This document discusses social cooperatives and Le Mat, a brand owned by social cooperatives that aims to promote sustainable tourism and social responsibility. Le Mat locations are owned by social cooperatives in Italy and Sweden that employ disadvantaged workers. The document explores using a franchise model to replicate Le Mat's successful practices, empower workers, and pursue both social and business objectives. It began in Italy in 2005 and later expanded to Sweden, with the goal of developing unique locations while maintaining shared quality standards.

1. A brand
standing for
inclusion and empowerment,
sustainable tourism and social responsability
owned by social cooperatives

2. LE MAT EUROPE
owned by
Le Mat Italy
Le Mat Sverige
Le Mat Italy
owned by ITALIAN
social co-operatives
Le Mat Sverige
owned by social cooperatives

3. WHAT ARE SOCIAL
CO-OPERATIVES?
1) WORKERS OWNED CO-OPERATIVES
2) SELF -HELP ENTREPRENEURS ACTING FOR
EMPOWERMENT AND DECENT SALARIES FOR
THEIR MEMBERS
3) MANY OF THE WORKERS EXPERIENCED SOCIAL
EXCLUSION, DISABILITIES
4) THEY ACT AS SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURS IN
MANY DIFFERENT ECONOMIC SECTORS
5) THEY ACT FOR THE GENERAL BENEFIT OF
THEIR COMMUNITY AND FOR THE INCLUSION
OF ALL CITIZENS

4. Let’s look nearer
• They work in a field where no other - either public or private
– subject has ever operated;
• They propose radically innovative intervention methods vis-
a-vis disadvantaged people who are offered real jobs within
these companies;
• Not only disadvantaged people become workers but also, in
the overwhelming majority of cases, entrepreneurs;
• Coops don’t seek to substitute or integrate the actions
carried out by the public sector;
• The innovation lies at the core of the very meaning of
enterprise and its purpose inasmuch as they - directly and
simultaneously – pursue business objectives and social
objectives!!!!!!!!

5. Looking to the last 30 years of business….
• Social co-ops are the most innovative
entrepreneurs, they still are steadily
growing creating decent jobs for a
huge part of the disadvantaged
population
• They are local development agents and
the main partners of local authorities
in the weak welfare system
• Good empowering practices and
entrepreneurial capacity building
processes are developing
• Too often their only client is the
public administration and they act in
the lower service market without
margins
• They still have to fight against
discrimination and stigmatization
• Often the sustainability is really
difficult, are they too small?
• The only solution is to become bigger
and bigger?
THAT’s OK BUT

6. That’s why we thought to invent a
a brand
and to develop throughout franchising
• To distil good practice
elements from a
succesfull social business
• To write Manuals and
develop Tools
• To experiment
replication with all those
methods
• To empower and reach
more autonomy and
visibility on the market
through common
strategies
• To network in a
entrepreneurial way
• To increase clients
loyalty, knowledge and
social responsibility
• To use innovative
marketing methods as
tribal marketing
• To develop a special
know how and a social
franchise system

7. BUT WHY TOURISM?
• We found a successful
business case in Hotel
Management by a social co-
operative
• The Business was well run
and sustainable and people
were able to explain how
everything worked
• Excellent empowering
processes could be observed
• Many social co-operatives
seemed interested in
replicating and working in the
field of tourism
• Many local authorities seemed
interested in a more
sustainable and inclusive
tourism to rise the value of
landscape and local products
• Tourism is a International
business, permits
communication, is asking for
uniquness
• We, our environment, our
local communities need to
widen horizons, to become
more open, to be more able to
include diversity
• Tourists, travellers, strangers
can help us to open the mind
and can bring more richness
to our environment
• Tourism has to become
socially more responsible and
social co-operatives can play a
strong role

8. 2005 - LE MAT
was born in Italy first as an Association
than developed a Consortium of Social Co-operatives,
the Association of Travellers
and LE MAT TECNICAL

10. We are experimenting replication in very different areas and with
different people and co-operatives, trying to teach, to learn and to
correct, analysing differences and focusing on common and
sustainable quality criteria and than developing personalized
Handbooks….step by step the brand becomes something real…
But why
“Social”
Franchising
?
The franchisee
participates in
developing the
Le Mat quality
Travellers
suggest and
correct

11. Every single Le Mat is
different but you will find
many similarities!
In fact to become a real Le Mat
and to achieve the Brand it is
necessary to develop the special Le
Mat quality and that isn’t as easy
as it may seem!

12. Every Le Mat structure or
system has to develop its
own handbook with the
help of the central
organisation and to
respect it.
The Le Mat traveller
association helps to control
quality. People with
experience in disabling
processes help us in a
particular way!

13. 2006/2007
Le Mat started also in
Sweden
• Swedish Handbooks
• A Team to search for a Hotel
• Experts, Architects etc.

14. www.lemat.se

15. BE WELCOME
to Le Mat Hotels, hostels, B&Bs and to Le Mat’s Fair
Tourism systems
ALTHOUGH THEY ARE ALL UNIQUE
AND DIFFERENT YOU WILL FIND A
SHARED QUALITY CARD

16. Can franchising be used in social and solidarity
Economy?
Le Mat social co-operatives’ aim is empowerment,
inclusion and decent salaries for unemployed and
marginalized people.
The tourism branch - managing hotels, hostels,
B&Bs, social farms, restaurants, and other activities -
seemed to be interesting.
A brand wants to assure clients to uniqueness but
replication is necessary to strengthen the business
and the social aim.
Can UNIQUENESS be replicated?
THE QUESTIONS TO BE DISCUSSED

17. Thank You and join us as travellers or social
franchisee
Renate Goergen - Le Mat www.lemat.it and www.lemat.se