Competence Centre for Social Innovation within the European Social Fund

Sweden’s National Competence Centre for Social Innovation the European Social Fund (NKC) has been operating since 2021 on behalf of the Swedish ESF Council and is funded by the European Union. The goal is to promote more targeted, value-creating, and sustainable social innovations in the implementation of ESF+. The Competence Center is run by Forum for Social Innovation Sweden Malmö University, Coompanion Sweden, Famna, and the National Network for Coordination Associations.

More about the Competence Center

Annual Conference

The Competence Center organizes the annual conference “Innovative Solutions for an Inclusive Workplace”—which serves as an opportunity for the national and international exchange of experiences and knowledge. The next conference will be held on October 21, 2026, in Linköping.

More about the conference

News

Stay up to date on news related to the Competence Center, including events, ESF calls for proposals, and other current initiatives.

To the news

Publications

Here you will find reports and analyses produced by the center of excellence.

To Publications

Learning sessions on social innovation

Would you like support for your work on social innovation in an ESF project? Would you like to develop your project idea to make it more socially innovative? We invite you to participate in learning sessions designed to facilitate the exchange of knowledge and experience between funded projects and potential applicants within the ESF’s Program Area E for social innovation.

See the 2026 training sessions

Models and tools for social innovation

The Competence Center develops and uses various models and tools to support social innovation within the ESF. Two of these are: The Social Innovation Process and the Roadmap for Social Change.

More about the Roadmap for Social Change More about the social innovation process

Examples of social innovations

On this page, we have compiled various examples of social innovation both within and outside the ESF. 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.

Would you like to get in touch with us?

Do you have questions about the Competence Center’s work, or would you like to get in touch with us? On our contact page, you’ll find contact information for our project managers in various areas of work.

About the Competence Centre for Social Innovation

Project Name: Competence Centre for Social Innovation within the European Social Fund (ESF)
Subject: Social Inclusion, Labor Market, and education
Funding body: Swedish ESF Council
Project period: 2021–2029
Project members: Forum for Social Innovation Sweden Malmö University, the National Network for Coordination Associations,Coompanion Sweden, and Famna