#kinstellar

The Ministry of Investments, Regional Development and Informatization of the Slovak Republic has submitted a proposal to amend the Act on Information Technologies in Public Administration. Its aim is to strengthen the management of the state's digital assets, increase cybersecurity resilience, and introduce clear rules for the use of artificial intelligence in public administration.

From the state’s perspective, this is an ambitious reform, but for IT solution suppliers, it introduces numerous negative consequences that fundamentally change the existing contractual practices and business environment. Below is a summary of the key changes and their practical impacts on businesses.

1. Special copyright regime for public sector information technologies

A key change is the introduction of a special regime for exercising proprietary rights under the Copyright Act. Public authorities will automatically and unconditionally acquire full proprietary rights to software and databases developed with public funds.

Unlike Employee Works, suppliers will no longer be able to contractually restrict how the public sector can use such works. The state will be entitled to use the software without additional licensing fees, modify its code, and even authorise other public entities to use it.

While this regime aligns with open-source trends, it opens the door to several problems and ambiguities, particularly regarding:

(i)   practical management of copyrights,

(ii)  rights of third parties whose content is incorporated into the work, and

(iii) the scope of information and database content considered part of the deliverable.

2. New contractual conditions and supplier warning

The amendment mandates that public procurers only accept contractual terms that reflect the new regime. This results in a significant loss of negotiation leverage and contractual flexibility for suppliers. The law explicitly requires IT project contracts to include:

Unlimited rights of the state to the work – The public customer will obtain full proprietary rights to the created software or database, including source code. Suppliers may not impose any restrictions on its use by public authorities.

Exclusive data control – The state will be the sole and exclusive controller of all data collected or generated during the project and its operation. Suppliers will have no rights to use production system data.

Obligation to cooperate during supplier transitions – The original supplier must provide maximum cooperation during a transition to a new supplier, especially by handing over documentation, architecture, and assisting with system migration and integration.

Mandatory integration support – If a new information system is to be integrated with an existing one, the original supplier is obliged to cooperate to the necessary extent (e.g., for data migration or system interconnection).

Warning to suppliers: These changes significantly increase requirements for openness and cooperation and could fundamentally disrupt suppliers’ business models. Suppliers must hand over complete source code and documentation and accept that their outputs may be shared with competitors, even during system maintenance or further development.

This proposed regulation will thus have a substantial negative impact on the contractual freedom between customers and suppliers and limit the range of options available to public buyers, potentially leading to higher costs for IT system management.

3. Other changes

Artificial Intelligence Act and the Data Act – The bill partially implements the EU’s AI Act and Data Act. AI systems must remain under human oversight and must not endanger citizens’ rights and freedoms. The public must be clearly informed when AI is used (e.g., when interacting with a chatbot).

Cybersecurity – Public authorities will be subject to stricter security standards. Suppliers must prepare for increased compliance requirements, including mandatory incident reporting and integration with CSIRT teams.

4. Transitional period

The new rules will not apply retroactively. They will be mandatory only for contracts signed from 2026 onward. Existing contracts remain unchanged, but when extended or updated, it is advisable to align them with the new framework.

While the proposed amendment marks a major step toward a more modern, secure, and efficient digital public administration for the state, IT suppliers should urgently review their business and technical strategies and prepare for new requirements that will become standard in public sector contracts.

For More Information Visit Our Website: https://kinstellar.com/

Martin Baraniak Managing Associate

+421 2 5929 [email protected]

Lukáš A. Mrázik Managing Associate

In the first quarter of 2025, the Romanian Competition Council (“RCC”) published several significant decisions, launched new investigations, and imposed fines in cases involving abuse of dominant position, price coordination, and other anticompetitive practices.

1. New FDI Guidelines

In February the RCC published the draft FDI guidelines (the “Guidelines”), which were up for public consultation until mid-March. The Guidelines aim to clarify the method for the calculation of the investment value in different types of transactions, such as share deals, share capital contributions, multi-jurisdictional transactions, or in case of a loan or financing by an investor.

Furthermore, the Guidelines clarify that it is possible to file based on a preliminary agreement, such as a Letter of Intent or a Memorandum of Understanding, provided that the agreement clearly shows the parties’ intention to carry out the investment.

