LPP supports the Foundation for Development Initiation’s grant competition
The 12th Development Initiation Forum was held in November and saw the resolution of the ninth Foundation for Development Initiation grant competition. This year, the jury selected eight cross-sectoral initiatives implemented with the participation of business, NGOs, and local government. LPP was once again a strategic partner of the event.
The Development Initiation Forum is the largest cross-sectoral conference in Pomerania, which addresses topics important from the perspective of regional development and creates a platform for discussion among representatives of business, public institutions and NGOs. A fixed point on the agenda is the resolution of the Development Initiation Fund grant competition. In this year’s edition, grants with a total value of PLN 150,000 were awarded.
The eight rewarded initiatives comprised pro-environmental, professionally and socially activating, and educational ones, including those aimed at the youngest population. All of these activities will be implemented as part of cross-sectoral partnerships. Funding ranges from PLN 15 000 to PLN 20 000. In addition to financial support, the winners of the competition also received substantive, organisational and expert support in the implementation of a crowdfunding campaign.
– We analyse all projects that are submitted to the fund with great openness. They concern issues related to health, environmental protection and other important aspects of social life, which are also at the heart of the LPP Foundation’s activities. Every year one can see an increasing diversity of the initiatives undertaken, often in surprising areas that open up completely new areas of interest. This is the best proof of the great potential of grassroot activities that can count on support as a result of this competition – points out Patrycja Zbytniewska, leader of the sustainable reporting and community relations team at LPP, president of the LPP Foundation.
Since the first edition of the Fund, almost 40 projects have been awarded for a sum exceeding one million PLN. The main objective of the competition is the cooperation of non-governmental organisations, business and local government, which jointly submit a concept for a social project. The competition is the Pomeranian region’s response to the global initiative of 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), in line with Agenda 2030 adopted by the United Nations in 2015. The projects awarded this year will be implemented from January 2024.
– In this year’s edition, far more grants were awarded than in previous years – namely eight. Four projects are a continuation of last year’s ones, ensuring sustainability and growth. A major value of participating in the grant competition is participation of cross-sectoral community. This means that even if you do not receive a grant, by participating in the competition you gain networking, the opportunity to participate in mentoring and training cycles. It is also important to support each other and build effective relations – says Justyna Kowalkowska, competition coordinator from the Development Initiation Forum.
The grant competition results during the Development Initiation Forum conference, which this year was held under the umbrella topic of diversity. Panel discussions reviewed trends and discussed the potential of diversity and its impact on social, economic, and cultural development in the region.
– LPP has supported the Forum and Foundation for Development Initiation for many years. We are very pleased that these projects are consistent with the direction of our activities, and this year the theme of the conference was particularly close to our hearts, as it concerned diversity and the benefits that flow from it for various organisations. For many years, the Forum has been a platform for the exchange of ideas and inspiration for further activities focused primarily on the local community, according to its needs and expectations – emphasizes Patrycja Zbytniewska.
At this year’s conference, LPP was represented by Małgorzata Chrzanowska-Rokacz, a diversity and community relations expert, who took part in the panel entitled “How to manage diversity, the experience of Pomeranian companies: Diversity & Inclusion”. For several years, the Gdańsk-based company has been a strategic partner of both the competition and the overall initiatives carried out as part of the Development Initiation Forum.
____________________________________
LPP is a Polish family business and one of the fastest growing clothing companies in the region of Central and Eastern Europe. For 30 years, it has been successfully operating in Poland and abroad, offering its collections in such prestigious capitals as London, Helsinki or Tel Aviv. LPP manages five fashion brands: Reserved, Cropp, House, Mohito, and Sinsay, whose offer is available today in stationary and online stores in nearly 40 markets worldwide. The company has a chain of over 2000 stores with the total area of 1.7 million m2 and distributes clothing and accessories to 3 continents every year. LPP also plays an important role as it employs nearly 30 thousand people in its offices and sales structures in Poland, Europe, Asia, and Africa. The company is listed on the Warsaw Stock Exchange in the WIG20 index and belongs to the prestigious MSCI Poland index.