Newsletter – September 2024

Interview with Tony’s Chocolonely, discover the new SIBC formula and our exciting international – European projects

Tony’s Chocolonely: a successful internationalisation process

Have you heard about Tony’s Chocolonely chocolate brand?

Founded in 2005 in the Netherlands, Tony’s Chocolonely is a social enterprise that markets chocolate products with the primary aim of putting an end to human exploitation in the cocoa industry. The company was born out of an alarming observation: in Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire, at least 30,000 people are believed to be victims of modern slavery in the cocoa sector, and 2.3 million children work in the plantations. 

With this in mind, the company set itself the mission of revolutionising industry practices by :

• Combating the extreme poverty of cocoa farmers, an the imbalance between producers and buyers of cocoa developing a programme to eradicate child labour in supply chains; and
• fighting deforestation.

Over the years, the Dutch company has grown into an international organisation selling its products in over 50 countries around the world, with offices in cities such as New York, London, Hamburg and Salzburg. Find out how Tony’s Chocolonely managed to internationalise its solution beyond its borders in the article here 👉 https://www.scalechanger.org/en/news/interview-with-tonys-chocolonely/ 

An hybrid and tailored support

SIBC offers a hybrid approach over 4 months, combining distance coaching and an intensive face-to-face Bootcamp in Abidjan (Côte d’Ivoire). This immersive programme enables participants to benefit from practical training, mentoring by experienced alumni and personalised tutoring by AFD Group staff. The aim of the programme is to accelerate the development of impact projects while facilitating access to investors and key partners.

Following this selection period, local juries will be held in 5 countries across the continent in early September, and the winners of the programme will be announced in September.

On the ScaleChanger side, the team will support the participants with their scaling-up challenges through various formats: diagnostics, one-on-one interviews, collective support, video content, and facilitating workshops during the bootcamp. At the same time, we will be managing the alumni mentorship programme.

Find out more about the SIBC here 👉 https://www.socialbusinesscamp.com/programme/ 

Collaboration across diverse horizons

Peer Exchange between NSEC (NILUFER Social Enterprises Center) 🇹🇷 and ScaleChanger

We frequently talk about EUCLID, the amazing European network that brings together social enterprises, civil society federations, universities and training institutes, impact investors, and NGOs – and that we are part of. EUCLID’s mission is to empower civil society and social enterprises to drive meaningful and positive transformations.

One of the numerous invaluable opportunities provided by the network is the Peer Exchange programme, which enables us to explore initiatives beyond our national boundaries, engage in collaboration with these organisations, and exchange exemplary practices.

In this context, we met NSEC (NILUFER Social Enterprises Center), a support centre for social entrepreneurship based in Bursa, Turkey. As a local incubator of the Bursa Municipality, NSEC seeks to replicate its concept across other regions in Turkey. This collaboration provides a space for exchange, allowing us to compare perspectives on existing local frameworks that support the social and solidarity economy (SSE) in our respective countries. At the same time, we are assisting NSEC in considering its scaling-up model.

Learn more about NSEC: https://participate.oidp.net/processes/award2022/f/272/proposals/2952

Launch of Two European Projects

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 Two European projects are being launched at ScaleChanger.