Slovak Social Enterprises Face Serious Barriers: CLR Survey

The Slovak Business Agency, through experts from the Centre for Better Regulation, is conducting a survey focused on the experiences of social enterprises with various forms of support in Slovakia. The survey, titled "Main Barriers to the Development of Social Entrepreneurship", aims to collect specific suggestions and real-life experiences directly from those active in this field.

What does the survey reveal?

The analysis highlights key issues such as dysfunctional investment aid and an ineffective service voucher system.

In addition, the survey includes international comparisons examining how social entrepreneurship functions in selected countries — particularly the United Kingdom, Italy (where the social economy sector has a long-standing tradition), and Poland.

Roundtable Discussions – Proposals for Change

During a recent roundtable meeting, numerous constructive proposals for change were raised. These included a call to abolish the transaction tax for social enterprises altogether and to introduce transparent and fair rules for investment subsidies.

Another major issue is the lack of integration between labour offices and the Social Insurance Agency. This causes significant complications and unnecessary bureaucracy and drains valuable energy that social enterprises could otherwise invest more productively.