Research ministry gets special representative for social innovations

Socialbee founder Zahra Bruhn is to be responsible for promoting social enterprises in the future. The ministry is thus fulfilling a promise made in the coalition agreement.

The Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) is getting a special representative for social innovations. The newly created post will be taken over by Socialbee founder Zarah Bruhn, as the Handelsblatt reports. The ministry confirmed the personnel matter to the newspaper.

The ministry, led by FDP politician Bettina Stark-Watzinger, is thus implementing a promise from the coalition agreement. In this agreement, the SPD, the Greens and the FDP committed themselves to providing greater support for public welfare-oriented companies and social innovations. Social enterprises such as Socialbee usually work on a non-profit basis and try to solve social problems.

In her new role, Bruhn wants to organize more capital for social startups and open up federal funding programs to them. Her own company, which helps place refugees in jobs, has so far been financed primarily through donations and loans, she said. In her new position, she will not receive a salary, but only an expense allowance.