Social entrepreneurship develops through cooperation, interaction and mutual "pollination" with knowledge: Iuliia Arai, Associate Professor at the GSOM SPbU

It was noted that the creators of socially significant businesses usually aspire to solve important social issues without necessarily having professional business skills. At the same time, their activity is primarily aimed at bringing about positive change in the society alongside making profit. The majority of initiatives emerge in the sphere of education and culture: entrepreneurs open kindergartens as well as organise sport camps, interest groups and clubs, where necessary. Incentives, benefits and large-scale measures supporting such projects are introduced in Russia today. However, education is one of the most demanded measures of the kind.

Social entrepreneurship is one of the most effective business formats of the new time that is actively developing at the moment. About 6,300 companies are registered as social entrepreneurs as of the end of 2021, which is several times more than a few years ago. In 2019, only 1,197 legal entities had the status of social entrepreneurs.

In her speech, Iuliia Arai, Associate Professor at the Graduate School of Management of St Petersburg University, stated that the development prospects of social entrepreneurship belong to cooperation, interaction and mutual "pollination" with knowledge: ‘Recently, we have held an intensive course for public officers in Primorsky Krai. The most useful outcome of the event was that the municipal authorities met social entrepreneurs of the region in person, learned about their work, problems and needs and managed to shape the most important support measures during the strategic session. For many years, the Graduate School of Management at St Petersburg University has been educating students and social entrepreneurs. This year, we have launched a programme within the School of Social Entrepreneurship, where students from all over Russia together with social entrepreneurs will solve managerial problems on project development. Within the framework of the second programme, 30 students of the University’s Graduate School of Management in different fields of study will perform practical work for the project of social entrepreneurship and volunteering. These projects have a great potential for further developing of this sphere of entrepreneurship. Students will attempt to improve socially beneficial initiatives so that they become economically and socially sustainable. Having immersed into the real projects, students will be able to better understand the details of business processes and increase their level of awareness through practical activity. Social entrepreneurs, authors of volunteer projects will refresh the knowledge that students have just acquired. This is a pilot project and we are going to turn it into a methodology through describing all the necessary tools of using it. The next step is to replicate it in the regions.’

Students can also create socially significant business themselves. This year, it was decided to expand grant support in the sphere of social entrepreneurship for the youth. Young businessmen up to 25 years old can count on public financial support of up to 500,000 roubles. The funds are allocated for equipment purchase, rent, and repair works to name just a few. According to Alena Kurochkina, Leading Consultant of the Department of Digital Technologies and Information Support of Small and Medium-Sized Businesses, the Department of Investment Policy and Development of Small and Medium-Sized Businesses of the Ministry of Economic Development of the Russian Federation, the programme will start this summer.