The International Forum of Social Entrepreneurs and Investors INNOSIB-2018 opened in Omsk

The key topic of the Forum is priority national projects as a line of activity for social entrepreneurs and socially oriented non-profit organizations.

Today, on September 18, the grand opening of the International Forum of Social Entrepreneurs and Investors INNOSIB-2018 took place in Omsk. It is organized by the Omsk regional public organization "Center for Social Sphere Innovations". The Forum is supported by the Government of the Omsk Region and the Ministry of Economy of the Omsk Region. Among the participants are representatives of federal and regional authorities, large businesses, Russian and foreign foundations, non–profit organizations, the international and Russian expert community, as well as social entrepreneurs and social investors.

At the opening ceremony, Vladimir Companeishchikov, Deputy Chairman of the Omsk Region Government, addressed the participants and guests on behalf of Alexander Burkov, Governor of the Omsk Region. He stressed that the Omsk region has once again become the main platform for the exchange of best practices in the field of social entrepreneurship. Social entrepreneurs are the region's allies and partners, whom the government actively helps in business development. Over the past five years alone, the budget has supported projects of 109 entrepreneurs worth 95 million rubles. This year, the key topic of the Forum is priority national projects as a focus for social entrepreneurs and socially oriented non-profit organizations.

"For the past eight years, we have not deviated from the topic of supporting social entrepreneurship and consider it a priority. At the forum venues, executive authorities, together with businesses, discuss how to work together on the implementation of certain tasks. The special feature of the Omsk region is that our social innovation center can show the practices that have been successfully implemented in the region and the country. This concerns the creation of private institutions for gifted children, for children with disabilities, and private boarding schools for the elderly," said Denis Kushner, Deputy Minister of Economy of the Omsk Region.

After the plenary session, the presentation platform "Social Entrepreneurship: new formats of international cooperation" will begin its work. Within the framework of the event, new formats of international cooperation on the development of social entrepreneurship will be presented, joint projects will be presented; priority areas of cooperation will be discussed. John Sang-geun (JunSangkeun), accredited master of the unified Taekwondo Training Center Kukkiwon (Republic of Korea); Alexander Kim, Chairman of the Omsk regional branch of the All-Russian public organization "All-Russian Association of Koreans" (Omsk); Ye Yeongyoo, representative of the Sejong Air travel company (Republic of Korea), will share their experience of international cooperation. Korea); Jainaman, Founder and Managing Director of Bunkaarttextiles (India); Gnanam (Poppet) will address the audience via video link Gnanam (Poppet) Pillay, Director of the Center for Social Entrepreneurship (CSE) at the Durban University of Technology (South Africa). A solemn ceremony of awarding certificates of graduation from the School of Social Innovation will also be held on this site of the INNOSIB-2018 Forum. The School of Social Innovation project is being implemented using a grant from the President of the Russian Federation for the development of civil society provided by the Presidential Grants Foundation.