Turin Approves Its First Metropolitan Social Economy Plan 2030

_{Credits pictures © Turismo Torino}

Turin has taken a decisive step forward in consolidating its position as one of Europe’s leading hubs for social innovation and impact finance. In spring 2025, the Metropolitan City of Turin and the Turin Chamber of Commerce officially approved the Metropolitan Social Economy Plan, a comprehensive strategy designed to harness the potential of the social economy as a driver of sustainable development, innovation, and territorial cohesion. The Plan was developed within the framework of Torino Social Impact (TSI), the multi-stakeholder platform that already brings together more than 400 partners across the public, private, profit and non-profit spectrum, all committed to strengthening the ecosystem of social entrepreneurship and impact finance.

This approval is more than an institutional act: it is the culmination of a long and inclusive process that involved diverse stakeholders, from public institutions to enterprises, from civil society organizations to citizens. At its heart lies the conviction that economic growth and social cohesion must go hand in hand, and that the social economy should be understood not simply as a compensatory sector with redistributive aims, but as an integral part of industrial policy and a driver of inclusive and sustainable growth.

A Participatory and Inclusive Process

The elaboration of the Metropolitan Social Economy Plan lasted ten months and was deliberately structured as a participatory process. The aim was to build a document that would be truly representative of the territory’s complexity while ensuring coherence with European and national strategies.

The process unfolded in five main phases and involved over 130 organizations. It began with an extensive documentary analysis to align the Plan with the 2023 EU Council Recommendation on developing the social economy, as well as with local strategic documents. This was followed by a stakeholder consultation phase, which included 30 semi-structured interviews with key local actors – from cooperative networks to innovative start-ups, from municipal representatives to economic organizations.

A major milestone was the co-design event, attended by more than 100 participants. Organized around thematic tables, the workshop allowed actors to confront one another, share ideas, and draft concrete proposals for the Plan’s structure. Subsequently, a public consultation opened online, enabling citizens, organizations, and institutions to comment on the draft. Importantly, the process also incorporated the March 2024 resolution of the Turin City Council, which officially recognized the social economy as a strategic asset alongside industry, tourism, and services.

Finally, the formal approval by both the Metropolitan City and the Chamber of Commerce executive bodies sealed the process, giving the Plan institutional legitimacy and marking the start of its operational phase.

Content and Strategic Priorities

The Metropolitan Social Economy Plan has a five-year horizon and is conceived as a strategic and operational tool. At the heart of the Plan lies a long-term vision that seeks to reconcile competitiveness, inclusion, and sustainability. This vision is articulated around three strategic pillars.

The first is the integration of the social sector and economic development policies. Rather than being confined to welfare or redistributive functions, the social economy is positioned as a core component of local development strategies, capable of contributing to innovation, industrial renewal, and territorial competitiveness.

The second pillar is the construction of multi-stakeholder partnerships. The Plan emphasizes the importance of collaboration between institutions, enterprises, the social enterprises and the third sector, academia, and local communities. Through these partnerships, resources and expertise can be pooled to co-design solutions to social and environmental challenges, ensuring more resilient and sustainable outcomes.

The third pillar places young people at the center. By fostering skills, training opportunities, and entrepreneurial pathways, the Plan aims to empower new generations of social innovators and entrepreneurs, enabling them to drive transformation and to respond to emerging needs.

Together, these three pillars offer a new paradigm: one in which the social economy is not peripheral but integral, shaping the industrial, social, and cultural future of the metropolitan area.

Within this vision, six key thematic areas structure the Plan:

1. Governance and Partnerships – Building a metropolitan, multi-actor governance system and strengthening networks of social enterprises, mainstream business and public sector organizations through new services, resources, and collaborative models.
    
2. Social Procurement – Promoting innovative procurement practices, both public and private, that include social and environmental criteria as key factors and foster work inclusion.
    
3. Impact Finance – Expanding and innovating financial tools for the social economy and linking funding opportunities to social impact measurement.
    
4. Continuous Training, Skills Development and Youth – Investing in continuous training, with particular attention to young people, to foster innovation and entrepreneurship.
    
5. Physical and Digital Connectivity and Technological Innovation – Reducing territorial digital divides while encouraging social entrepreneurship and resilient connections across metropolitan territories.
    
6. Social and Labor Inclusion – Creating pathways for vulnerable groups to access work and entrepreneurship opportunities.

Altogether, the Plan identifies 16 objectives, 36 strategies, and 112 actions. Cross-cutting themes include communication and visibility of the social economy, and the development of shared tools for social impact measurement. Special attention is given to rural and mountain areas, which make up more than half of the metropolitan territory, ensuring that the benefits of social economy reach beyond the city of Turin itself.

Next Steps: From Vision to Implementation

Turin is no stranger to social innovation. The city has long been home to a strong philanthropic tradition, a dense fabric of cooperative and non-profit organizations, and a vibrant ecosystem of social enterprises and impact finance actors. Initiatives such as Torino Social Impact have already positioned the city as a reference point in Italy and Europe for collaborative approaches to sustainability and innovation.

The new Plan provides Turin with a shared metropolitan strategy – a common framework that coordinates efforts, connects local actions to European goals, and adapts them to the specificities of the territory. By doing so, the Metropolitan City and the Chamber of Commerce are offering a roadmap that transforms diverse initiatives into a cohesive and long-term development policy.

With approval completed, the Plan now enters its implementation phase. A dedicated working group composed of the Metropolitan City, the Chamber of Commerce, and Torino Social Impact will monitor the progress of actions, build alliances, and ensure that resources and incentives are aligned with the strategies.

Discover more on the dedicated page here and download both the full document and the report on the participatory process.

Article authors: Torino Social Impact