What Shedia does

Shedia (σχεδία) is the only Greek street newspaper, launched on 27 February 2013 and operated by ΔΙΟΓΕΝΗΣ ΜΚΟ, a Greek civil non-profit company (Αστική Μη Κερδοσκοπική Εταίρεία) established in 2010 and headquartered at Nikious 2, Athens. The magazine is sold exclusively on the streets of Athens and Thessaloniki by accredited vendors recruited from homeless, long-term unemployed, and other socially excluded populations. Each copy is priced at €5.00, with €2.70 (54%) flowing back to the vendor — yielding €1.64 in net income per copy after EFKA social security, income tax, stamp duty, and VAT deductions; the remainder covers printing and operations. Vendors receive 10 free copies as starting capital, wear red vests, and sell at designated outdoor locations (metro stations, bus stops, squares, university campuses) across the two cities.

Beyond the core monthly magazine, Shedia operates an integrated social-enterprise ecosystem with several sub-brands: Kick Out Poverty / Γκολ στη Φτώχεια (Greek Homeless National Football Team participating annually in the Homeless World Cup); Invisible Routes / Αόρατες Διαδρομές (social walking tours in Athens led by (former) homeless guides, part of the INST network); Shedia Art / σχεδία αρτ (upcycling of unsold copies into artisanal products — jewelry, lamps, baskets — sold via Shedia Home showroom and shediahome.gr e-commerce); Shedia Home / σχεδία home (a solidarity café/bar/restaurant and showroom near the Acropolis); the Suspended Coffee / Ένας καφές σε περιμένει campaign; and the Solidarity Subscription program supporting elderly beneficiaries. A new walking football program was launched in June 2026, and the English edition (targeting tourists and migrants) launched in June 2021.

Revenue is diversified across magazine sales (€5/copy), Shedia Home café and Shedia Art retail, donations from individuals and corporations, and institutional grants. Major funders include the Active Citizens Fund (€13.5M EEA Grants 2014-2021, managed by Bodossaki Foundation and SolidarityNow), Bodossaki Foundation directly (Shedia Art workshops, co-funded with the EU Staff Fund managed by King Baudouin Foundation), and iMEdD/Stavros Niarchos Foundation (English edition support). Distribution is supplemented by 30+ corporate 'Protected Point-of-Sale' partners (including McCann, Nestlé, Novartis, Benaki Museum, Athens Concert Hall, Leroy Merlin) and 15+ English-edition distribution points across hotels, hostels, museums and cafés. The organization has received extensive recognition including the 2014 European Parliament Citizen of Europe award, FIFA's 'Symbol of Hope' documentary, Hellenic Responsible Business Awards Gold (2020), and INSP awards, among others.

Name

Shedia

Legal name

ΔΙΟΓΕΝΗΣ ΜΚΟ

Website

https://shedia.gr

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Shedia is the only Greek street newspaper, sold by homeless and socially excluded vendors in Athens and Thessaloniki for €5/copy, with 54% of each sale flowing back to the vendor. The non-profit also runs an integrated ecosystem of social programs including a homeless football team, social walking tours, upcycling workshops, a solidarity café, and an English tourism edition.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Social Enterprise Street Newspaper Publishing

NAICS

Community Food and Housing, and Emergency and Other Relief Services (6242), Community Housing Services (62422), Community Food Services (624210)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Housing Assistance & Homeless Services (BPAGAEAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Donation, Recycling & Junk Sorting for Garages/Basements/Attics (HSAFADAI)

Keywords

• Street newspaper publishing
• Social enterprise programs
• Homelessness reintegration services
• Upcycled artisan products
• Community walking tours

