The name already says a lot: Frolla Microbiscottificio. The essential, however, is invisible to the eye … Behind the name of this company lies a particular story that came to life in 2018: to be precise on May 12, in Osimo, in the province of Ancona. Jacopo Corona, 26, pastry chef, and Gianluca Di Lorenzo, 40, social worker, are two friends who have a clear but challenging business plan: to create a social cooperative to provide socially disadvantaged people with a path to work placement. .
Everything takes shape more and more, just like a biscuit, after meeting Silvia Spegne, mother of a boy with disabilities: the team decides to produce biscuits with children with disabilities.
The initial crowdfunding
Meanwhile, the initiative finds its place in the Ancona business incubator and decides to rely on crowdfunding to find the necessary resources and open the laboratory. In the area, this financing system is not really a novelty but almost, as Jacopo Corona says: «We were a bit afraid, because we didn’t know if it would be successful. Instead, there was interest, there was a sort of word of mouth and a great sense of community was created ». There was no lack of gestures and particular supports: «An elderly lady, in order to show her support, made us have a donut. From an economic point of view, however, the first campaign raised 12 thousand euros. We also had the support of a group of important local entrepreneurs, who also provided concrete support with the supply of raw materials and the requalified premises to set up the business ».
Human value and turnover
Frolla Microbiscottificio becomes a concrete experience, with a team of 18 disabled children, in perfect harmony with the provisions of the law, i.e. one disabled person for every 3 employees. Work shifts are based on 4-hour rotations, from Tuesday to Sunday. “The rotation was a very specific choice: in this way, more and more stimuli are created among the children and in doing so a precious contribution is made to their growth and the development of their curiosity” explain the protagonists, underlining that in this initiative it is the human value that affects productivity. Around 150 bags of cookies are packed every day.
It is clear from the numbers that the initiative started by Corona and Di Lorenzo has hit the mark. The turnover, in fact, grows every year: 105 thousand euros in 2019, 175 thousand in 2020 and 235 thousand euros in the last financial year.