Additionally, the Guidelines also aim to define the concept of “control” in the context of foreign investments, aligning it with the definition used in merger control proceedings.

2. Mergers & acquisitions

The RCC published nine decisions authorising economic concentrations across various sectors, including insurance, DIY products, automotive retail and power generation, transmission and distribution. Additionally, the RCC approved the transaction under which the oil company OMV Petrom outsources certain transport services along with related personnel.

3. Investigations

Investigation into LPG port operating services market

In January, the RCC initiated an investigation into a local company active in the liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) port operating services market (i.e., Octogon Gas S.R.L. and its parent company, NSS Oil & Gas S.R.L.) for alleged abuse of dominant position by refusing to provide services to a client without any objective justification. The RCC carried out dawn raids at the headquarters of both companies.

Investigation into the residential construction services market

In February, the RCC announced the launch of an investigation into three companies operating on the construction services market, focusing on potential bid-rigging activities in tenders organised by the National Housing Agency (Agentia Nationala pentru Locuinte). The companies may have coordinated their actions in order to divide the market. Should the RCC identify a breach of competition rules, the companies could face fines of up to 10% of their turnover.

Fine for abuse of dominant position in the COPD medication market

The RCC has fined pharmaceutical company Boehringer Ingelheim RCV Gmbh & Co KG roughly EUR 26 million for abusing its dominant position in the market for medications treating chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Between 2017 and 2021 the company restricted market access to the cheaper generic version of a specific drug. The investigation was initiated following information received through RCC’s whistleblowing platform.

Fine for price coordination in the cement market

The RCC has imposed a total fine of approximately EUR 44 million on three companies active on the cement market (i.e., Holcim Romania S.A., Romcim S.A., and Heidelberg Materials Romania S.A.) for coordinating pricing policies. The three cement producers exchanged sensitive information through their clients, including future prices, discounts, payment conditions and volumes. This information was then used to coordinate pricing policies, reducing competition and leading to higher cement prices compared to neighbouring countries.

For more information visit our website: https://kinstellar.com/

Luiza Bedros Associated Partner

+40 21 307 [email protected]

Catalin Graure Counsel

+40 21 307 1640 [email protected]

Cristina Costin Junior Associate

ESG at Kinstellar is not a trendy catchphrase. It represents the everyday world of compliance, risk-assessment, litigation, deal-making and proactive strategy building that we’ve excelled at for years.  What’s more, our own commitment to ESG values has always been central to our firm culture and sets us apart from our competitors.

Environmental, social and governance law firm  (ESG) issues have become a critical part of the decision-making process for an increasing number of companies, their boards and investors worldwide.

The growing reach of regulatory requirements in areas such as anti-corruption, personal data protection and the environment combined with an increasing public awareness of ESG-related issues are causing companies in virtually all industries and sectors to re-think their strategies and priorities. Kinstellar’s cross-border expertise helps clients navigate the multidisciplinary challenges of the ESG landscape by mitigating risk and enhancing value.

Our approach to ESG is forward-leaning and draws on our experienced team of regulatory, transactional, and litigation practitioners, who combine in-depth legal expertise with a strong commercial focus to help clients align their activities with the many facets of ESG, including responsible investment, sustainability, and corporate integrity issues.

How can we help?

Kinstellar helps clients to identify and minimise risk.

Environmental

air & water quality

chemical regulation & contaminated properties

climate change

construction & planning

energy & infrastructure projects siting and development

energy regulatory

environmental implications in transactional work

environmental litigation

industrial investments

product liability, mass torts & consumer class actions

public administrative law

environmental fees and taxes

waste, water & transportation regulatory

Social

equity, diversity and inclusion

employment and labour relations

human rights protection

community engagement

corporate reputation management

supply chain management

Governance

corporate governance, diversity, best practices and transparency

Investor relations and public disclosure compliance

compliance and internal controls

According to the official website of the Government of Kazakhstan, the Agency of the Republic of Kazakhstan for Regulation and Development of the Financial Market is working on a new legislative proposal with the goal of broadening the participation of retail investors in collective investment schemes (the "CIS") across Kazakhstan. Currently, the CIS retail business is mainly possible within the Astana International Financial Centre (AIFC). While this could be seen as competition with the AIFC, in the long term, the adoption of such a law will help create a solid platform for the development of funds not only within the AIFC but also throughout Kazakhstan.

