Implementation at a glance
The progress tracker below provides an overview of the implementation status of each strategic action within this key action area.
For more detailed information on individual measures, including their current status, description, and latest developments, click on the relevant measure further down the page to expand it.
The concrete actions are classified as follows:
- completed: the main deliverable has been carried out as planned. No further substantial implementation steps are planned for this specific action beyond standard follow-up activities or the use of the output.
- completed and continuing: the main deliverable conceived for the action has been completed, but by nature it involves an ongoing activity that continues beyond the initial output. The ‘one-off’ part has been completed, but the underlying support or coordination will continue.
- ongoing: implementation is still in progress. Either the main deliverable has not yet been fully achieved or the action was conceived as multiannual and is still being implemented.
- upcoming: for actions that have not yet started implementation.
- discontinued: the action will not be pursued further in the form announced in the 2021 action plan. This may be due to a change in the policy context (the original objective being overtaken by other initiatives) or the Commission deciding not to take further action after exploratory work.
Data, statistics and impact evidence
Expand data and statistical knowledge on the social economy and its impact and work towards a systematic approach to data collection.
Status
Upcoming
Description
Work towards a more systematic approach to data collection, including by supporting Member States in developing social economy satellite accounts, as well as funding national pilot projects to collect social economy data through the national statistical business registers and Structure of Earnings Surveys, making use of administrative sources wherever possible to avoid additional reporting burdens.
Status
Completed
Description
Launch a quantitative and qualitative information on the social economy covering all EU Member States.
Implementation
In September 2024, the Commission published a study titled ‘Benchmarking the socio-economic performance of the EU social economy’. The report highlights the fact that the social economy comprises over 4.3 million organisations across the EU and provides employment for at least 11.5 million people (equivalent to 6.3% of the workforce). With a turnover of EUR 912 billion in 2021, the social economy significantly contributes to sectors such as health, social care, education, renewable energy and agrifood.
Status
Upcoming
Description
Conduct a new mapping study on social enterprises and their ecosystems.
Status
Upcoming
Description
The Commission expert group will publish a report with practical recommendations on improving social economy data and statistics.
Status
Completed
Description
Launch a specific study on philanthropic donations in the EU.
Implementation
The Philanthropic Capital Study was finalised and published in December 2022, focusing on mission-related investments. The study recognises philanthropic organisations as key actors in the EU’s social economy and analyses the philanthropic capital landscape. It examines the investment tools used by these organisations and explores the potential for leveraging EU instruments (e.g. InvestEU) to stimulate mission-related investments.
Status
Completed
Description
Develop a code of conduct on data use and management in the social economy, in cooperation with stakeholders to support the uptake of data and technology.
Implementation
The code of conduct and its supporting documents were presented at a public event in December 2024 and are available in the EU Social Economy Gateway.
Status
Completed
Description
Support the development of social impact measurement and management by mapping and reviewing existing practices and launching trainings for social economy stakeholders, to improve understanding and facilitate uptake of such practices. In addition, the Commission will work with stakeholders to develop simple standard methodologies for assessing social impact for the social economy actors in the EU in 2023.
Implementation
The joint Commission-OECD report ‘Measure, Manage and Maximise Your Impact’ was published in April 2024. The report targets social economy entities and networks and identifies impact measurement and management approaches that have already been tested in the EU. It provides social economy entities with a simple and straightforward approach to measuring, managing and ultimately maximising their impact. It also helps them prioritise the use of findings for strategic organisational learning and improvement. A topic in focus dedicated to measuring social impact was published in the EU Social Economy Gateway. A series of mutual learning workshops for public officials on this topic is currently ongoing.
Status
Upcoming
Description
Promote knowledge sharing and strengthen the evidence base on energy communities, including by supporting a dedicated community of practice for public buyers and identifying the conditions that enable citizen-led energy initiatives.
Status
Upcoming
Description
The Commission will strengthen the evidence base on digitalisation and artificial intelligence in the social economy to support the adoption of trustworthy, accessible and inclusive technologies, including distributed-ledger technologies, and better understand their implications for the organisations and their workforce
Status
Ongoing
Description
Academic interest in the social economy has grown, but dialogue and cross-fertilisation of ideas with the policy-making world could be improved. The Commission will seek to facilitate such exchanges.
Implementation
The first discussion on this topic took place with the Commission Expert Group on the Social Economy and Social Enterprises (GECES) in November 2022. Reflections within the Commission are still ongoing.
Status
Completed
Description
Take stock of the implementation of the action plan in 2025 and publish a report indicating progress and new developments.
Implementation
The SEAP’s implementation is regularly monitored by the Commission. A report and a staff working document detailing the mid-term review were adopted in 2026. The EU Social Economy Gateway provides an overview of the implementation process.
Awareness and visibility
Promote greater awareness and understanding of the social economy through communication activities.
