Social Economy in Europe: Slovak Republic

Table of contents

• The social economy at a glance
• Institutional arrangements across levels of government
• Business development support
• Taxation

The social economy at a glance

 

Recognition
National definition	The social economy is the sum of production, distribution or consumption activities carried out through economic or non-economic activity independently of state authorities, the main goal of which is to achieve a positive social impact (Act No. 112/2018 Coll. On Social Economy and Social Enterprises).
Legal forms and entities of social economy	The subjects of the social economy include civic associations, foundations, non-investment funds, public benefit organisations, religious organisations, trade companies, co-operatives or sole proprietors which: Are not controlled in majority by a state authority, the state authority does not finance them for the most part, does not appoint or elect the statutory body or more than half of its members, and does not appoint or elect more than half of the members of the management body or supervisory body, Are engaged in an economic or non-economic activity within the framework of social economy activities, If they engage in business or perform other gainful activity in accordance with special regulations, they do not perform them exclusively for the purpose of making a profit or use the profit from them in accordance with this Act.
Social economy data overview
Number of Entities	57 012
Of which social enterprises	614
People employed (headcount – annual average)	69 700
Female employees (headcount – annual average)	18 765
Turnover (EUR million)	2 703
Involvement with any social economy organisation as a volunteer in the past five years (% of people interviewed)	13
Number of Memberships	577 918

Note: The data presented in this table derive from the OECD country fact-sheets and the European Commission DG GROW studies. Variations in scope, methodology and most recent available years may lead to differences in the headline figures across countries and with other sources.

Source: Data for Slovak Republic relates to 2021 (CIRIEC; Euricse; European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency (European Commission); Spatial Foresight, 2024[1]) (OECD, 2023[2]), except data on the involvement with any social economy organisation as a volunteer relating to 2020-2025 (European Commission, 2025[3]).

Institutional arrangements across levels of government

In the Slovak Republic, the legal framework for the social economy is defined by the Act on Social Economy and Social Enterprises (112/2018). Act 112/2018 defines the social economy and states the main categories of social enterprises.

National arrangements

Institutions

The Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs and Family oversees social economy policy. Under the Ministry, there is a dedicated Social Economy Section established in May 2024, which is responsible for implementing and monitoring the framework set out in the 2018 Act on the Social Economy and Social Enterprises (Act No. 112/2018 Coll.) (Slovak Republic, 2018[4]). The Central Office of Labour, Social Affairs, and Family and Labour Offices also contribute to social economy development. Public procurement offices can also provide indirect support through socially responsible procurement. The Slovak Business Agency also plays a supportive role, particularly in funding and business development services for social enterprises (OECD, 2023[2]).

Competence

In 2018, the Act on Social Economy and Social Enterprises was approved by the National Council of the Slovak Republic. The Act legally defines social enterprises and outlines their rights and obligations. It also leads the development and execution of national strategies related to inclusive employment and social entrepreneurship. Under this framework, the Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs and Family oversees national projects – implemented by its dedicated agencies – such as the National Project of the Institute of Social Economy in the programming period 2014-20 (EU Funds Slovakia, 2018[5]).

The Ministry is responsible for funding programmes to support social economy entities, including grants, subsidies, and access to financial instruments. It also oversees registration and certification processes for social enterprises, including the awarding of "registered social enterprise" status under the law. The Ministry maintains a Social Economy Register (Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs and Family, n.d[6]). Support programmes are often developed and financed in collaboration with the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), such as the Social Entrepreneurship in Sparsely Populated Areas (SOCENT), a project carried out in Finland, Germany and Spain with the objective to increase the visibility and acceleration of social entrepreneurs in sparsely populated areas. The Ministry will engage in interregional co-operation and awareness-raising activities on social entrepreneurship (Interreg, 2023[7]).

The Central Office of Labour, Social Affairs, and Family under the Ministry plays an important role in implementing employment programmes. These programmes may include employment in social enterprises. Labour Offices also engage with social enterprises through their employment policies to promote job creation and inclusion.

Other institutions can also support social economy development through fiscal incentives and socially responsible public procurement. The Ministry of Finance implements Value Added Tax Act (222/2004) and Income Tax Act 595/2003, which provide tax relief for social enterprises. Finally, public procurement offices implement Act no. 343/2015 to include social considerations in public procurement, thereby promoting sourcing from social economy entities.

Several national agencies provide support for capacity building more broadly, although this is not always specific to the social economy or enterprise. For example, the Slovak Business Agency provides advisory and financial support to social enterprises, especially startups (Slovak Business Agency, 2025[8]).

Subnational arrangements

Institutions

The Slovak Republic is a unitary state with a decentralised public administration system. It is divided into eight self-governing regions (kraj), each with its own regional government and competencies in areas such as regional development, education, and social services (European Committee of the Regions, n.d.[9]).