In these proposed innovations, we see the influence of the flexible regime for collective investments existing in the AIFC. It's evident that the current regime in Kazakhstan is not as flexible, and therefore, the introduction of these innovations (as mentioned on the Government's website) is a positive step forward. Investors may still choose the AIFC due to various existing tax incentives there. However, these innovations could potentially open doors for investors within Kazakhstan, generally, as well.

The draft law outlines three major innovations:

Expansion of Capital Sources: The new law firm will allow the creation of funds in any organizational and legal form. Existing legislation (i.e., in Kazakhstan outside of the AIFC) permits the establishment of funds only in two forms – unit investment funds and joint-stock investment funds. Upon the law’s adoption, founders will have the option to establish funds in any form, including limited liability partnerships, limited partnerships, and simple partnerships. This flexibility is currently available only within the AIFC.

New Fund Classification Based on Investor Qualification: Funds will be classified into two categories – securities investment funds and alternative investment funds. Access to securities investment funds will be available to both qualified and non-qualified investors, as these funds will invest in highly liquid and low-risk instruments. Conversely, alternative investment funds will be accessible only to qualified investors due to their riskier management strategies. This will ensure the proper protection of non-qualified investors' rights and interests while expanding investment opportunities for qualified investors. Again, this flexibility currently exists within the AIFC, and extending it to the general regime in Kazakhstan will undoubtedly boost the development of funds within Kazakhstan.

Increased Transparency for Alternative Investment Funds: Requirements for accounting registration with the authorised state body and disclosure of information will be introduced for alternative investment funds. Currently, reporting requirements apply only to professional securities market participants managing unit and joint-stock investment funds.

According to the World Bank experts, the adoption of this law will positively impact the further development of the collective investment market by creating a regulatory environment understandable to foreign investors and aligned with best international practices. The regulatory approaches outlined in the draft law will allow Kazakhstani investment and venture funds to be included in the UCITS (Undertakings for Collective Investment in Transferable Securities) and AIF (Alternative Investment Funds) indices, thereby attracting foreign investments.

The AIFC's Influence on the new legislative framework may establish a pivotal foundation for Kazakhstan's investment landscape. By embracing a comprehensive legislative overhaul, kinstellar Kazakhstan may enhance accessibility to investment vehicles beyond the AIFC and attract global investors through transparent and aligned regulatory frameworks. These initiatives may position Kazakhstan on a trajectory towards broader economic integration and heightened investment attractiveness, promising a future where retail investors can thrive in a dynamic and inclusive financial environment.

While it is still early to assess the full impact of these innovations, the fact that such measures are being considered is a positive indicator of progress in financial market development.

Kinstellar supports professional growth by offering a broad range of career development opportunities for our team, including the role of sector/service line head or co-head. We provide growth opportunities to all of our talented lawyers with the relevant experience and an outstanding track record.

We are delighted to announce the following appointments:

Csilla Andrékó, Partner in our Budapest office, is the Co-Head of the firm-wide Banking & Finance Service Line. Csilla is one of the founders of the Firm and the former Managing Partner of the Budapest office. Csilla also served as the head of the regional Banking & Finance and Restructuring & Insolvency Service Lines. She retired from active practice last year, but has remained close to the firm and is a valued mentor to our team. Csilla has agreed to step out of retirement to help refresh and guide our Banking & Finance service line.

Csilla has over 30 years of experience in project and acquisition finance, restructuring and insolvency matters, PPP/PFI finance, international banking and syndicated lending as well as in capital markets. She is a leading name and authority among her peers with an outstanding career, and we are confident that, under her guidance, we will continue building a strong and acknowledged service.

