Turkey Social Entrepreneurship Ecosystem Intermediaries at 2019

Written by Merve Kavas

2019 was a year for new research, partnerships, support/grant programs. The purpose of this article is to compile the works of ecosystem intermediaries in 2019 and to contribute to the awareness of the importance of intermediaries that play different roles in supporting social enterprises and social innovation.

• Social Impact Award (SIA), executed by the Impact Hub Istanbul, was held in Turkey for the first time. Accelerate2030 program also took place in 2019, carried out by Impact Hub Istanbul in cooperation with Anadolu Efes and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP).

• imece completed the Intelligent and Sustainable Urban Mobility issue process, that carried out in partnership with the Consulate General of the Netherlands in Istanbul, and the 3rd Support Program themed ‘Reducing Inequalities’.

• ‘The State of Social Enterprise in Turkey’ report was published. The full report, that supported by the British Council, carried out by TED University and IstasyonTEDU, is available here. Also, an interview on the report was shared on the Pioneers Post.

• Turkey Social Entrepreneurship Network (TSGA) was founded. Turkey Social Entrepreneurship Network is carried out in leadership of Vehbi Koç Foundation and in partnership with Koç University Social Impact Forum, Ashoka Turkey, Social Innovation Initiative Association, Innovative Solutions Association for Sustainable Development, TED University, Mozaik Foundation (Bosnia and Herzegovina) and the Social Enterprise UK (England).

• On 8-13 July, TSGA provided trainer training with 27 participants from the project provinces. After the trainer training, social entrepreneurship training were held in Van, Kayseri, Gaziantep, and Samsun.

• The social entrepreneurship ecosystem came together in Istanbul and Ankara through Open Stage events that held in partnership with the Turkey Social Entrepreneurship Network and hosted by Impact Hub Istanbul and IstasyonTEDU.

• Ashoka Social Entrepreneurship Day took place for the second time. Social benefit-oriented actors working for system transformation came together with the participation of the founder of the Presencing Institute and developer of Theory U, Dr. Otto Scharmer.

• Accelerator Labs were established in the offices of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) in 60 countries to develop local solutions to global problems. UNDP Turkey Acceleration Lab was opened in 2019 as part of the network.

• Thomson Reuters Foundation’s the best countries to be social entrepreneur’ poll prepared in 2019, Turkey was 43rd among 44 countries.

• The report “Social enterprises and their ecosystems in Europe: Country fiche, Turkey” prepared by the European Commission was published.

• Açık Açık Sosyal Girişimler (Open Open Social Enterprises) platform was established.

‘Our goal in Açık Açık Sosyal Girişim is to create a platform where social enterprises demonstrate to what extent they meet common criteria and principles, how transparent and accountable they are.’

• Impact Investing Ecosystem in Turkey report was published by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) Turkey Private Sector Office.

• Ankara Development Agency Social Entrepreneurship and Social Innovation Financial Support Program was announced. There were three axes under the call: New Social Enterprise Component, Intermediary Institution Component, Social Enterprise, and Social Benefit Oriented Business Component. The ‘Social Entrepreneurship for Youth’ competition organized by Ankara Development Agency was also held in 2019.

• SDG Impact Accelerator Program was established in partnership with UNDP, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Eczacıbaşı Group, and Limak Foundation. In the program, which was carried out in cooperation with the public-private sector, entrepreneurs developed solutions to enable refugees to access livelihoods through digital identity systems and portable waste-free sanitation systems through redesigned toilets.

• Young Business Cooperative (Genç İşi Kooperatif) announced the ‘Koopdestek’ platform. Young Business Cooperative, working to develop the capacity of social cooperatives in Turkey, has developed ‘Koopdestek’, a question-and-answer platform, that includes answers of the lawyers, financial advisors and cooperative specialists to the frequently asked questions by the cooperatives.

Support programs organized throughout the year (accelerators, reward programs, fellowship programs, etc.):

• Winners of İbrahim Bodur Social Entrepreneurship Reward 2019 
• Fellows of Ashoka Turkey 2019
• Winners of Garanti BBVA Social Entrepreneurship Program 2019
• Finalist of Accelerate2030 2019
• Winners of Ankara Development Agency Social Entrepreneurship for Youth reward program
• Winners of PwC Social Impact Lab 2019
• Winners of Social Impact Award (SIA) 2019
• Finalists of the SDG Impact Accelerator program
• Winners of imece Reducing Inequalities 3rd Support Program

New incubation programs and university centers:

• İTU Social Innovation Center, İstanbul
• Simbiyoz Aktivite Social Entrepreneurship Incubation & Activity Center for Individuals with Special Needs, Bursa

(You can share the developments you think are missing with merve.kavas@tedu.edu.tr and contribute to the list.)