Overview
About ADV Romania
ADV Romania represents a group of connected social enterprises: Alaturi de Voi Romania Foundation, UtilDeco, WISE.travel, JobDirect, OPYA, Social Finance Association & AFIN.
Our mission is to promote and develop the social economy & advance inclusion for people with disabilities and vulnerable groups.
ADV implements programs at national & EU level and is recognized as a resource center bridging Eastern & Western Europe through social innovation and sustainable impact.
Since 2002, we’ve built a fully integrated ecosystem: social enterprises, education programs, financial tools and policy initiatives to support vulnerable groups and promote social entrepreneurship.
🧩 Key Milestones
2004 – Youth Club – day center for youth with disabilities
2008 – UtilDeco – WISE & protected authorized unit, 150+ jobs created for people with disabilities and vulnerable groups
2016 – JobDirect: first job placement agency for people with disabilities in Romania
2017 – WISE.travel: social enterprise & travel broker
2018 – ADV Academy
2019 – Accelerator of Social Enterprises
2021 – OPYA: specialty coffee roastery with social employment
2022 – AFIN: Romania’s first non-bank financial institution dedicated to social enterprises
2022 – SFA: promoting social finance & investment
2025 – Digital Innovation Hub for social enterprises
• 100+ projects (€33M+) funded through EU & self-generated funds reinvested from our SEs economic activities
• 42 social enterprises launched in Romania, 5 in Moldova, 1 in Ukraine & 21 new SE start-ups launched in 2025
• Accelerator of Social Enterprises Cluster (70+ members)
• Cross-border social economy center (RO–MD–UA)
• Enterprising for Tomorrow - European Social Economy Conference
• 2016 Social Entrepreneur of the Year by EY Entrepreneur of the Year
• Advocacy & shaping national and EU social economy policies, with seats in representative commissions & networks: RISE Romania, ENSIE, EASPD, DIESIS, Social Economy Europe, D-WISE, Pact for Skills