Magdalena Răducanu, Special Counsel in our Bucharest office, is the Co-Head of the firm-wide Banking & Finance Service Line. She has more than 22 years of experience advising leading banks, financial institutions and borrowers on banking and finance matters. Since joining the Firm and our Banking & Finance Service Line in 2021, Magdalena has advised or coordinated banking mandates totalling EUR 4 billion.

Magdalena has expertise in a broad range of banking and finance matters, having dedicated her focus exclusively to this area and to financial regulatory matters. Lately, she has focused significant efforts assisting banks on various ESG-related mandates.

Miloš Velimirović, the Managing Partner of our Belgrade office, is the Co-Head of the firm-wide Financial Institutions sector. He co-leads the sector alongside Diana Dimova, Managing Partner of our Sofia office.

With more than 15 years of experience in banking & finance, Miloš has advised companies and financial institutions on issues associated with the regulation of the financial services sector and on M&A, data protection, project financing, and other general matters. He has participated in complex financial transactions of corporate clients, government, municipalities, and state-owned entities with a total value of over EUR 2 billion. Miloš is particularly active in investment funds regulatory matters and the fintech industry.

Before joining SOG Law Firm and subsequently Kinstellar, Miloš worked as the Head of Serbia’s Public Finance Department, served as a member of the Credit Committee at Hypo Alpe-Adria Bank, and was Finance Specialist at the World Bank Competitiveness and Jobs project. His combined education in law, finance, and business, as well as his background in banking, enable him to provide clients with comprehensive advice. His experience in public offices and position with the World Bank make him well positioned to advise clients cooperating with public authorities and institutions.

Jan Lehký, Counsel in our Prague office, is the Co-Head of the firm-wide Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) service line. He co-leads the sector alongside Olena Kuchynska, Managing Partner of our Kyiv office.

With more than 15 years of experience, Jan focuses on a range of ESG and regulatory issues with a focus on helping investors with ESG and governance strategies, including navigating ESG transparency, ESG disclosures and reporting, environmental regulation, circular economy issues, ESG litigation risk, and ESG-related obligations and risk assessments. His expertise also includes structuring real estate transactions, such as acquisitions of real estate portfolios, construction law, and the permitting process during various stages of development, as well as advising on high-value, long-term lease agreements, title insurance, litigation, and general commercial and contract law.

Lukáš Mrázik, Managing Associate in our Bratislava office and Co-Head of the firm-wide Data & Cybersecurity service line, is also Co-Head of the firm-wide Technology, Media & Telecommunications (TMT) sector. He co-leads the sector alongside Viliam Myšička, Partner in our Bratislava office.

Lukáš has over eight years of experience focusing on the Technology, Media & Telecommunications and Life Sciences & Healthcare sectors, with particular expertise in data protection, intellectual property and corporate matters. Lukáš holds CIPP/E, CIPT and CIPP/US certifications awarded by the International Association of Privacy Professionals.

Prior to joining Kinstellar, he worked in London as an Associate at a global consulting firm owned by a leading technology company, where he assisted on privacy and data protection issues and all aspects of GDPR implementation.

Iustinian Captariu, Partner in our Bucharest office, is the Head of the firm-wide Energy & Natural Resources sector and service line. 

Iustin has over 15 years of experience advising local and international clients on all aspects of energy law, including energy M&A, renewable investments and developments, upstream projects, joint-ventures, reorganisations, disputes, licensing, and all types of regulatory matters.

Lukáš Ševčík, the Managing Partner of the Prague office and the firm-wide Head of the Defence & Security sector, has been appointed to lead our German Desk.

Lukáš is a German-qualified lawyer, educated and trained in Germany and is a member of the Frankfurt Bar Association. He has 30 years of experience advising international clients on their investments and divestitures in CEE.  For further reference, please also visit our dedicated German Desk webpage (in German).

Lukáš Ševčík Managing Partner

+420 221 622 [email protected]

Miloš Velimirović Managing Partner

Kinstellar is delighted to announce that KristófFerenczi has been appointed as new Firm Managing Partner effective from 1 January 2024. He will succeed PatrikBolf, who will take on a new position within the Firm focusing on certain firm-wide projects, after having spent a very successful six years in the role.

