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.
Skills and business support
Strengthen skills, capacity and business support for social economy and social and inclusive entrepreneurship through recognised competence frameworks, social and inclusive incubation and tailored advisory and innovation services.
Status
Upcoming
Description
Promote social and inclusive business incubation models via a dedicated call for proposals, and support recognised competence frameworks for social entrepreneurship, inter alia through mutual learning actions.
Status
Completed and continuous
Description
Under the Pact for Skills, facilitate the setting up of a skills partnership for the Proximity and Social Economy industrial ecosystem, in the context of the Skills Agenda and the updated European Industrial Strategy. From 2022, dedicated hubs for networking, knowledge, guidance and resources will be put in place to support the signatories of the Pact in their efforts to offer upskilling and reskilling opportunities for people of working age.
Implementation
Under the Pact for Skills, a large-scale partnership for proximity and social economy was launched in 2022 to foster cooperation and knowledge-sharing on upskilling and reskilling initiatives. The partnership focuses on the development of cross sectoral skills specific to proximity and social economy organisations. In April 2024, the partnership released an updated version of the declaration that was originally signed in 2022. The updated version outlines the commitments of its members to be achieved by 2030. Several working groups have been established to drive progress under the Pact. The partnership comprises more than 200 members.
Status
Ongoing
Description
Support transnational cooperation to boost the capacity of the social economy to adopt and develop greener practices, products and services, and to improve their digital capacities.
Implementation
The Commission launched a call for proposals to support transnational cooperation in the green transition in 2023 to help social economy SMEs adopt greener operations and contribute to the green transition. The 6 selected projects have been implemented. The Commission has also launched a call for proposals to boost the digital transition of social economy enterprises and SMEs. The 7 selected projects are currently ongoing.
Status
Ongoing
Description
Issue guidance on how to support uptake and partnerships for the circular economy between social enterprises and other actors, including mainstream businesses, and raise awareness of the social economy in the context of the European Circular Economy Stakeholder Platform, Enterprise Europe Network and other networks.
Implementation
A call for proposals was launched in 2024 to support the organisational capacity of SMEs in the social economy and to support new market activities and partnerships for social circular enterprises. However, a change of priorities within the management of the Single Market Programme resulted in this call being cancelled in 2025 (as set out in Commission Implementing Decision of 30 September 2025 amending Implementing Decision C(2023)8926 as regards the implementation of certain actions under the Single Market Programme).
A sector group on social economy was created within the Enterprise Europe Network (EEN) in May 2022, with over 30 business support organisations from various Member States participating. Four official meetings of the sector group have been held. These meetings have focused on raising awareness of the concept of the social economy and its business models; access to finance for social enterprises; and establishing connections between the social economy and specific sectors (e.g. health and digital). The sector group also organises matchmaking events to facilitate cross-border connections between social enterprises.
The European Circular Economy Stakeholder Platform (ECESP) has provided matchmaking events and capacity-building activities designed to connect social economy actors with mainstream businesses. The platform also offers practical guidance by analysing and promoting case studies, best practices and policy recommendations that highlight the challenges and opportunities for social enterprises in the circular transition. The ECESP also raises awareness and builds capacity through EU circular talks, workshops and training modules, fostering dialogue between social enterprises, policymakers and businesses to scale up impact and overcome barriers. The ECESP advocates for inclusive policies and supports community-led initiatives, thereby ensuring that the social economy is integrated into the broader circular economy agenda and thus driving a just and equitable transition.
Status
Completed and continuous
Description
Launch a transition pathway for the proximity and social economy industrial ecosystem to further work with public authorities and stakeholders for a strengthened and more resilient social economy ecosystem in the green and digital transitions. The transition pathway will also contribute to the implementation of the action plan in this area.
Implementation
The Commission launched the transition pathway for the proximity and social economy ecosystem in 2022, outlining 14 action areas and 30 specific actions to guide stakeholders through the twin transitions. By May 2025, over 230 pledges were made, especially in areas related to capacity-building. The Commission launched an online platform in December 2024 as a central hub for networking, knowledge-sharing and cocreation. To promote the pathway and maintain engagement, the Commission has organised several events and workshops since 2023, including during the Spanish and Belgian Council Presidencies’ events on the social economy in San Sebastián and Liège.
Work on this specific transition pathway (including the management of the online platform) came to an end in October 2025.
Status
Completed and continuous
Description
Ensure relevant business support structures at European level share experience as to how to provide tailored support to social economy entities. This will include the Digital Transformation Accelerator under the European Digital Innovation Hubs programme and the Enterprise Europe Network.
Implementation
A sector group on social economy was created within the Enterprise Europe Network (EEN) in May 2022, with over 30 business support organisations from various Member States participating. Four meetings of the sector group have been held in Barcelona, Prague, Brussels and Tenerife. These meetings focused on raising awareness of the concept of the social economy and its business models; access to finance for social enterprises; and establishing connections between the social economy and specific sectors (e.g. health and digital). The group also organises matchmaking events to facilitate cross-border connections between social enterprises.
The European Digital Innovation Hubs Network addresses societal challenges by supporting digital transformation. The Network provides services, skills-building programmes, sector-targeted digital solutions and funding pathways for SMEs (including social enterprises). It aims to foster inclusive innovation and improve digital readiness, ensuring that new technologies serve broader societal goals.
