April 2014 - Editorial

The implementation of new European budgets for social companies; Change in the status of social and solidarity companies with the new Hamon Law on the SSE in France; G8 working group meetings on "Social Impact Investing"... over the past several months, the public authorities have focused on creating a favourable environment for the financing and growth of social companies in Europe. However, the trend is also apparent in all developed countries which are facing an unprecedented transformation of their social model due to the widening gap between the richest and the poorest.

We are taking an active part in the work and studies because we are convinced that social companies (in every form: associations, cooperatives, companies, etc.) can provide additional momentum to the actions of the various actors identified by promoting the creation of companies with a social mission and a long-term goal of financial equilibrium and profitability.

The social companies we have supported for a number of years and the incredible innovation we see every day, notably in terms of cooperation with major companies, are no longer merely ideas, but are becoming a reality day after day. Financiers are even launching investments in which investor profitability is directly linked to the social performance of the project supported!

You can go to our website to find examples of the projects we support and links to the various initiatives in which we take part. We invite you to further explore the new universe of social companies, social entrepreneurs and impact investment which is bubbling over with quality investment initiatives.

Olivier de Guerre – Chairman, PhiTrust Partenaires