Status
Completed and continuous
Description
Launch a new single EU Social Economy Gateway in 2023 to provide a clear entry point for social economy stakeholders, other relevant actors and individuals seeking information on relevant EU funding, policies, networks/platforms and initiatives. It will simplify access to existing support and enhance awareness about EU actions in this field. In addition, the Gateway will facilitate access to relevant capacity building initiatives and provide specific guidance on EU funding opportunities (trainings, workshops, webinars, practical guides and tools).
Implementation
The EU Social Economy Gateway was launched on 13 June 2023. New content (including calls for proposals, stakeholder articles, events and country page updates) is added continuously. Key topics covered include State aid, skills, taxation, socially responsible procurement, social impact measurement and social economy strategies.
Status
Upcoming
Description
Expand the EU Social Economy Gateway to improve data sharing and increase transparency, providing streamlined access to publications, datasets, methodologies and national portals.
Status
Ongoing
Description
Carry out regular communication activities under a long-term communication approach emphasizing the role and specificities of the social economy, also in cooperation with social economy stakeholders.
Implementation
The Commission has presented and promoted the SEAP at over 100 events with social economy stakeholders. In 2022, the Commission released a promotional video for the action plan, followed by a testimonial campaign on social media. On 21 June 2023, Euronews aired an episode on the social economy titled ‘Putting people first: How can Europe grow its social economy?’. In 2024, communication activities included participation in various stakeholder events, promotion of the EU Social Economy Gateway through an animated video and a social media campaign, and the creation of two new batches of Social Economy Voices testimonials. In 2025, a paid social media campaign promoted the social economy on YouTube (targeting countries with less developed social economy ecosystems) and the EU Social Economy Gateway on LinkedIn (targeting Member States with moderately developed social economy ecosystems). The first Special Eurobarometer on the ‘Social economy in the life of Europeans’ was published in October 2025.
In December 2025, the Commission and the OECD published a new report, ‘Social Economy in Europe Contributing to Competitiveness and Prosperity’. This new publication was promoted through an online launch event.
Status
Completed and continuous
Description
Highlight the potential of the social economy to create jobs and foster social cohesion in the context of the European Semester process and Member State implementation of the Employment Guidelines.
Implementation
The 2023 Joint Employment Report included a dedicated section on the social economy. The 2024 report provided updates on new developments in Member States’ social economy ecosystems. The 2025 report also included developments regarding the social economy in Member States. Furthermore, European Parliament’s resolution of 12 March 2025 on the ‘European Semester for economic policy coordination: employment and social priorities for 2025’ calls on the Commission and the Member States to strengthen their support for all social economy enterprises.
Status
Completed
Description
The new European Care Strategy announced for 2022 will provide, among others, an opportunity for boosting the care economy raising the profile of the strong added value of the social economy in this sector, also to help improve working conditions.
Implementation
The European Care Strategy was adopted in September 2022 and highlights the importance of the social economy in the care sector. To complement the strategy, four specific research projects were selected from a Horizon Europe call for proposals on the role of the social economy in addressing social exclusion, providing quality jobs and greater sustainability.
Status
Completed and continuous
Description
Launching a study on national social economy labels/certification schemes mapping those existing in Member States, identifying good practices and common features and criteria. It will also aim to provide a common approach and guidance to Member States and explore the possibility of voluntary mutual recognition.
Implementation
A joint Commission-OECD study titled ‘Labels for the Social Economy’ was published in September 2025. It provides an overview of the various labels available for social economy organisations and includes a practical checklist for policymakers and label-managers to consider when creating, implementing or evaluating these labels.
The Commission will continue exploring ways to facilitate voluntary mutual recognition of labels across Member States. One way would be to include it in an ongoing Commission study into the landscape and future potential of impact-driven businesses in the EU, which is due to be completed during Q3/2026.
Status
Ongoing
Description
Support EU networks active in the areas of microfinance and social enterprise finance with the aim of improving awareness and signposting to EU funding, improving the capacity of member organisations, and providing research and data.
Implementation
The Commission launched a call for proposals in 2021 to establish framework partnership agreements to support networks active in the areas of social enterprise finance and microfinance. Calls for proposals for the operating grants were launched annually. In 2025 the Commission published a new call for proposals to support this type of network. The corresponding projects will cover a period of three years.
Status
Ongoing
Description
Support the development of social economy representative networks, in particular in EU Member States where social enterprises and social economy ecosystems are not developed to their full potential.
Implementation
A transnational call was launched in August 2023 under the European Social Fund (ESF) Social Innovation+ initiative. The aim is to build and consolidate the capacity of national competence centres for social innovation, including by providing capacity-building support for networks representing the social economy. In addition, one of the specific objectives of the Social Economy Missions call for proposals was to foster the creation of social economy networks and stakeholders at the regional and local levels. It aimed to boost resilience, promote greening and digitalisation among members, and improve collaboration between existing networks.
Status
Completed and continuing
Description
Work with the Expert Group on Social Economy and Social Enterprises, whose mandate will be renewed at the end of the current mandate.
Implementation
The Expert Group on Social Economy and Social Enterprises (GECES) began its third mandate in September 2024. The Expert Group meets two to three times a year and follows a specific work programme that is currently focused on access to finance, socially responsible public procurement, and data and statistics.