The PeerEx ‘24 program offered a unique opportunity for ScaleChanger (SC) and the Nilüfer Municipality Social Entrepreneurship Center (NSEC) to exchange knowledge and insights, focusing on social entrepreneurship ecosystems in France and Turkey. Both organisations are dedicated to supporting and scaling social entrepreneurship. Additionally, a focus was placed on NSEC’s innovative replication strategy, which aims to expand its social entrepreneurship model to other municipalities in Turkey.
Narrative Description of Activities:
The teams from both SC and NSEC engaged in meaningful dialogue across three structured online sessions, each with two participants per organisation.
- Meeting 1 (06.09.2024):
SC provided an overview of the social entrepreneurship ecosystem in France, highlighting local government initiatives, such as accelerators and incubators, that support SEE growth. The session allowed NSEC to gain valuable insights into the structured support systems available for social entrepreneurs in France. - Meeting 2 (13.09.2024):
NSEC presented the social entrepreneurship landscape in Turkey, with a focus on its pioneering role in the sector through municipal leadership. NSEC’s work serves as a model for other municipalities in Turkey, showcasing how local governments can drive social innovation. - Meeting 3 (25.09.2024):
Both teams discussed NSEC’s replication strategy, which seeks to expand the center’s impact by creating an Inter-Municipal Social Entrepreneurship Network. This initiative aims to replicate NSEC’s model across various Turkish municipalities. The dialogue explored potential long-term partnerships and SC’s support in advancing this replication strategy.
Outcomes of the Exchange: Several valuable outcomes emerged from this exchange:
- Increased Knowledge Sharing: Both organisations gained an understanding of each other’s local ecosystems and strategies to support social entrepreneurship.
- Replication Strategy Insights: NSEC received feedback from SC on how to enhance its replication strategy, including ideas for an advanced approach to scaling its social entrepreneurship model across municipalities.
- Future Collaboration Potential: Both organisations expressed interest in building a longer-term partnership, particularly to support the expansion of the Municipal Social Enterprise Center model across Turkey.
Conclusion:
The PeerEx ‘24 exchange between ScaleChanger and Nilüfer Municipality Social Entrepreneurship Center successfully fostered a cross-cultural dialogue on social entrepreneurship and replication strategies. Despite the virtual nature of the exchange, both organisations left the program with actionable insights, stronger connections, and potential avenues for future collaboration.
Looking ahead, there is excitement about continuing to explore ways to support the replication of NSEC’s model across Turkey, with the potential to expand SC’s role in advising on the process. PeerEx has proven to be a valuable platform for fostering such international cooperation.