KristófFerenczi has extensive executive management experience having served on Kinstellar’s Firm Management Committee since 2018 and as the Managing Partner of the Firm’s Budapest office. With over 20 years of experience, Kristóf has been with Kinstellar since the Firm’s foundation 15 years ago, and prior to that with Linklaters and DLA Piper.

Kristóf is a very well-regarded energy sector specialist and has served for many years as Head of Kinstellar’s energy sector team, building a successful and respected firm-wide energy sector practice. Kristóf has been consistently recognised as a Top Tier lawyer by the leading international legal directories Chambers Europe, Legal 500, IFLR1000 and other benchmark publications. His leadership, strategic vision, and dedication to the Firm have earned him a reputation as a respected and accomplished professional among his colleagues, clients and peers. 

In his new role, Kristóf will seek to drive innovation and growth, focus on keeping clients’ needs at the centre of everything Kinstellar does and thereby further enhancing the firm’s excellent standing across the dynamically changing business environments of Central and South-Eastern Europe and Central Asia.

BalázsSepsey will succeed KristófFerenczi as Office Managing Partnerof Kinstellar’s Budapest office as of 1 January 2024.

For more information, please contact Adela Ene at [email protected].

KristófFerenczi Managing Partner

Autor: Juraj Bobula, Martin Simon

Veľa ľudí, najmä nadšencov, sa s vervou púšťa do nových projektov. Majú chuť pracovať, pomáhať, meniť svet a nepoznajú prekážky. Asi je to dobre, ale každá iniciatíva skôr či neskôr narazí na stav, v ktorom sa vzdiali entuziazmu a ideálom a začne sa zameriavať na vlastné prežitie. To je napokon vo výraznejšej korelácii s dlhodobou a systematickou prácou s klientmi (užívateľmi našich služieb).

V KASPIAN-e takáto situácia nastala, keď program v roku 2007 stratil väčšinového donora z USA a stál pred otázkou, ako ďalej. Poučenie bolo jednoznačné. Hneď od začiatku diverzifikovať zdroje, nedovoliť, aby sa organizácia stala závislou od jediného darcu a snažiť sa o vzájomnú rovnováhu týchto zdrojov, prípadne tento pomer predikovať.  Aj preto v tom čase KASPIAN nadviazal doteraz existujúce partnerstvo s firmou, ktoré mu pomohlo prežiť a naštartovať novú éru. Začal hľadať v ziskovom sektore partnerov, ktorí by mu zdroje, ktoré potrebuje vedeli zabezpečiť. Zároveň tým celkom prirodzene začal aktívne vystupovať aj ako potenciálny partner pre ďalšie korporátne subjekty.

Advokátska kancelária Kinstellar (ktorej tím v tom čase pôsobil na trhu pod inou, globálnou značkou) mala už vtedy fungujúci program komunitného investovania, v rámci ktorého firma vyhradila finančné prostriedky na priame darcovstvo a na rozvoj dobrovoľníckych a darcovských aktivít, pričom mala na to vlastný vyhradený tím. Jasne definovaný cieľ bol “pomôcť znevýhodneným skupinám, najmä mladým ľuďom, dosiahnuť plnosť svojho potenciálu.” Projekt nízkoprahového klubu a terénnej práce (KASPIAN) do plnenia tohto cieľa zapadal, aj keď trvalo dlhší čas, kým tím komunitného investovania dokázal uchopiť zásady a zmysel nízkoprahu a odlíšiť ho od klasického voľnočasového projektu pre deti a mladých.

Ľudia z firmy mali prvotnú veľmi dobrú skúsenosť s akciou, ktorú pre deti a mladých z nízkoprahu zorganizovali: prekvapila ich rýchla a pružná komunikácia so sociálnymi pracovníkmi pri organizácii akcie, to, že neziskovka prišla na akciu “pripravená” a potešila pozitívna spätná väzba a poďakovanie KASPIANu po akcii. Začala sa budovať dôvera, a tak keď o polroka prišiel KASPIAN so správou o strate hlavného donora a potrebe financovania vpreklenovacom období svojho osamostatnenia, časť potrebných zdrojov zabezpečil práve tím pre komunitné investovanie. Právnici firmy zároveň pomohli pri vypracovaní a analýze stanov a zakladateľských dokumentov samostatného subjektu, či pri riešení vzniknutých otázok ohľadne oddelenia sa od pôvodnej materskej organizácie. Inými slovami: neziskový partner priniesol na stôl problém a firma, zvyknutá riešiť problémy každý deň poskytla nielen svoje vyhradené finančné zdroje, ale aj svoje know-how, expertízu a čas svojich ľudí.

