TESSEA ČR, z.s.

What TESSEA ČR, z.s. does

TESSEA ČR, z.s. is a Czech non-profit membership association (zapsaný spolek) founded around 2008 and headquartered at Václavské náměstí in Prague, serving as the principal national platform for the social economy in the Czech Republic. It represents over 70 member social enterprises and supporters, and operates as the country's authoritative expert body on social entrepreneurship: TESSEA authored the Czech definitions and principles of social enterprise in 2011 (updated June 2023), co-developed the Law on Integrative Social Enterprise (Law No. 468/2024 Coll.) with the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs, and contributes to the Strategic Framework for Social Entrepreneurship 2026–2030. Its core 'technology' is methodological IP — the Identifikátor sociálního podniku diagnostic tool and the Kodex sociálního podniku code of conduct — rather than software products.

The organization's portfolio of services includes advocacy and policy representation, expert consulting and mentoring, wellbeing and psychosocial support for integration social enterprises, educational seminars and workshops, excursions and internship facilitation, and regional networking events such as Speed Dating, Business Coffee, and the annual FÓRUM sociální ekonomiky conference. Delivery channels are direct to members, public events, the tessea.cz website, and regional coordinators; international linkages run through ENSIE and RREUSE.

Revenue is generated through three streams: annual membership fees of 6,000 CZK per regular member, EU and government grant funding (notably the EU co-financed project CZ.03.02.02/00/22_039/0001377 'TESSEA SE ROZVÍJÍ' running September 2023–August 2025 plus OPZ+ and Swiss-Czech Cooperation), and fee-based services and education. The organization operates with a small core office team of approximately 6 staff plus governance bodies (Board of Directors, Supervisory Committee), and the broader Czech social enterprise sector it represents generates at least 3.5 billion CZK in annual turnover and 5,000+ jobs.

Name

TESSEA ČR, z.s.

Legal name

TESSEA ČR, z.s.

Website

https://tessea.cz

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Prague

HQ country

Czechia

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Členské příspěvky (Membership fees): Annual membership fees charged to social enterprises and supporters joining TESSEA. The fee is publicly stated at 6,000 CZK per year. This is a recurring, predictable revenue stream from over 70 member organizations.
2. Dotace a granty (Grants and subsidies): European Union co-financing (e.g., project CZ.03.02.02/00/22_039/0001377 'TESSEA SE ROZVÍJÍ'), national government funding, and regional subsidies. TESSEA also benefits from operational programs such as OPZ+ and Swiss-Czech Cooperation.
3. Služby a vzdělávání (Services and education): Revenue from providing professional consulting, mentoring, educational seminars, workshops, and event organization for social enterprises and related organizations. These include both fee-based training and free public services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

TESSEA ČR, z.s. is a non-profit membership association that represents, supports, and advocates for social enterprises and supporters of the social economy across the Czech Republic. It delivers advocacy to government and EU institutions, expert consulting and mentoring, educational seminars and conferences, networking and matchmaking events, and psychosocial support services for integrative social enterprises. Its core assets are a 70+ member network, the authoritative Czech definitions and principles of social enterprise, and recognized methodology for assessing social enterprise alignment.

Product overview

TESSEA ČR is a national association representing social enterprises in the Czech Republic, not a technology product company. It offers a portfolio of professional services including advocacy, networking events (Speed dating), consulting and mentoring, wellbeing support, education and training programs, excursions and internship facilitation, and psychosocial support services for integration social enterprises. These services are provided directly to members and stakeholders of the social economy ecosystem rather than as software products.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Advocacy Services (Advokační činnost) Active advocacy on behalf of social enterprises, expert input on legislation, and cooperation with state institutions on grant program conditions for social entrepreneurship support.
• Speed Dating events (regional networking) Regional Speed dating sessions that connect social enterprises with municipalities, companies, non-profit organizations, and other local stakeholders for business cooperation.
• Expert consulting and mentoring (Odborné poradenství a Mentoring) Individual consultations and mentoring from experienced practitioners with long-term practice in social entrepreneurship and deep knowledge of related legislation.
• Wellbeing service (Wellbeing servis) Individual support and self-development groups for team leaders and management of social enterprises, providing space for sharing experiences and mutual inspiration.
• Education (Vzdělávání) Educational seminars, round tables and conferences on supporting social entrepreneurship and developing the social economy, connecting experts, practitioners and start-up entrepreneurs.
• Excursions and internships (Exkurze a praxe) Facilitation of excursions to social enterprises across the Czech Republic and support for students through internships and assistance with scientific papers on social entrepreneurship.
• Psychosocial support service for Integrative Social Enterprises (Služba psychosociální podpory do ISP) Qualified professionals in integration HR, psychosocial support, and social work who help integration social enterprises effectively incorporate disadvantaged persons into the work process.

