Thanks to a US$20,000 investment grant provided by NESsT, with CVC Capital Partners and PwC support, Siedlisko will be able to improve its operations, infrastructure and promotion.
Siedlisko is a social enterprise based in the Opolskie region of Poland that offers vocational training and dignified employment opportunities to youth with intellectual disabilities and to long-term unemployed people from rural areas. Siedlisko runs a center providing full-time care for seniors and people with chronic illnesses, and also delivers catering and laundry services to local companies, individuals and public institutions.
The mission of the enterprise is to help youth with intellectual disabilities and people from the local community to achieve social and labor market inclusion by offering them individually tailored support. With less than 0.1% of people with intellectual disabilities currently participating in the labor market, Siedlisko is one of the few opportunities existing in Poland that provides this group with vocational training and jobs while offering special protection and supervision. So far Siedlisko has provided vocational training to 41 young people with intellectual disabilities and employed 17 of them.
Siedlisko was one of the winners in NESsT’s first national competitions in Poland to identify social enterprises with growth and impact potential, and has been a member of NESsT’s Polish portfolio since 2014. NESsT supports Siedlisko’s development by providing it with ongoing business expertise, including financial management and legal advice from DLA Piper.
With CVC Capital Partners and PwC support, NESsT recently invested US$20,00 in Siedlisko to support its operations, ramp up its promotion and marketing, as well as improve its infrastructure. Thanks to this investment Siedlisko will be able to reach new clients for its catering services and take another step closer to achieving financial sustainability. NESsT support will also help to fund specialized courses in dietetics, occupational health and safety and accountancy for the management team members.
“We are more than happy to support Siedlisko! They are doing great job and making real change in lives of these young people and elderly residents of the nursing home,” said Gabriela Cichowicz, NESsT Portfolio Manager, Poland.