Spolupráca s firemným partnerom teda neznamená len benefity vo forme konkrétnej hotovosti, prípadne služieb a produktov, ktoré nebudú neziskovú organizáciu nič stáť. Od firmy môže očakávať aj iné formy podpory:

Finančná

 - priame granty

- asignácia dane (2%) 

Vecné dary (in kind) 

- napr. produkty alebo vyradená IT či technika/autá, kancelársky nábytok apod.

Dobrovoľníctvo 

- manuálne (napr. natretie plota, vymaľovanie interiéru, upratanie priestorov atď.)

- “skills-based” (pomoc založená na expertíze jednotlivých zamestnancov:

právne poradenstvo pro bono, preklady, pomoc s propagáciou, stratégiou, manažmentom, účtovníctvom, IT atď.)

Krátka vsuvka od Martina: “Osobne nerád hovorím o darcovstve, pretože obdarovaný v tomto procese naoko nepôsobí aktívne, zatiaľ čo darca je ten, ktorý má možnosti a očakáva sa od neho akcia, ktorá je v ideálnom prípade v prospech obdarovaného. Radšej používam spojenie firemné partnerstvo, ktoré je už významom slova spolupráca, ktorá je v tomto vzťahu kľúčová. Pre neziskovú iniciatívu je dôležité, aby dokázala dobre a jasne pomenovať svoje potreby a pre firemného partnera, aby tieto potreby reflektoval, nechal si poradiť a efektívne zasiahol.”

Mýty o firemnom darcovstve

● Firma pomôže organizácii

Firma pomôže Vaším klientom. Ľudia vo firmách - ani firmy samotné nemajú záujem dotovať Vašu prevádzku (na efektivitu ktorej môžu mať vlastný, často veľmi jasný názor), platy zamestnancov (hoci panuje všeobecné presvedčenie, že ľudia v neziskovom sektore “žijú z nadšenia pre vec samu” a peniaze nepotrebujú), ani réžie. Firma chce predovšetkým pomôcť zlepšiť život cieľovej skupine, s ktorou pracujete.

● Stačí sa úspešne predať

Nestačí. Spolupráca s firmou nepríde sama, ani partnerstvo “nespadne z neba” za deň, týždeň, ba ani rok. Keď sa rozhodnete pre spoluprácu s firemným partnerom a úspešne začnete spolu vzájomne komunikovať, aktívne sa púšťate do dobrodružstva, do ktorého budete musieť nasadiť veľa síl a udržať ho pod kontrolou. Hlavne na začiatku môžete mať často oprávnený pocit, že vaša námaha je márna.

● Firma je donor, my sme len príjemcovia

Áno, ak sa nechcete vo vzťahu pohnúť ani o milimeter dopredu, toto bude váš model fungovania. V každom inom prípade pôjde o vzťah dvoch strán - rovnocenných partnerov, z ktorých ani jeden nie je výlučným “príjemcom” či “poskytovateľom” pomoci.Je to podobné ako napríklad komunikácia na sociálnych sieťach. V prvom momente nič nestojí, ale keď sa rozhodnete využívať ju, rýchlo zistíte, že ľudské zdroje, obsah a materiál, ktorý v komunikácii využívate je pre vás vo finále nemalým nákladom. Rovnako budete na vzájomnú komunikáciu a “eventy” s firemným partnerom potrebovať ľudí, čas a aj peniaze. Preto si pred rozhodnutím pre budovanie partnerstva s firmou  potrebujete sami pre seba vyjasniť, aké budú Vaše náklady. Takéto rozhodnutie však určite stojí za to, najmä ak na druhej strane stretnete rovnako ochotného a seriózneho korporátneho partnera, ktorý vidí veci tak isto alebo aspoň veľmi podobne.