Headquarters

HQ city

Athens

HQ country

Greece

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Street Newspaper Sales: Shedia magazine sold at €5.00 per copy on the streets by accredited homeless/vulnerable vendors. Of the €5.00 sale price, €2.70 (54%) goes directly to the vendor (including €1.64 net income for the vendor, plus tax deductions for EFKA social security, income tax, stamp duty, and VAT). The remaining €2.30 covers printing costs and organizational operations including other social programs.
2. Social Programs Support (Donations & Grants): Shedia is funded through donations from individuals, corporations, and institutional grants. The Active Citizens Fund (€13.5M, funded by Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway via EEA Grants 2014-2021, managed by Bodossaki Foundation and SolidarityNow) supports the 'Empowerment of Shedia' strategic program. Bodossaki Foundation funded Shedia Art workshops (12 free recycling workshops). Individual supporters fund the Solidarity Subscription for elderly beneficiaries.
3. Shedia Home Café/Restaurant & Shedia Art Products: The Shedia Home solidarity and applied social innovation hub hosts a café/bar/restaurant and a Shedia Art showroom where upcycled products (made from unsold magazine issues by homeless artisans) are sold. Revenue supports organizational sustainability.
4. Deloitte Social Impact Study: In March 2016, international consulting firm Deloitte conducted a study on the social and economic impact of Shedia's circulation, including a field survey of readers and vendors.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Shedia is a Greek non-profit social enterprise that publishes a monthly street magazine (σχεδία) sold exclusively on the streets of Athens and Thessaloniki by accredited homeless, long-term unemployed and socially excluded vendors wearing red vests. Each €5.00 copy returns 54% (€2.70) directly to the vendor, with the remainder funding the organization's printing, operations, and complementary social programs. The organization complements the magazine with an integrated ecosystem of social programs including social walking tours (Αόρατες Διαδρομές), a Homeless National Football Team (Γκολ στη Φτωχεια), a Suspended Coffee campaign, an upcycling program (Shedia Art), a solidarity café/hub (Shedia Home), and an English edition targeting tourists and migrants.

Product overview

Shedia is a Greek street magazine publisher operating as a social enterprise through Διογένης ΜΚΟ (Diogenes NGO). The core offering is the street magazine "σχεδία" (Shedia), sold on the streets of Athens and Thessaloniki by vendors from vulnerable populations. This is complemented by a portfolio of social programs including Γκολ στη Φτώχεια (football for social integration), Αόρατες Διαδρομές (social walking tours), σχεδία αρτ (upcycled art products), σχεδία home (solidarity hub with cafe and retail), and the English Edition targeting tourists. The ecosystem operates as a platform combining journalism, social services, and social enterprise.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• σχεδία αρτ: Social and environmental program where unused issues of Shedia are reused, redesigned and transformed into high-quality objects such as jewelry, baskets, lamps and home accessories.
• σχεδία home
• Γκολ στη Φτώχεια
• Αόρατες Διαδρομές
• Ένας καφές σε περιμένει
• Συνδρομή Αλληλεγγύης
• VITA
• Νεραντζούλα

Products and services

• Shedia Street Magazine (σχεδία) The only Greek street magazine, published monthly on the last Wednesday of each month, sold on the streets of Athens and Thessaloniki by accredited vendors from vulnerable social groups at €5.00 per copy. 54% (€2.70) goes directly to the vendor, with €1.64 net income after tax and social security deductions.
• Shedia English Edition English-language edition of the Shedia street magazine launched in June 2021, targeting tourists and migrants in Greece. Distributed at partner venues (Benaki Museum, EMST, hotels, hostels, cafés).
• Shedia Art Upcycled Products (σχεδία αρτ) Social and environmental program where unsold magazine issues are reused, redesigned and transformed into high-quality objects (jewelry, baskets, lamps, home accessories, pencils) by trained homeless artisans. Products sold via the Shedia Home showroom and shediahome.gr online store.
• Shedia Home (σχεδία home) Café/Bar/Restaurant & Showroom Solidarity and applied social innovation hub in central Athens (Kolokotroni 56 & Nikiou 2) housing a café/bar/restaurant and the Shedia Art retail showroom. Open to the public, with revenue supporting social programs.
• Athens Social Walking Tours (Αόρατες Διαδρομές / Invisible Routes) Paid guided social walking tours in central Athens led by current and former homeless guides, providing both income for guides and a deeper view of the city. Part of the International Network of Social Tours (INST).
• Solidarity Subscription (Συνδρομή Αλληλεγγύης) Subscription program for the street magazine that supports elderly people in need, providing them with regular magazine deliveries and engagement with the Shedia community.
• Suspended Coffee (Ένας καφές σε περιμένει) Networked campaign where customers can prepay a coffee at participating cafés for someone in need, redeemable at partner locations across Greece.

