About Competence Centre for Social Innovation the European Social Fund
Sweden’s National Competence Centre for Social Innovation the European Social Fund has been operating since 2023 on behalf ofthe Swedish ESF Counciland 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 consists ofCoompanion Sweden,Famna,the National Network for Coordination Associations, and Forum for Social Innovation Sweden at Malmö University.
The Competence Center coordinates support at the regional and national levels and provides support to ESF-funded projects, potential project owners, and the Swedish ESF Council. The Competence Center also works to promote the ecosystem. Through learning and dialogue processes, knowledge and methodology development, analysis, forums where various stakeholders can meet, as well as support materials and tools for sharing knowledge and best practices, the Competence Center develops a collective understanding of social innovation to reduce unemployment and social exclusion.
The purpose of the Competence Center
The purpose of the national center of excellence is to promote more effective, value-creating, and sustainable social innovations within the ESF+ by:
- contribute to collective learning about innovative solutions to labor market challenges
- disseminate innovative solutions to policy and practice
- contribute to learning about approaches that promote socially innovative solutions among funders, and,
- promote the ecosystem for social innovation
We carry out initiatives on three levels
The Competence Center targets three levels of stakeholders: the project level, the program level, and the system level. These stakeholders play a key role in developing, testing, implementing, and scaling social innovations within the framework of ESF+, particularly within Program Area E.
Project level
At the project level, the competence center provides support to both ESF-funded project owners and project partners involved in the development and testing of social innovations, and offers support to potential project owners who are in the process of formulating a project.
This target group includes municipalities, regions, civil society organizations, social enterprises, government agencies, academia, and the business community.
Program level
At the program level the competence center collaborates withstaff at the Swedish ESF Council. Staff includes officials responsible for Program Area E and social innovation, ESF Region South, as well as management and other staff within the ESF Council.
System level
At the systemic level, the center of excellence targets decision-makers at the local, regional, and national levels, particularly in the area of inclusive working life, as well as umbrella and industry organizations that can create the conditions for implementing and scaling effective solutions. This also includes actors at the national and EU levels who design frameworks and monitoring structures for Program Area E and the ESF+ as a whole.
The project involves a range of different activities:
- Support initiatives to facilitate knowledge exchange with and among various stakeholders, ranging from learning sessions and individual coaching to national and transnational meetings and an annual conference.
- Development of processes, models, and tools for social innovation. See the social innovation process and the roadmap for social change.
- Cluster evaluations and aggregated analyses of the lessons learned from the project and the program area.
- Assessments of the conditions for social innovation, such as funding and regional collaboration.
- Identification and dissemination of examples of social innovations in the ESF.
Background to the assignment
The European Commission is funding the establishment of national Competence Centre for Social Innovation ESF+. The aim is to promote innovative solutions to current societal challenges—social innovation—in program implementation, as well as ecosystems for social innovation. In Sweden, Forum for Social Innovation Sweden was awarded Forum for Social Innovation Sweden to establish a competence center starting in 2019. The work will continue during 2022–2029 with funding from the Swedish ESF Council.
What is the Swedish ESF Council?
The Swedish ESF Council is a Swedish government agency under the the Ministry of Labor. The ESF Council has been tasked by the government with strengthening the individual’s position in the labor market.
European Social Fund+
The European Social Fund (ESF) is designed to help more people find jobs or acquire the skills needed in the labor market. In the current programming period (ESF+ 2021–2027), the Swedish program comprises five program areas where local, regional, and national actors can apply for funding to carry out projects that contribute to an inclusive labor market. One of these program areas focuses on social innovation.
Program Area E – Social Innovation
Program Area E under ESF+ focuses on developing new solutions that can address challenges in the areas of social inclusion, the labor market, and education through social innovation. Initiatives may be carried out in collaboration between actors in the nonprofit, private, or public sectors.
Which organizations are part of the center of excellence?
Forum for Social Innovation Sweden
Forum for Social Innovation Sweden is a national platform for knowledge and collaboration in the field of socialForum for Social Innovation Sweden. We actively monitor developments in the field and ensure that knowledge and experiences are developed, shared, and put to use. Learn more about Forum for Social Innovation Sweden.
National Network of Coordination Associations
The National Network for Coordination Associations (NNS) is an advocacy organization for coordination associations in Sweden. Coordination associations promote collaboration, use resources efficiently, and help more people find work. Learn more about NNS.
Coompanion Sweden
Coompanion promotes cooperative enterprise—entrepreneurship based on equality, where ownership and governance are democratic, and where sustainability is upheld from social, economic, and environmental perspectives. Learn more about Coompanion.
Famna
Famna is an advocacy and knowledge organization that, together with its members, highlights the role, unique characteristics, and potential of the nonprofit sector within the Swedish welfare system. It serves as a bridge between nonprofit organizations and policymakers. Learn more about Famna.
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 the right contact information and can easily reach us.