● Firma len čaká, že sa ozvem  

Nič nie je ďalej od pravdy. Často treba veľa trpezlivosti, kým sa “dobúchate na tie správne dvere”. Navyše si firma stráži a zaoberá sa hlavne svojím podnikaním a ak aj má vyvinutý program CSR, pravdepodobne je vlak spolupráce s komunitou už dávno rozbehnutý a firma má svoje vyjazdené koľaje, spolupracujúce organizácie a vlastný systém podpory. Preto najmä na začiatku (prvé roky) strávite veľa času tým, že bude trpezlivo firme vysvetľovať, čo vlastne robíte, prečo to robíte a prečo práve ten spôsob, akým to robíte je najefektívnejší na dosiahnutie vami sledovaných cieľov.

Som za - ako na to?

Na prvé osobné stretnutie s povereným zamestnancom firmy (na začiatku budete zrejme hovoriť s ofis manažérom, ejčárkou, či niekým od marketingu alebo, ako sa to vznešene nazýva, oddelenia internej komunikácie) sa pripravte podobne ako na interview.  Nebudeme tu opakovať všetky známe a ošúchané pravdy o dôležitosti sebaistého prejavu, úsmevu či čistých topánok. Bez ohľadu na to, s kým a o čom budete hovoriť, najdôležitejšie je, aby ste svojej práci a misii organizácie vynikajúco rozumeli, vedeli ju krátko, prehľadne a zrozumiteľne opísať a najmä vysvetliť ciele, ktoré ňou sledujete a aká je jej relevantnosť pre svet okolo vás. To všetko niekomu, kto pravdepodobne o nízkoprahu nikdy v živote nepočul, sám nemá problémové deti a nevie celkom, načo je komu nízkoprah. Ak vo svojom prejave nebudete skrývať nadšenie a pridáte pár zaujímavých, racionálnych, inovatívnych a prieskumom podporených plánov do budúcnosti, či nápadov, ako by spolupráca s firmou mohla byť prínosom aj pre firmu samotnú, určite zaujmete. Minimálne rozmetáte na malé kúsky predstavu radového zamestnanca komerčnej firmy, že v neziskových organizáciách pracujú len zúfalci s nízkou mierousebadisciplíny vo vyťahaných svetroch, ktorí presne ani nevedia, čo robia a ktorí sa snažia o kontakt s firmou len vtedy, keď niečo potrebujú, najčastejšie peniaze.

Váš kredit

Nezisková organizácia má podobne ako firma svoje meno, prestíž, značku. Podobne ako firma ju buduje svojím správaním „na trhu“, teda svojím „produktom“, činnosťou, štýlom komunikácie, vzťahmi so zainteresovanou verejnosťou a ďalšími neziskovými organizáciami.

Dobrá firma bude hľadať dobrú neziskovú organizáciu. Často nejde o dokonalosť, ani profesionalitu, ale o „zdravý rozum“. Firma pri stretnutí s neziskovou organizáciou zisťuje, či je táto nezisková organizácia pre ňu vyhovujúci partner / cieľová skupina, či zapadá do rámca toho, čo chce podporovať, či práca, ktorú robí, ňou ponúkané riešenia pre cieľovú skupinu dáva zmysel, je racionálne a dá sa v nej orientovať. Pri partnerstve bude firma pravdepodobne zvažovať aj tieto otázky: aké by to bolo, keby sa na verejnosti spájalo meno a značka našej firmy práve s touto neziskovou organizáciou? Zvýšime si tým svoj goodwill, svoju hodnotu na trhu?

Komunikácia naša každodenná

Niekoľko rád, ktoré Vám môžu pomôcť pri komunikácii s firemným partnerom:

● Včasná komunikácia predchádza zbytočným nedorozumeniam. Alebo ako sa ľudovo hovorí, “věci si vyříkejte” skôr, než začne vznikať na jednej či druhej strane akýkoľvek pocit nedorozumenia, neúplného porozumenia, či čo je horšie skrývaného až otvoreného nepriateľstva, ba hostility.