Quantifiable outcome

• 438+ successful events organized to support social economy and entrepreneurship
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered secondary, core and minor.

• NROS (Nadace rozvojové pomoci / Czech NGDO Platform)secondaryGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2024TESSEA co-organized the FÓRUM sociální ekonomiky 2024 with NROS and ENSIE, resulting in a joint Memorandum on social economy policy in the Czech Republic.
• Univerzita Palackého v Olomouci — Katedra ekonomických a manažerských studiísecondaryStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020TESSEA collaborated with researchers from Palacký University Olomouc on a TAČR-funded project on crisis management in Czech social enterprises during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Outcomes include three research reports and the publication 'Krizové řízení sociálních podniků' (Crisis Management for Social Enterprises).
• ENSIE (European Network of Social Integration Enterprises)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2011ENSIE is the European umbrella network of national and regional 'Work Integration Social Enterprises' (WISEs). TESSEA is affiliated with ENSIE, participates in European exchanges, shares Czech practice internationally, and co-organizes events such as the European Social Economy Forum. ENSIE provides access to the European Impact-WISEs database, responsible public procurement tools, and cross-border cooperation opportunities.
• RREUSEsecondaryStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2011RREUSE is the European network focused on reuse, repair, and re-use organizations. TESSEA collaborates with RREUSE on topics of shared interest related to social economy and circular economy practices.
• Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs of the Czech Republic (MPSV)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerTESSEA serves as an expert partner for MPSV in setting conditions for social enterprise grant programs, co-developing legislation (including the Law on Integrative Social Enterprise, Law No. 468/2024), contributing to national surveys and research, and participating in working groups such as 'Definice a principy' (Definitions and Principles).
• CIRI (Centrum investic, rozvoje a inovací) — Královéhradecký krajsecondaryGTM or Marketing PartnerCIRI operates the Regional Centre for Social Enterprise Support in Královéhradecký kraj, organizes workshops, seminars, excursions, and an incubator for social enterprises. Together with Královéhradecký kraj, CIRI won the 'Zlatá vážka' award in the Institution of the Year category. TESSEA collaborates on regional development and events.
• MAS Vladař (Local Action Group)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerMAS Vladař in the Karlovy Vary region issues grant calls under IROP for the creation and development of social enterprises, including investments in buildings, technology, and equipment. TESSEA connects members with these regional funding opportunities.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Social Economy Europe: European-level federation representing social economy actors (cooperatives, mutuals, associations, social enterprises). Comparable as a higher-tier body that TESSEA engages with via ENSIE.
• ENSIE (European Network of Social Integration Enterprises): European umbrella network of Work Integration Social Enterprises (WISEs), of which TESSEA is itself a member. Comparable as a higher-tier social enterprise federation operating at EU level.
• RREUSE: European network focused on reuse, repair, and re-use social enterprises. TESSEA is an affiliated member and the two collaborate on circular economy topics; comparable as a European social economy federation.

Direct peers

• EMES International Research Network: International research network whose social enterprise indicators underpin TESSEA's Czech definitions. Comparable as a peer organization building the conceptual and measurement framework for the social economy.
• Social Entrepreneurship Netzwerk Deutschland (SEND): German social entrepreneurship network providing advocacy, networking, and consulting services to social enterprises. Directly comparable as a national membership association in a neighboring market.
• Euclid Network: European network supporting social enterprise development through capacity building, research, and policy engagement. Comparable as a Europe-wide social enterprise membership and capacity-building organization.
• Social Enterprise UK: National membership body representing social enterprises in the UK, providing advocacy, policy input, and member services. Comparable to TESSEA as a country-level social enterprise association, though larger in scale.

Emerging players

• B Lab (B Corp): Global certification body for social and environmental performance in business. Comparable as an adjacent infrastructure player supporting social enterprises with standards and credibility, though operates via certification rather than membership advocacy.

Others

• European Venture Philanthropy Association (EVPA): Membership association for venture philanthropy and social investment. Comparable as an adjacent ecosystem network serving social-purpose organizations through advocacy, knowledge, and connections in Europe.

Regional players

• Ashoka Czech Republic: Local chapter of global Ashoka network supporting leading social entrepreneurs. Comparable as a Czech social entrepreneurship support organization with overlapping ecosystem members and policy interests.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/TESSEACZ
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/tessea-cr

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about TESSEA ČR, z.s.