Status
Ongoing
Description
Boost the scale-up and promote the internationalisation of the social economy by mobilising European level business support networks and partnership platforms such as the Enterprise Europe Network and the European Cluster Collaboration Platform.
Implementation
A sector group on social economy was created within the Enterprise Europe Network (EEN) in May 2022, with over 30 business support organisations from various Member States participating. Four meetings of the sector group have been held in Barcelona, Prague, Brussels and Tenerife. These meetings focused on raising awareness of the concept of the social economy and its business models, access to finance for social enterprises, and establishing connections between the social economy and specific sectors (e.g. the health and digital sectors). The sector group also organises matchmaking events to facilitate cross-border connections between social enterprises.
The European Cluster Collaboration Platform is the largest platform for cluster policy and cluster collaboration in the EU and beyond. More than 1 600 cluster organisations are registered on the website. 38 of these pertain to the social economy and proximity ecosystem. The platform also offers services such as training programmes and international matchmakings (in the context of strategic trade fairs) to which social economy clusters can participate free of charge. Furthermore, the Euroclusters call under the Single Market Programme (SMP-COSME-2021-CLUSTERS-01; budget EUR 42 million), which was launched in 2021, had a specific Eurocluster on social economy (SocialTech4EU). In this context, around 100 SMEs received support in scaling up their cross-border services.
Status
Completed and continuous
Description
Continue with the initiatives to promote social innovation (e.g. through Horizon Europe including the European Social Innovation Competition, EaSI Programme or ESF) and support for Social Outcomes Contracting and build a European community of social innovators to foster peer learning and joint entrepreneurial ventures, expanding on the Alumni Network of the European Social Innovation Competition.
Implementation
In 2022, the Commission launched a call for proposals on social innovations for a fair green and digital transition. 17 projects that address the challenges faced by vulnerable groups in the green and digital transition were selected. The projects: (i) supported reskilling and upskilling in new green and digital technologies; (ii) developed sustainability pathways and transformation tools for social economy players and communities; and (iii) improved access to essential services, such as energy, mobility and digital communications.
The 2023 ESF+ call for proposals on social innovation practices to combat homelessness supports social experimentation at local, regional and national level to test innovative forms of service delivery in the areas of homelessness and housing exclusion.
In August 2022, the Commission launched a call for tenders to expand the Alumni Network of the European Social Innovation Competition (EUSIC). The two-year contract ran from April 2023 to March 2025 and created the European network of social entrepreneurs and social innovators (NESEI). The final event of the network took place in March 2025 and hosted the award ceremony for the 2024 European Social Innovation Competition. The Community has since moved to the European Investment Council Community Platform and the Commission is no longer directly involved in its management.
With regard to social outcomes contracting, the European Investment Fund launched a specific social impact product in April 2022. The InvestEU Advisory Hub also provides technical assistance for social outcome contracting operations.
Status
Ongoing
Description
Foster mutual learning between social economy entrepreneurs by better promoting the Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs programme to social economy stakeholders.
Implementation
The Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs Programme (EYE) is delivered across 43 participating countries through more than 160 intermediary organisations. The programme is open to entrepreneurs from all sectors, with a particular focus on social and female entrepreneurship. Between 2021 and 2025, 438 entrepreneurs applied with the social economy, responsible entrepreneurship or corporate social responsibility listed as their primary domain.
Status
Completed
Description
Provide grants under Horizon Europe to raise awareness and ease the access of social entrepreneurs to the resources of pan-European, national, regional and local innovation ecosystems.
Implementation
A call for proposals titled ‘Integration of social innovation actors in innovation ecosystems’ was launched in January 2022. It aimed to raise awareness of, and improve social entrepreneurs’ access to, the resources of pan-EU, national, regional and local innovation ecosystems. The call also sought to create a lasting spill-over effect by showcasing the societal and strategic benefits of social innovation projects. The call funded eight projects.
Knowledge on social and inclusive entrepreneurship
Foster understanding of social and inclusive entrepreneurship, especially its role in empowering underserved and underrepresented groups.
Status
Completed
Description
Launch a new Youth Entrepreneurship Policy Academy in 2022 under ESF+. It will foster youth entrepreneurship, including for female and social entrepreneurs, by working with national policy makers and youth entrepreneurship networks.
Implementation
The Youth Entrepreneurship Policy Academy (YEPA) ran from March 2023 to October 2025. The Academy helped to design better policies, to promote youth entrepreneurship (particularly social and cooperative entrepreneurship) and to make it more appealing to young people. It consisted of physical and online capacity-building events for policymakers and networks of young entrepreneurs. Selected events were also open to other stakeholders, such as investors. Workshops addressed topics such as access to finance, the gender gap among young entrepreneurs, innovative start-ups by young people, green entrepreneurship, the specificities and added value of social entrepreneurship, entrepreneurial skills and mindset, and youth entrepreneurship policy.
Status
Upcoming
Description
Together with the OECD, publish a new edition of the Missing Entrepreneurs report.
Status
Upcoming
Description
Together with the OECD, publish policy papers on the social economy and competitiveness, and the role of social entrepreneurship in activating NEETs and formalising work.
Status
Upcoming
Description
Together with the OECD, publish a report on education, skills and training for social entrepreneurship.