Quantifiable outcome

• €1.64 net income per copy for vendors (54% of €5.00 sale price)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• iMEdD (incubator for Media, Diversity & Development)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNon-profit journalism organization founded in 2018 with exclusive funding from Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF). Supports Shedia's English edition through its Bridge Pillar program. CEO: Anna Kynthia Bournazou.
• INSP (International Network of Street Papers)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational network of 122 street papers in 41 countries with 14,000 homeless vendors and 6 million readers globally. Shedia is an official member. INSP also founded the Homeless World Cup initiative.
• Homeless World Cup / streetfootballworldcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHomeless World Cup is supported by UEFA and the United Nations. Shedia's Greek Homeless National Team participates annually. streetfootballworld is based in Berlin and serves social football globally. Shedia is an official member of both organizations.
• Planeterra FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal community promoting responsible tourism that supports local social programs with economic and social impact. Shedia is a recent member.
• INST (International Network of Social Tours)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerShedia is a founding member of INST, an international network of social tours that aims to network similar social tours globally, strengthen and create new education and employment prospects for tour guides, and raise awareness about poverty and social exclusion.
• Greek Network for the Right to HousingminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDiogenes NGO (Shedia) is a member of the Greek Network for the Right to Housing.
• McCann (Greece)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of the best international creative agencies in Greece. McCann designed the English edition of Shedia street paper.
• Corporate 'Protected Point-of-Sale' Partners (30+ organizations)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor30+ companies provide 'protected' vendor selling points on their premises (offices, events, buildings), creating safe locations for Shedia vendors to sell the magazine. Partners include: McCANN, 24Media, ActionAid, Asset Ogilvy, Estia Bookstore, Cedefop, Cine Doc, Athens Concert Hall, National Theatre of Northern Greece, Leroy Merlin, Benaki Museum, Nestlé, Novartis, Odeon Cinemas, Olympia Group, Ster Cinemas, Teleperformance, Higgs, and more.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• streetfootballworld: Berlin-based global network supporting social-football organizations (including Homeless World Cup participation). Directly comparable on Shedia's 'Kick Out Poverty' / Greek Homeless National Team program and partner in Homeless World Cup.

Direct peers

• Hus Forbi: Danish street paper founded 1996 in Copenhagen, sold by homeless vendors and now a multi-vertical social enterprise. Highly comparable on European street-paper business model and program layering.
• The Big Issue Australia: Australian sibling of The Big Issue network, sold by homeless vendors and operating adjacent social enterprises. Comparable on magazine distribution economics and homelessness-mission framing.
• L'Itinéraire: Montréal-based street paper (1989) sold by homeless/excluded vendors. Closely comparable on mission, vendor economics, and multi-program social-enterprise diversification that Shedia mirrors.
• Straßenmagazin Augustin: Austrian street paper and social enterprise (Vienna). Comparable on Central-European street-paper category, multi-program social-enterprise structure, and inclusion of training/workshops.
• Megafon: Norwegian street paper (and social enterprise group) operating since 1990 with vendor earnings, café, fairs, and reusable-cup programs. Directly comparable on multi-program structure and northern-European social-enterprise template.
• The Big Issue: The UK's flagship street paper (and group) founded 1991, sold by homeless vendors with proceeds flowing back to sellers. Closest direct analogue to Shedia's street-paper-plus-social-enterprise model and the global benchmark of the category.
• Big Issue South Africa: South African street paper (Big Issue Trust) sold by vendors on the streets of Cape Town, Johannesburg, Pretoria. Highly comparable on street-vendor model and mission focus on dignified income.

Regional players

• Klimaka: Greek NGO providing services for homeless and vulnerable populations. Comparable on Greek homeless-services mission but is a direct services provider rather than a street-paper social enterprise.
• Praksis: Greek NGO supporting homeless and socially excluded populations. Comparable on mission and Greek geography but does not operate a street paper or vendor-distribution business model.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC6zfQDFiy9qSY3stjqAWrrw
• Facebookfacebook.com/shedia.streetpaper
• Instagraminstagram.com/shedia.streetpaper
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/shedia

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 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 Shedia