Europe supports social finance: Bucharest conference with strategic partners from Horizon projects
The Bucharest conference brought together European and national partners involved in social finance projects
On June 12, 2025, at Hotel The Marmorosch in Bucharest, the conference “Mission Possible: How We Remove Financing Barriers to Support the Financial Inclusion of Social Entrepreneurs” took place, organized by the Social Finance Association, in partnership with AFIN IFN SA and the ADV Romania Group, with the support of UniCredit Bank and the Romanian-American Foundation.
The event brought together experts from Romania and across Europe who analyzed the real needs of social enterprises regarding access to finance, and discussed concrete solutions for a more equitable and inclusive financial ecosystem.
The “Mission Possible” conference gathered over 100 stakeholders from the social, economic, and institutional sectors – from Romania and abroad – offering a framework for dialogue and collaboration to accelerate access to funding for social enterprises.
Active European participation: RoHealth and FEBEA, partners in Horizon projects
Among the international participants were organizations involved in European Horizon projects that support the development of alternative financial instruments for the social economy.
Mădălina Argăseală, representing the ROHEALTH – Health Cluster, attended the event and emphasized the importance of transnational collaboration in projects that promote social innovation and financial inclusion, such as MountResilience – an initiative aimed at strengthening the adaptive capacity of European regions in the face of crises through tailored financial tools and community-based interventions.
Also present was the delegation from FEBEA – the European Federation of Ethical and Alternative Banks, a strategic partner of SFA in the Horizon project focused on developing innovative social finance solutions. FEBEA plays a vital role in supporting financial institutions that operate under ethical and sustainable principles, and during the conference emphasized the urgent need to combine grants with guarantees and tailored financial products such as microcredits and impact investments.
AFIN – an emerging model in Romania’s social finance landscape
A key highlight of the conference was the presentation of the AFIN project and its strategic direction. AFIN is the first non-banking financial institution in Romania dedicated to the social economy. With financial products designed around the real needs of social enterprises, AFIN is directly aligned with the priorities promoted by European programs such as InvestEU and ESF+.
The presence of Horizon project partners further emphasized the international scope and relevance of this initiative.
Also in attendance was Daniel Sorrosal, Secretary General of FEBEA – the European Federation of Ethical and Alternative Banks, a Horizon project partner with SFA. In his speech, he underlined:
“We are here to support local ecosystems that create social value. Finance must be a catalyst for inclusion, not a barrier.”
Conclusions and perspectives
The conference highlighted not only the current challenges of the social economy sector, but also the growing maturity of an ecosystem in which alternative finance and European partnerships play a key role. Projects such as MountResilience or the SFA–FEBEA Horizon partnership offer a solid framework for long-term innovation, cooperation, and impact.
For more information about the conference, visit:
Conference video:
June 20, 2025