● Prispôsobte svoju komunikáciu odvetviu, v ktorom firma pôsobí. Ak napríklad komunikujete  s právnikmi, napíšte im email. Ak s reklamnou agentúrou, možno im viac informácií dá Váš facebookový profil, web či trendové sociálne siete, ktoré používajú na komunikáciu kampaní ich klientov. Premýšľajte: kto sedí na druhom konci? Ako vyzerá? Koľko má času? Aký záujem sleduje? Aké problémy väčšinou vo svojej práci rieši?

Pozor! Firemné systémy sú často striktne strážené čoraz užšou firewall ochranou. To znamená, že niektoré aplikácie, môžu byť na nich znefunkčnené, aby sa zabránilo zamestnancom „márniť čas“ na facebooku alebo prezeraním youtube videí (okrem toho, že obrovské kvantá dát, ktoré tieto aplikácie sťahujú môžu zahltiť a spomaľovať firemný systém). Preto - znie to paradoxne, ale je to tak - komunikujte s firmou o tom, ktorý komunikačný kanál je pre ňu pri komunikácii s Vami najvhodnejší.

● Buďte priami, konkrétni a transparentní. Firemný partner skôr zareaguje na email typu „hoci sa nám podarilo za 8 rokov vybudovať klub, kde poskytujeme služby viac ako 500 mladým ľuďom ročne, tento rok sme narazili na neočakávané problémy pri ... ktoré chceme riešiť takto... a hľadáme možnosti ako získať ..“ ako typu „naša nezisková organizácia hľadá finančnú podporu a pomoc“. Okrem toho, že druhý email pôjde takmer automaticky do koša, zahodíte aj svoju jedinečnú šancu firmu osloviť, získať jej pozornosť. Firmy sú zvyknuté na informácie vyjadrené v číslach, každodenné riešenie problémov a prekonávanie výziev. Využite to a komunikujte odvážne. Používajte tabuľky, grafy, infografiky. Do komunikácie investujte čas a námahu - vyplatí sa vám.

● Komunikujte s oprávnenou osobou. Googlite, pýtajte sa priamo, hľadajte. Najmä vo väčších firmách je priamy kontakt so zamestnancom, ktorý má prípadnú komunikáciu s neziskovým sektorom, CSR, CR, CI či externé vzťahy vo svojej náplni práce na nezaplatenie a ušetrí Vám týždne emailového “pingpongovania” a opätovného vysvetľovania toho istého na stretnutiach. Ak je Vaša organizácia nízkoprahom, existuje aj tak vysoká šanca, že tie isté veci budete aj tak hovoriť stále znovu a znovu (možno inými slovami), kým ich firemný partner pochopí. Využívajte všetky priame kontakty na ľudí vo firmách, ktoré ľudia vo Vašej organizácii majú.

To najdôležitejšie na koniec

Za sedem rokov, čo sa KASPIAN intenzívne a cieľavedome venuje komunikácii a rozvíjaniu spolupráce s firmami ako partnermi sa veľa naučil a veľa získal. Filozofiou KASPIAN-u vždy bolo posúvanie know-how ďalším, preto lekcie, ktoré sa naučil aj v tejto oblasti ďalej ponúka vo svojom vzdelávaní Abeceda nízkoprahu. Partnerstvo má benefity aj na druhej strane: aj firma Kinstellar postupne veľa zistila o poslaní nízkoprahu, ale aj o nových a neštandardných možnostiach, ktoré môže efektívna spolupráca priniesť, ako aj to, že dobrá spolupráca môže priniesť aj reputačný benefit v podobe viacerých nominácií a umiestnení na shortlist filantropického ocenenia Via Bona Slovakia za podporu inovatívneho projektu či dlhodobej podpory komunity. Preto už ani pre Kinstellar, ani pre KASPIAN nie je vzájomný kontakt a práca na projektoch jednosmernou cestou, ale vybudovali si širokú dvojsmernú informačnú diaľnicu, postavenú na dôvere a pozitívnych skúsenostiach. Hoci táto diaľnica nebola postavená za rok a každého z partnerov stála veľa úsilia, rozhodne to stálo za to.