Regional and local authorities have limited but growing competence in supporting the social economy. The eight self-governing regions—Bratislava, Trnava, Trenčín, Nitra, Žilina, Banská Bystrica, Prešov, and Košice—collaborate with the national government and the Institute of Social Economy through Regional Social Economy Centres. The Act on Regional Development Support (No. 503/2001) implemented by the Ministry of Investments, Regional Development and Informatisation also includes measures to support social economy initiatives in districts of the least developed regions.

Competence

Regional authorities play a supporting role in implementing and co-financing social economy initiatives through regional social economy centres (Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs and Family, 2024[10]). These centres facilitate regional-level support, capacity-building, and networking for social economy enterprises. They support social economy enterprises in meeting the requirements set out by the Act.

Some regional authorities are beginning to incorporate social economy elements into their development strategies, though no region currently has a standalone framework law on social economy. Self-governing regions often co-finance social enterprises through calls under the Integrated Regional Operational Programme or use European Social Fund (ESF+) resources to support employment and social inclusion measures. Some municipalities also incorporate social criteria in public procurement to support local social enterprises.

The Banská Bystrica Self-Governing Region is a notable example. The region has prioritised the development of the social economy within its regional strategy, with a focus on long-term unemployment and disadvantaged Roma individuals (Slovak Business Agency, n.d.[11]; The Innovation in Politics Institute, n.d.[12]). Additionally, the region has implemented free advisory services for social enterprises, advocated for the use of social clauses in public procurement, and introduced a regional brand that includes products and services from social enterprises.

Municipal arrangements

Institutions

Municipalities do not have direct policy competence on the social economy. However, they can play a role in fostering a supportive environment through local strategies and initiatives. Cities such as Bratislava, Košice, and Nitra have been particularly proactive in integrating social economy principles into their local development plans.

Competence

Municipalities and city councils have a role in strategy and action plan setting at the local level. For example, the city of Bratislava has included objectives relevant to the social economy in its local development strategies, namely Bratislava 2030, focusing on creating inclusive communities, providing job opportunities for marginalised groups, and supporting sustainable businesses. In Košice, the city council has integrated social economy objectives into its Košice 2020 Development Strategy, aiming to foster a local ecosystem where social enterprises can thrive by addressing community needs, such as employment for the disadvantaged and social services.

Local authorities also engage in financing and funding social economy projects. The city of Bratislava also provides municipal grants for projects that align with its social inclusion objectives, including supporting local social enterprises and non-profits that provide services for vulnerable groups, such as people with disabilities or the long-term unemployed (City of Bratislava, 2025[13]). Both Košice and Bratislava are also reported to have incorporated social clauses in public procurement to prioritise social enterprises (Brunnerová, 2023[14]).

Municipalities also provide advisory and capacity-building support to local social enterprises. For example, Bratislava works with organisations such as the Slovak Business Agency to provide consulting and mentoring services to local social entrepreneurs, helping them develop business plans and access to funding. Košice has collaborated with local NGOs to create a network that offers training on social entrepreneurship and helps social enterprises with strategic planning and networking opportunities.

Otherwise, municipalities are active in the establishment of their own social enterprises. These are called "municipal social enterprises" (MSE) (European Union, 2021[15]). The municipality of Raslavice has been active in the creation of these kinds of entities.

Co-operation mechanisms

There are limited but growing support bodies for co-ordination across levels of government and between government and representatives of the social economy.

Across multiple public authorities and/or levels of government

There is a Working Group for Employment, Active Labour Market Policy, Youth Guarantee, and Social Economy under the Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs and Family. This group seeks to co-operate on social economy policy across ministries, social economy representatives, networks and academia. The Working Group adopted an Action Plan to support the visibility and recognition of social economy entities (European Commission, 2024[16]).

Established under the National Project of the Institute of Social Economy, the Institute of Social Economy (ISE) was funded by ESF and implemented by the Implementation Agency of the Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs and Family. The project, running from June 2018 to November 2023, aimed to create and verify support systems for the development of the social economy in the Slovak Republic, based on the Act. The project supports the development of social economy infrastructure through education and training of public employment service staff involved in regional employment initiatives (Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs and Family, 2023[17]). The project also aimed to provide free of charge, regionally based technical assistance to potential and starting social enterprises. The Institute also has regional offices to provide support at the regional level and technical assistance to social economy entities.

With social economy representatives

The Alliance for Social Economy in the Slovak Republic (ASES) is an association of social enterprises and other entities that support the social economy and social entrepreneurship. The organisation aims to be not only an umbrella body but a genuine mechanism of co-ordination between national, regional and local levels for the social economy and a permanent representative partner of the public sector.

The Academy of Social Economy is a non-profit organisation which supports social entrepreneurs with training, funding and networking (Academy of Social Economy, n.d.[18]). It partners with national bodies, such as the Institute of Social Economy, local organisations in Bratislava, such as Impact Hub Bratislava and the University of Economics.

