Other EU websites
The following websites may be of interest for social economy stakeholders. This list is not exhaustive, but aims to highlight a number of useful platforms.
- The European Circular Economy Stakeholder Platform, a joint initiative by the European Commission and the European Economic and Social Committee.
- The Invest EU portal
- Fi-compass, a platform for advisory services on financial instruments.
- Social Innovation Match, which aims to promote the transfer and/or scaling-up of social innovation across Europe
- EISMEA's examples/practices in the field of social economy
- The social services helpdesk
- Capacity4dev, the EU Commission's platform for international cooperation and development
- The New European Bauhaus
- Your Europe portal
- Rural Pact community platform
- Entrepreneurship4all portal
Competence Centres for Social Innovation
Funded in part through the 2014-2020 European Social Fund and the Employment and Social Innovation programme (EaSI), a series of six consortia were selected to set up national competence centres and drive social innovation – locally, regionally, nationally and transnationally. Covering 25 countries and mobilising 148 organisations, the consortia aim to cultivate networks, build capacities and synergies, spotlight efficiencies and develop the tools and methods that will be essential to growing social innovation across the EU.
Competence Centres for Social Innovation
Under the ESF Social Innovation + initiative, a European Competence Centre for social innovation has been established that will collect, assess, develop, validate and disseminate suitable tools and methods for social innovation. The initiative will offer mutual learning, capacity building and networking for ESF Managing Authorities and other relevant stakeholders. The initiative will include EU-wide, multi-national projects to develop, replicate and scale up innovative solutions.
European Social Innovation Competition (EUSIC)
The European Social Innovation Competition is a yearly competition run by the European Commission since 2013. It calls on participants to come up with solutions to specific problems affecting our society, each year with focus on a different topic.
The 2023 edition focuses on fighting energy poverty, while previous editions have covered various topics such as the future of living, skills for a green and digital future, reimagining fashion, and challenging plastic waste.
Participants are typically start-ups, young social entrepreneurs and innovators as well as NGOs and other organisations committed to social innovation.
Each year, the selected finalists benefit from networking, mentoring and coaching support. The three winners are awarded a monetary prize of EUR 50.000 each.
Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs
The Commission has been supporting entrepreneurial education and youth entrepreneurship in Europe through the Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs programme (EYE). The EYE is a cross-border business exchange programme for entrepreneurs from the EU members states and 12 additional countries. It allows new entrepreneurs to go on an exchange with a host entrepreneur in another country for up to 6 months. By doing so, the EYE fosters the exchange of knowledge, business ideas, contacts and experiences and it also helps fight unemployment.
Until now, around 11.000 business exchanges have been concluded, involving more than 20.000 entrepreneurs. The EYE is open to entrepreneurs active in any sector including the social economy. More than 10% of the business exchanges established under the programme involved social entrepreneurs.