Supporting Roma micro-entrepreneurs in Albania towards better environmental sustainability

Activities

• Promoting broader dissemination and raising awareness among Roma micro-entrepreneurs
  in particular and other micro-entrepreneurs in general to consider the benefits of developing
  environmentally aware companies.
• Providing capacity building and tailored support to Roma micro-entrepreneurs on green economy.
• Connecting vulnerable micro-entrepreneurs with other businesses to share competences and practices, co-learning and creating a community of likeminded entrepreneurs.
• Promoting best practices to motivate other micro-entrepreneur

During the one-year project period vulnerable micro-entrepreneurs from Tirana, Berat, and Fier in Albania were equipped with knowledge and skills through two training workshops on “Funding Opportunities for Green Micro-Enterprises in Albania” and “Formalisation of Micro-Enterprises”,

The two training workshops employed interactive methods to engage participants and were structured into three main sessions:

1. Introduction to Green Micro-Enterprises (including overview of green business opportunities in Albania, and importance of sustainability in business practices);
2. Funding Opportunities (overview of local and international funding sources, and eligibility criteria & application processes);
3. Developing Competitive Proposals (including components of a successful proposal, and practical exercises on objectives, budgets, and impact assessments).

The project also provided more tailored support to the 15 vulnerable Roma micro-entrepreneurs, capacitating them to draft business plans and supplying to each of the 15 micro-entrepreneurs with equipment/materials to enhance green practices in their businesses. The organisers, IRCA, provided the materials/equipment based on the agreed business plans (tricycles, solar panels, used clothes etc.).

Mutual support was provided through the establishment of an informal coalition of Roma Green Micro-Entrepreneurs in Albania, including a larger number of micro-enterprises across all three project regions. This was linked to the development of an online platform – intended to serve as a hub for resources, opportunities, and communication among coalition members. More specific goals here were:

• To promote sustainable practices and green entrepreneurship within Roma communities, aligning with broader environmental and social objectives.
• To enhance the visibility of the project and create networking opportunities for coalition members; and
• To raise awareness within Roma communities about the potential of green entrepreneurship and its benefits.

As part of this mutual support, three exchange visits in the three project focus regions of Tirana, Berat, and Fier were also organised, to expose participating micro-entrepreneurs to successful green practices, and promote knowledge-sharing amongst them.

The project held an award ceremony recognising three success stories among the supported micro-entrepreneurs.

Finally, a concluding event held in Tirana, marked the culmination of activities, celebrating achievements in empowering Roma micro-entrepreneurs towards environmental sustainability generally.

Expected impact

The project creates the opportunity for the central and local governments to understand the impact of Green Deal policies on vulnerable groups through addressing all the current shortcomings and bottlenecks identified during the project implementation, thus contributing on improving policies, regulations, and institutional functioning, while introducing new standards and regulatory frameworks that guarantee support for vulnerable groups.