Examples of social innovations
On this page, we have compiled various examples of social innovation. We hope these examples will provide a better understanding of innovative processes and solutions that address societal challenges, as well as inspiration for driving positive social change.
This page was developed by Competence Centre for Social Innovation the European Social Fund with support from the European Union.
Rätt på Riktigt
Rätt på Riktigt is run by the nonprofit organization Malmö mot Diskriminering (MmD). The social innovation behind Rätt på Riktigt lies primarily in the fact that all relevant information about support for improving accessibility in schools for students with disabilities is gathered on a single website. This helps empower students and their guardians and ensures they receive the support they are entitled to.
Read more about Rätt på riktigt
Street Minds
Street Minds is a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the situation of the more than 1,200 people in Stockholm who are experiencing homelessness, as well as advocating for issues related to homelessness. Its social innovation lies in the fact that people experiencing homelessness, through Street Minds, develop and offer products and services in the street environment themselves.
Learn more about Street Minds
Talent Academy
The Talent Academy aims to create more pathways into the workforce through collaboration between the business community, the public sector, and civil society. This initiative is socially innovative in that it provides unemployed individuals—both young and older—with a structured pathway into the workforce through internships with certification. The program combines social goals such as increased employment, reduced unemployment, security, and greater inclusion with social measures such as individual matching, validated learning, actively involving the target group in the design of the initiatives, and creating networks that yield long-term results.
Learn more about the Talent Academy
Odla svenska
Odla svenska is an ESF-funded project run in collaboration with several departments within the municipality of Stenungsund. The project’s primary goal is to improve the language skills of unemployed individuals with an immigrant background who have little or no formal education. Language training takes place through hands-on activities such as gardening and textile crafts, combining theory and practice in an inclusive and supportive environment.
Read more about Odla svenska
Game Camp
Game Camp is a course designed to motivate students in game development, run by the social enterprise Fördomsfritt CV Sverige (FCV Sverige). The course aims to help young adults aged 18–29 (16–29 in a pilot course in 2025) who are neither working nor studying to find motivation and receive guidance through game-based learning.
Learn more about Game Camp
The Welfare Guide
Over time, Sweden’s extensive welfare system has become difficult to understand and navigate. The Welfare Guide addresses this need through a website that helps individuals find the right resources. What makes it socially innovative is that it brings together information about services, support, and activities from various public agencies and other organizations in one place, making it easier for people to get the help they need.
Read more about the Welfare Guide