work closely with these groups, even extending the scope, who have benefited and have applied the knowledge generated during the Initiative, as well as from related initiatives.

Impact

Applying this knowledge has enabled the Beneficiary entity to successfully tackle the development challenge that gave rise to the Initiative with the necessary quality and guarantees.

At the same time, the other Partnership member entities have increased the impact of their interventions.

In addition, this has led to high-impact actions beyond what was planned in the Initiative.

Environmental sustainability programme for companies in Santa Cruz, with the support of the Government of Cantabria in the framework of Al-Invest 6.0.

FACTORS THAT HAVE ENABLED THE IMPACT:

The commitment to a dual level of work (political and technical) in the framework of the Initiative.

The combination of strategic and operational lines of action.

The identification of issues highly relevant to all Partnership member entities.

Future perspectives

Maintain the Partnership’s work dynamics and openness towards new entities, especially actors in each of the territories of the Partnership member entities.

Continue to make progress in applying knowledge by all Partnership member entities.

Continue to make progress in the transfer of knowledge to the beneficiary groups, extending the scope, and monitoring and evaluating the impact in their respective areas of intervention.

NEW EX POST EXERCISE:

Yes (2024)

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