Citibank Europe plc,
organizační složka
Prague, March 10, 2010
NESsT and Citi present awards to winners of
2009 Social Enterprise Competition in CzechRepublic
NESsT and Citi today announced the winners of the 2009 NESsT-Citi Social Enterprise Competition to promote excellence in social enterprise development among local nonprofits in Central Europe.
The 2009 NESsT-CITI Social Enterprise Competition is a part of NESsT’s decade-old mission to develop social enterprises in Central Europe. It is made possible thanks to the support of theCiti Foundation and the voluntary assistance ofCiti employeesin the CzechRepublic, Hungary and Slovakia.The awards from NESsT and Citi reward excellence in designing, developing and planningsustainable social enterprises with a double, and often triple bottom line: financial social and environmental.
NESsT staff and local business advisors in Bratislava, Budapest and Prague screened the finalists against criteria that NESsT considers key for the potential success and impact of the social enterprise: viability of the venture idea, potential financial and social impact and quality of the business plan itself. A final award recipient was selected in each of the three countries.
The two competition winners in the Czech Republic are:
Pohoda Association (Prague), for the Best Social Enterprise Business Plan 2009. The organization won for its plans to develop a social enterprise that offers high-quality training to social workers, government officials and families of people with mental disabilities with the aim to improve interaction, communication, and ultimately integration of disabled people in society The social enterprise promises to be a sustainable business while also bringing significant social impact and raising awareness of the issue of disabilities.
The award comes with a US$ 10,000 investmentinto the implementation of the social enterprise, in Pohoda’s case into the setup and solidification of an educational agency and its human resources background.
Letohradek Vendula(Horní Bezděkov): received the second prize award for outstanding performance for the work and development of a social enterprise consisting in a physiotherapy center for people with physical disabilities and for a wider public.The organization is dedicated to improving the life of people with disabilities through employing people with special needs in a handicraft manufacture and a bakery and offering them a daily centre and crisis centre with accommodation.
They have been awarded the second prize of US$ 1,000 for their work and development of their notable social enterprise idea.
Tasnim Ghiawadwala, Head of Commercial Bank in Central Eastern Europe & Middle East for Citi said:”Supporting non-profit organizations is a key priority for Citi. This program has enabled Citi funding and employee volunteering support to be channelled to help start social enterprises. We know from feedback from the civil society organizations taking part in our program how much they appreciated the professional advice and support they receive from our Citi employee volunteers which we are very proud of.”
Marta Ricci, NESsT Enterprise Development Associate based in Prague, and Tasnim Ghiawadwala, Head of Commercial Bank in Central Eastern Europe & Middle East, presented the winners with their awards.
“We’ve been delighted to have had the competition in the CzechRepublic, along with competitions in Hungary and Slovakia, allowing us to provide long-term support to contribute to the development of social enterprises in this region,” said Ms. Ricci. “Support from NESsT will enable Pohoda Association and Letohradek Vendula to extend social benefits to communities in need across the Czech Republic, while strengthening their financial sustainability. We congratulate them both for their great business plans,” she said.
About NESsT
NESsT works to solve critical social problems in emerging market countries by developing and supporting social enterprises that strengthen civil society organizations’ financial sustainability and maximize their social impact. Since its founding in Budapest in 1999, NESsT has provided financial and business mentoring support to nearly 2,000 social enterprises in 40 countries. The NESsT Venture Fund currently operates in 10 countries across Europe and Latin America, including Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Croatia, CzechRepublic, Ecuador, Hungary, Peru, Romania and Slovakia. Visit:
About Citi
Citi, the leading global financial services company, has approximately 200 million customer accounts and does business in more than 140 countries. Through Citicorp and Citi Holdings, Citi provides consumers, corporations, governments and institutions with a broad range of financial products and services, including consumer banking and credit, corporate and investment banking, securities brokerage, and wealth management. Additional information may be found at or
About Citi Foundation
The Citi Foundation is committed to the economic empowerment of individuals and families, particularly those in need, in the communities where we work so that they can improve their standard of living. Globally, the Citi Foundation targets its strategic giving on its priority focus areas: Microfinance and Microenterprise, Small and Growing Businesses, Education, and Financial Education and AssetBuilding. The Citi Foundation works with its partners in Microfinance and Microenterprise and Small and Growing Businesses to support environmental programs and innovations. Additional information can be found at
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Media contacts:
Branislav Cehlárik
Public Affairs Officer for Czech republic and Slovakia
Citibank Europe plc, pobocka zahranicnej banky
Evropska 178, 166 40 Praha 6, Czech Republic
Mob.: + 421 905 894 845
Tel.: + 420 233 061 661; + 421 2 58230 472
Fax: + 421 2 58230 232
Monica Salvo,
Marta Ricci (Prague)