Progetto QUID
LOCATION
ITALIA
SECTOR
SOCIAL INCLUSION & ETHIC FASHION
YEAR OF INVESTMENT
2018
Need
The country has been suffering from declining welfare expenditure, with an increase in the number of people living in absolute poverty, a growing number of working poor, alarming levels of youth unemployment, and a chronic gender gap – Italy ranks 14th in the EU-28 Gender Equality Index and last amongst the EU founding members. The lack of employment opportunities for young people is at the root of a worrying brain-drain phenomenon, with 780,000 Italians leaving the country every year. Youth, migrants and women represent the majority of those who live in difficult conditions or are more prone to disadvantage and iniquity. Migrants represent 25% of the working poor.
Solution
The social cooperative Progetto QUID was founded by two brilliant entrepreneurs in their late 20s, employs young people, women, migrants especially vulmerable ones who are not benefitting by social welfare. Quid produces limited-edition clothing and accessories making use of leftover fabrics and works in the social supply chain of leading corporation promoting a culture of sustainable production among Italian and international companies.
The Cooperative markets its products both through its own shops and via a network of multibrand shops, and in doing so also bringing to the large consumption market an eyhical and social brand.
Impact
The company stands as a promising benchmark for sustainable impact enterprise founded by a new generation of young entrepreneurs, tackling some of the most alarming social issues in the country: high unemployment, not satisfactory integration for migrant people and other vulnerable people, gender gap.
The majority of products are made with end-of-series fabrics destined to be discarded. 70% of the staff is made up of people belonging to disadvantaged groups (beyond the legal requirement and the disadvanteged categories for whom social cooperatives in Italy have some tax benefits) . The enterprise is a supplier of some leading Italian fashion brands and in doing so it contributes in making their supply more sustainable and ethical. The company has designed a scalable model and in the next coming years will expand its B2C and B2B business across the country and overseas, setting up a benchmark for ethical fashion and integration for vulnerable people.
