Morocco's Entrepreneurial Landscape and Social Impact Funding Ecosystem During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

Many entrepreneurial and other collective initiatives create social impact in addition to economic gains. In this paper, we will discuss these initiatives with a focus on the financing ecosystem that is crucial to these organizations. We first discuss the social and solidarity economy before talking about entrepreneurship and social enterprises. We focus next on cooperatives, which are very important in our context for the impact they contribute to achieve. The topic of the social and solidarity economy (SSE) in Morocco garners extensive attention within economic, political, and academic circles. Given the unique Moroccan backdrop, regional advancements, demographic dynamics, and economic traits, it accentuates considerable social issues and amplifies the significance of SSE entities, especially concerning their target audience. The SSE landscape, comprising a diverse array of organizations, has continually adapted and expanded since the country gained independence to address the distinct features of its environment.