With the support of the European Union, The Center for Strategic Research and Development of Georgia (CSRDG) hosted the fourth B2B Fair for social enterprises on 27th of October at the 'Sheraton Grand Tbilisi Metekhi Palace'.
This large-scale and impact-oriented event aimed at promoting partnerships between the social enterprises and the business sector, as well as the community and public sectors. Likewise, introducing and developing responsible procurement practices for a greater social and environmental impact. The B2B fair for social enterprises was attended by at least 600 representatives from the business sector, diplomatic corps, state, and public organisations, as well as members of the media.
Nicholas Cendrowicz, Head of Cooperation, Delegation of the European Union to Georgia and Eka Urushadze the executive director of CSRDG addressed the guests at the opening ceremony.
“The European Union has been supporting Social Entrepreneurship development actions in Georgia since 2016. We are delighted to see that this year’s B2B Fair has caught the interest of so many business companies in Georgia and has attracted so many supporters. We hope this will foster this important and responsible sector within the country. Through such joint efforts, we continue to forge a path towards a prosperous European future for Georgia and its people.” - Nicholas Cendrowicz, Head of Cooperation of the Delegation of the European Union to Georgia.
“Social, economic, and environmental challenges can only be addressed through cooperation, accumulating the resources, and empowering each other. Social entrepreneurship is a unique strategy to respond to and overcome the challenges of various scales faced by our country with sustainable and impact-oriented approaches” – the executive director of CSRDG Eka Urushadze has noted.
Guests of the event had the opportunity to explore a spectrum of products and services offered by advanced Georgian social enterprises, all exhibited in one space. They heard the inspiring stories of Impact Heroes who, through their dedicated efforts, make significant contributions in addressing various socio-economic challenges. Social and green enterprises were sub-grouped into 8 thematic clusters, which were presented by eight public figures.
During the event, the business sector had the opportunity to discover the diversity of up to 50 social and green enterprises, engaged in face-to-face B2B meetings, and either introduce or enhance responsible internal procurement practices.
The B2B fair has been organised by the CSRDG since 2017 as part of the European Union and Bread for the World funded projects.
In 2023, the B2B fair received a unique sponsorship from TBC for Business. The golden sponsor and green enterprises supporter within the event is Tegeta Green Planet, a subsidiary of Tegeta Holding. The golden sponsor of the event is the hotel chain Inn Hospitality, and the silver sponsors are Socar and Algi Audit.
The technical support of social enterprises within the framework of the B2B fair is supported by the development program of the European Fund for Southeast Europe (EFSE).
Media partners for the event: Business Partner, BMG, Formula, Palitra News, Radio Holding Fortuna, Radio Imedi, Radio Commersant, BPN, and Business Insider Georgia.
