Problem addressed

Labour market access is increasingly difficult, and particularly so for disadvantaged groups, such as victims of violence and human trafficking, ex-offenders, migrants, people with disabilities, and those with mental illness and substance abuse issues, among others. The gap in employment rates between disadvantaged groups and the general adult population in Italy is reported to be the third largest in the OECD. Failure to secure employment can exacerbate the material and socio-economic disadvantage already faced by people in vulnerable groups, prolonging welfare dependency and increasing the risk of poverty and exclusion.

Innovative solution

Progetto Quid is a fashion company that was established as a social enterprise in Verona, Italy, in 2013. The enterprise employs vulnerable individuals who face significant employment barriers. It started off mainly focusing on the integration of disadvantaged groups into the labour market and offering informal support for beneficiaries with finding housing. Since 2018, it has evolved into a more holistic support service, collaborating with other social services to provide employees with a range of support alongside employment. The Liberamente project, for example, helps beneficiaries to access psychological assistance and support when navigating bureaucracy. These services are provided by a psychologist who is available at the Progetto Quid premises once a week and a welfare officer who is available twice a week. Progetto Quid also offers its beneficiaries the opportunity to gain skills through a digital skills acquisition project, IMPACTA.

The approach to reinserting vulnerable people in the job market focuses on wellbeing, upskilling, and support with administrative processes. Employees are provided with a safe environment, a sense of belonging to a community, with opportunities to increase control over their lives, rather than being isolated and marginalised. The skills learnt - digital and fashion skills - are also in high demand, thus increasing their employability.

Progetto Quid has an entrepreneurial focus, with a successful market strategy that has enabled it to satisfy consumers and stakeholders with its high quality, stylish products, and thus to become financially sustainable. It is also ecologically sustainable as its products are sustainably sourced - the enterprise is committed to reducing CO2 emissions through the re-use of discarded textiles in the production of clothes.

Key results and benefits

Since its creation, Progetto Quid has substantially strengthened its impact. The social enterprise’s turnover has been consistently increasing, from EUR 1 million in 2016 to EUR 3.3 million in 2019. This positive evolution is also reflected in the number of employees, increasing from 60 people in 2016 to 138 people from marginalised groups in 2019, 80% of whom are women.

Progetto Quid clothing and accessories are sold at Quid flagship stores in Verona and Vicenza, or through the distribution channels of partner companies such as Calzedonia, Intimissimi, Tezenis, DEN Store, and Altromercato. Through the use of e-commerce, Progetto Quid manages to reach stakeholders and consumers outside the Veneto region where its physical shops are located.

Potential for mainstreaming

In 2014, Progetto Quid was granted EUR 30 000 through the Social Innovation Tournament and EUR 30 000 through the European Social Innovation Competition, led by the European Investment Bank Institute. In 2018, the enterprise became a recipient of the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF), and received EUR 180 000 over a period of 22 months. 

Progetto Quid’s market strategy is a key condition for successful transfer to another context, as it makes it sustainable financially, allowing long-term social and environmental impact. To increase its potential for mainstreaming, Progetto Quid intends to establish a mentorship system that could help likeminded social entrepreneurs to create similar projects in other Italian regions and in Europe. In order to respect EU guidelines and requirements in terms of a sustainable business model, Progetto Quid has had to strengthen its organisational and financial structure. Small social enterprises that may not have this know-how could benefit from this expertise.

Progetto Quid has also been awarded a range of prizes. In 2017, it received the Civil Society Prize from the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC), the Angelo Ferro Award for Innovation in Social Economy, and the United Nations Momentum for Change Lighthouse Activity in the category ‘Women for Results’. In 2019, the project’s founder and president, Anna Fiscale, was named Woman Entrepreneur of the Year.