The EU is investing in social innovation. The Swedish ESF Council has now designated Forum for Social Innovation Sweden Malmö University as a support body to promote effective and value-creating social innovations addressing work-related societal challenges. The strategic project will receive 15 million kronor over three years.
– We are very excited to be able to launch this initiative. We see it as an important tool for strengthening the potential for effective implementation of the social innovation program area. To foster a long-term and more favorable environment, increased knowledge is required, and this can enable us to leverage project results at the aggregate level for long-term impact and capacity building. We look forward to closely monitoring the results and impacts of this initiative,” says Jens Löf, Head of the National Unit at the ESF Council.
New program area for social innovation in the Social Fund
The new ESF+ program places a clear emphasis on social innovation, which is designated as a separate program area for the 2021–2027 programming period. The ESF+ program comprises five program areas (A–E): inclusive and sustainable working lives for all, increasing transitions to employment, reducing the risk of economic vulnerability, strengthening capacity in sparsely populated areas, and social innovation.
Program Area E – Social Innovations aims to facilitate innovative and more effective solutions to address challenges and needs in areas such as social inclusion, the labor market, education, and capacity building. Collaboration will be a priority within this program area, as individual actors in the public, private, or nonprofit sectors do not possess the collective knowledge or resources required to independently provide the necessary solutions. Initiatives can contribute to the development of methods, cross-border cooperation, and new ways of thinking. They may also involve streamlining and initiatives that, through strategic influence, aim to develop existing structures and regulatory frameworks. The initiatives should aim to deliver high-quality and efficient public services through innovative approaches.
A welcome financial boost and renewed confidence
The project, which will be led Forum for Social Innovation Sweden Malmö University, is called Competence Centre for Social Innovation will run from 2022 to 2025.
“This is an important recognition of the work that Forum for Social Innovation Sweden done since its inception in 2010 and is now carrying out through the EU project ‘Building Capacity for a Sustainable Society,’ and it demonstrates the continued confidence of the ESF Council,” says Charlotte Ahlgren Moritz, Vice President for Collaboration and Innovation at Malmö University and Chair of Forum for Social Innovation Sweden's .
Will support stakeholders and ESF projects
The aim of this initiative is to establish a support function for Program Area E within ESF+ that will promote effective, sustainable, and value-creating social innovations addressing work-related societal challenges. Forum for Social Innovation Sweden support the Swedish ESF Council, individual ESF projects within Program Area E, and key actors within the social innovation ecosystem in Sweden. Various types of support initiatives will be implemented, ranging from coalitions with different target groups and stakeholders to coaching, national and transnational knowledge exchanges, and meetings. Forum for Social Innovation Sweden develop new models and tools for various initiatives, as well as for evaluation and analysis.
“Collaborative and innovative approaches are needed to address today’s societal challenges. It is encouraging that the EU is now focusing on the role that social innovation and the social economy play in societal development. We look forward to collaborating with the ESF Council and stakeholders within the ecosystem to support efforts in the field of social innovation,” says Sara Bjärstorp, Executive Director of Forum for Social Innovation Sweden.
Learn more about ESF+ and Program Area E:
Learn more about Forum for Social Innovation Sweden's mission:
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