Table 1. Overview of institutional arrangements in the Slovak Republic

Governance level	Institution	Policy mandate type	Example
National	Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs and Family Central Office of Labour, Social Affairs, and Family Labour Offices Slovak Business Agency	Legislation and regulation Strategy and action plan setting Registration and certification Training and capacity building Procurement	Act on the Social Economy and Social Enterprises (Act No. 112/2018 Coll.). National Project of the Institute of Social Economy
Subnational	Regional authorities such as Banská Bystrica Self-Governing Region (BBSGR) Regional Social Economy Centres under the Institute of Social Economy	Strategy Funding and finance Capacity building Procurement	Collaborative project with the NGO "People in Need"
Municipal	Municipalities and city councils such as: Bratislava Košice Raslavice	Funding and financing Capacity building Procurement	Municipal Grants (Bratislava) "Municipal Social Enterprises" (MSE) (Raslavice)
Co-operation	Institute of Social Economy Regional Social Economy Centres The Alliance for Social Economy in Slovak Republic (ASES) Academy of Social Economy	Policy advice Partnership building Training	Working Group for Employment, Active Labour Market Policy, Youth Guarantee, and Social Economy

Note: An OECD survey on institutional arrangements circulated in 2024 with national and regional social economy representatives contributed to the findings of this country note.

Business development support

National business support

Support from the public sector

The Ministry of Labour is preparing a long-term Social Economy Action Plan (to 2030) to consolidate and extend support for social enterprises. On the financing side, the state-owned Slovak Investment Holding (SIH) has continued to roll out instruments for the sector. In early 2020 SIH teamed with Slovenská sporiteľňa (one of the oldest banks in Slovak Republic) and Poland’s TISE to offer favourable repayable loans to social enterprises (Slovak Investment Holding, 2020[19]). Building on this, SIH in 2022 allocated EUR 20.9 million (from EU Social Fund resources) to launch two impact investment funds managed by private trustees (the CB ESPRI Impact One fund and the Social Innovators Impact Capital fund) (Slovak Investment Holding, 2022[20]). These equity/quasi-equity funds provide repayable capital to social businesses across Slovak Republic and complement the grant and advisory supports already in place.

Support from the private sector

Several private organisations coexist to support the social economy with capacity building, business development and funding instruments. For instance, Coop Produkt Slovensko supports and promotes the interests of Slovak co-operatives through representing co-operatives in negotiations with the state, providing consultancy and business support to foster growth, and organising training programs, seminars, and workshops to enhance co-operative management. The association also facilitates co-operation and networking among co-operatives, both domestically and internationally, while offering economic and legal advisory services to help co-operatives navigate financial and regulatory challenges (Coop Produkt Slovensko, n.d.[21]).

Foundations play an important role in funding social economy entities at the national level, providing important resources to support their operations, scale their impact and foster social innovation. Pontis Foundation is one of the largest grant-making foundations in Slovak Republic, which fosters positive connections between the corporate, public and third sectors. Its mission is focused on implementing social innovation, supporting philanthropy initiatives, and promoting corporate social responsibility and sustainable business practices (Pontis Foundation, n.d.[22]). Impact Lab, a programme developed by Pontis Foundation, aims to support civil organisations to develop and mature their ideas, providing them with community tools such as workshops and mentoring activities. The incubator programme, designed for early-stage organisations, offers training, networking opportunities and financial support up to EUR 30 000 per project. Meanwhile, the accelerator programme, tailored for established organisations, provides training and mentoring, supports business model development, and conducts fundraising and impact measurement, with financial support of up to EUR 60 000 per project (Pontis Foundation, n.d.[23]) (European Commission, n.d.[24]).

New private-sector networks and funding schemes have also emerged. For example, competitions and incubator programmes such as the Social Impact Award Slovak Republic (backed by foundations like Pontis) provide training, mentoring and seed funding to early-stage social ventures (European Commission, 2025[25]).

Subnational business support

Support from the public sector

Regional Centres for Social Economy were established and operated through the national project 'Institute of Social Economy' to provide social enterprises (existing and prospective) with free, professional advisory services. The centres play an important role in helping social entrepreneurs navigate the registration process for social enterprise status (Koreňová and Pčolinská, 2024[26]). Moreover, the Development Agency of the Banská Bystrica Self-Governing Region (RABBSK) promotes regional development with a focus on employment, innovation and education. RABBSK has developed a regional strategy for the social economy, and they support social enterprises obtain funding, improve operations and gain market visibility through regional branding initiatives (European Social Network, n.d.[27]).

