Social innovation aims to advance European life through improving working conditions, education, community development or health, or through tackling critical problems such as poverty or discrimination. By involving public authorities, civil society, academia and enterprises, Europe can find new solutions to entrenched issues facing our shared society.
ESF+ support to social innovation
The European Social Fund+ (ESF+) will continue to support social innovations with multiple measures, and Member States, are asked to support social innovation with ESF funding through specific actions in their own national/regional context.
In addition to Member States’ intervention, the following EU level actions target social innovation:
ESF Social Innovation+ Initiative
With the budget of €197 million, this new ESF Social Innovation+ Initiative includes EU-wide, multi-national projects to develop, replicate and scale up innovative solutions. The European Competence Centre for Social Innovation has also been created not only to organize transnational calls for proposals but also to collect, assess, develop, validate, and disseminate suitable tools and methods for social innovation. It offers mutual learning, capacity building and networking for ESF Managing Authorities and other relevant stakeholders.
From May 2021, six projects building National Competence Centres for Social Innovation across nearly all Member States were implemented. These centers are helping Managing authorities to program and implement social innovation actions and support organisations on the ground with capacity-building and networking measures. Please find more information on Competence Centres for Social Innovation page.
Social Innovation Match
The Social Innovation Match aims to support the visibility of social innovation initiatives, publicise good practices and facilitate partnership-building. The Social Innovation Match will allow stakeholders to showcase their social innovation initiatives and search for initiatives developed and tested in other countries. In addition, it offers a partner search function for organisations involved in social innovation.
National Competence Centres for Social Innovation
From May 2021, six projects spent 2 years building National Competence Centers for Social Innovation across nearly all Member States. These centres help Managing authorities to program and implement social innovation actions and support organizations on the ground with capacity-building and networking measures. For more information please access the dedicated page.
EaSI Strand of the ESF+
Social innovation will also be supported under the Employment and Social Innovation strand (EaSI) of the ESF+. This will include EU-wide social experimentation calls for proposals to support the implementation of the European Pillar of Social Rights, as well to respond to emerging needs on the ground.