Support from the private sector

Some foundations actively support the social economy at regional level. The Carpathian Foundation, a regional non-profit organisation, aims to foster community development and create social impact in Eastern Slovak Republic, particularly in the Košice and Prešov regions. It distributes grants and supports a variety of community projects, while also managing several endowment funds and supporting community development and employee-driven projects. The foundation is a member of the International Carpathian Foundation Network and Transnational Giving Europe, facilitating cross-border philanthropic efforts (Carpathian Foundation, n.d.[28]).

Taxation

Eligibility for preferential tax treatment

Definition of public interest

The concept of public interest is defined under Act No. 112/2018 Coll. on the Social Economy and Social Enterprises (Slovak Republic, 2018[29]). Section 2(4) specifies that fulfilment of public interest consists of providing socially beneficial services to the community or to vulnerable groups. These include, inter alia, the provision of healthcare, social assistance, protection of human rights, education, environmental protection and regional development.

Economic activities

Pursuant to Section 4 of Act No. 112/2018 Coll., social economy entities may carry out economic activities, provided they meet specific criteria, including:

• Operational independence from public authorities.

• Engagement in activities within the framework of the social economy.

• Profit not being the sole objective, with income reinvested into social purposes.

Eligible legal forms include civic associations, foundations, non-investment funds, non-profit organisations, religious purpose organisations, co-operatives, business companies and individual entrepreneurs who are employers.

Tax treatment of social economy entities

Preferential business income tax treatment

Business tax exemption or a reduced rate for social economy entities

Description

✓ Yes, with limitations

Under Section 30d of the Income Tax Act No. 595/2003 Coll., registered social economy entities are entitled to corporate tax relief proportional to the percentage of post-tax profit committed to achieving their primary social objectives. A minimum of 50% of profits must be used for such purposes to maintain eligibility. This relief is only available for tax years in which the entity holds registered status as of the last day of the tax period. It cannot be combined with other forms of tax relief under Sections 30a, 30b, or 30c of the same Act. Donations and grants are not subject to income tax for recipients, according to Section 3(2)(a) and Section 12(7)(b) of Act No. 595/2003 Coll. Co-operatives may also qualify as social economy entities, provided they meet the criteria of Act No. 112/2018 Coll., including non-profit orientation and operational independence. When registered under this framework, they are entitled to the same preferential tax treatment as other eligible entities.

Source: (OECD, 2023[2]) (Slovak Republic, 2003[30]) (Slovak Republic, 2018[29])

Other tax measures for the activities of the organisation

VAT exemption or reduced rate	Exemption from or reduction in social security contributions	Tax exemptions from gift and inheritance taxes
✓ Yes1	✓ Yes, with limitations2	N/A

Source: (Slovak Republic, 2004[31]) (Slovak Republic, 2003[30]) (Slovak Republic, 2004[32])

Tax measures for supporting social economy entities

Individual donors

Tax incentives for individual donors	Description
✓ Yes, with limitations	Slovak Republic does not provide direct tax deductions for individual donors. However, under Section 50 of the Income Tax Act (No. 595/2003 Coll.), individuals may assign 2% of their paid income tax to qualified non-profit entities. Volunteers contributing more than 40 hours of service may assign up to 3%. This mechanism does not reduce taxable income or tax liability.

Source: (Slovak Republic, 2003[30])

Corporate donors

Tax incentives for corporate donors	Description
✓ Yes, with limitations	Under Section 50(1)(b) of the Income Tax Act, legal entities may assign 2% of their paid tax to a public benefit organisation if they have also donated at least 0.5% of their tax base to an eligible recipient. Otherwise, only 1% may be assigned. This mechanism is not a tax deduction but a redirection of paid tax.

Source: (Slovak Republic, 2003[30])

Investors

Tax incentives for investors	Description
⨉ No

Reporting and transparency

Registered social economy entities are subject to specific reporting and accounting obligations under Act No. 112/2018 Coll. (Slovak Republic, 2018[29]) and other applicable legislation.

• Accounting requirements: Entities must use double-entry bookkeeping from the accounting period following their registration. Activities related to the social economy must be tracked separately, using analytical accounts or subsidiary records.

• Annual reporting: Each entity must prepare and submit an annual report within seven months of the end of the accounting period. The report must comply with Section 15(2) of the Act and include:

  • Activities carried out during the year

  • Their alignment with strategic objectives

  • Details on donations and other income

  • Overall financial performance

These obligations aim to ensure transparency, traceability, and accountability in the use of resources by social economy entities.

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Notes

← 1.  A reduced VAT rate of 5% applies to goods and services supplied by registered social economy entities that allocate 100% of their after-tax profit to their social purpose, according to Section 27(3) of Act No. 222/2004 Coll. on VAT (Slovak Republic, 2004[31]).

← 2.  No general exemptions apply, but reduced health insurance rates apply for employment of persons with disabilities, according to Section 12 and Section 38ezg of Act No. 580/2004 Coll. (Slovak Republic, 2004[32])