Cooperative contribution in establishing competence centre for social innovation. The project “SEED”

Abstract

“SEED - Social Innovation Ecosystem Development” is one of the six projects supported by the European Commission in order to establish national competence centers for social innovation across the European Union. During two years (2021-2023) social innovation organizations, research centers, ESF (European Social Fund) managing authorities and other partners design and develop competence centers, which can help their countries to promote social innovation, including with funding from ESF+ and other EU programmes.
The project has received financial support from the European Union Programme for Employment and Social Innovation (EaSI) and the European Social Fund (ESF).
The specific objective of SEED is to stimulate and support the establishment of four competence centers for social innovation in Italy, Greece, Romania and Slovenia, where researchers, practitioners, policy-makers and civil servants will work together to create public and open infrastructures capable to assist national ESF managing authorities to better employ the ESF+ funds for the mainstream of social innovation as public sector innovation approach to societal challenges.
Cooperatives and social solidarity economy (SSE) organizations have important role in establishing competence centre for social innovation and -among others- in stakeholder engagement for social innovation capacity building. Specifically, in the enlarging of the competence centers network through a process of stakeholder engagement on the territories and through different levels of governance (local, regional, national) to support the process of capacity building in the short and long run of the national competence centers.
The main goals of the social innovation capacity building programme are (among others) the increasing capacity of social innovation stakeholders in promoting and delivering social innovation interventions, including a better and leveraged use of ESF funds and creating a network of policy makers and practitioners and facilitating their aggregation around thematic communities.

Full text

EUROPEAN RESEARCH CONFERENCE 2022
“Rethinking co-operatives: From local to global and from the past to the future”
13-15 July 2022, Athens Greece
Cooperative contribution in establishing competence center for social innovation. The project “SEED”
Vasilis Bellis, Yiorgos Alexopoulos, Kostas Nikolaou
EUROPEAN RESEARCH CONFERENCE 2022
“Rethinking co-operatives: From local to global and from the past to the future”
13-15 July 2022, Athens Greece
Cooperative contribution in establishing competence center for social innovation. The project “SEED”
Vasilis Bellis, Yiorgos Alexopoulos, Kostas Nikolaou

The SEED project: Social Innovation Ecosystem
Development
•SEED is one of the six projects supported by the European Commission
•Their aim is to establish national competence centers for social innovation across the
EU.
•When: During two years (May 2021-May 2023)
•Who:
•Social innovation organizations,
•Research centers,
•ESF managing authorities
•Other partners
•Why: Design and develop competence centers, which can help their countries
to promote social innovation, including with funding from ESF+ and other EU programs.
•SEED is one of the six projects supported by the European Commission
•Their aim is to establish national competence centers for social innovation across the
EU.
•When: During two years (May 2021-May 2023)
•Who:
•Social innovation organizations,
•Research centers,
•ESF managing authorities
•Other partners
•Why: Design and develop competence centers, which can help their countries
to promote social innovation, including with funding from ESF+ and other EU programs.
The SEED project: Social Innovation Ecosystem
Development
•SEED is one of the six projects supported by the European Commission
•Their aim is to establish national competence centers for social innovation across the
EU.
•When: During two years (May 2021-May 2023)
•Who:
•Social innovation organizations,
•Research centers,
•ESF managing authorities
•Other partners
•Why: Design and develop competence centers, which can help their countries
to promote social innovation, including with funding from ESF+ and other EU programs.
•SEED is one of the six projects supported by the European Commission
•Their aim is to establish national competence centers for social innovation across the
EU.
•When: During two years (May 2021-May 2023)
•Who:
•Social innovation organizations,
•Research centers,
•ESF managing authorities
•Other partners
•Why: Design and develop competence centers, which can help their countries
to promote social innovation, including with funding from ESF+ and other EU programs.

The other Consortia
•BuiCaSus
•Countries: France, Latvia, Spain, Sweden
•website: https://buicasus.eu/
•ESIA
•Countries: Denmark, Estonia, Germany, Poland, United Kingdom
•FUSE
•Countries: Bulgaria, Cyprus, Ireland, Portugal
•website: http://fuseproject.eu/
•PEnCIL
•Countries: Belgium, Czechia, Finland, Lithuania
•SI_Plus
•Countries: Austria, Bulgaria, Hungary, Slovakia, Croatia, Germany, Slovenia
•BuiCaSus
•Countries: France, Latvia, Spain, Sweden
•website: https://buicasus.eu/
•ESIA
•Countries: Denmark, Estonia, Germany, Poland, United Kingdom
•FUSE
•Countries: Bulgaria, Cyprus, Ireland, Portugal
•website: http://fuseproject.eu/
•PEnCIL
•Countries: Belgium, Czechia, Finland, Lithuania
•SI_Plus
•Countries: Austria, Bulgaria, Hungary, Slovakia, Croatia, Germany, Slovenia
•BuiCaSus
•Countries: France, Latvia, Spain, Sweden
•website: https://buicasus.eu/
•ESIA
•Countries: Denmark, Estonia, Germany, Poland, United Kingdom
•FUSE
•Countries: Bulgaria, Cyprus, Ireland, Portugal
•website: http://fuseproject.eu/
•PEnCIL
•Countries: Belgium, Czechia, Finland, Lithuania
•SI_Plus
•Countries: Austria, Bulgaria, Hungary, Slovakia, Croatia, Germany, Slovenia
•BuiCaSus
•Countries: France, Latvia, Spain, Sweden
•website: https://buicasus.eu/
•ESIA
•Countries: Denmark, Estonia, Germany, Poland, United Kingdom
•FUSE
•Countries: Bulgaria, Cyprus, Ireland, Portugal
•website: http://fuseproject.eu/
•PEnCIL
•Countries: Belgium, Czechia, Finland, Lithuania
•SI_Plus
•Countries: Austria, Bulgaria, Hungary, Slovakia, Croatia, Germany, Slovenia

The SEED Consortium: The main partners
•Greece
•Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs (Directorate General for Labour Relations, Health, Safety and Work
Inclusion),
•Science for You (SciFY),
•Development Agency of Karditsa (AN.KA),
•KOLLEKTIVA Creative Thinking
•Italy
•City of Turin (Coordinator)
•Bologna University,
•European Research Institute on Cooperative and Social Enterprises (EURICSE),
•Giacomo Brodolini Foundation,
•Social Italy Foundation,
•Politecnico of Milano,
•Politecnico of Torino
•Romania
•Grupul de Consultanță pentru Dezvoltare DCG
•Slovenia
•Ministry of Economic Development and Technology,
•Centre for Space Technologies Herman Potočnik Noordung,
•Hashnet,
•Sončna zadruga
•Greece
•Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs (Directorate General for Labour Relations, Health, Safety and Work
Inclusion),
•Science for You (SciFY),
•Development Agency of Karditsa (AN.KA),
•KOLLEKTIVA Creative Thinking
•Italy
•City of Turin (Coordinator)
•Bologna University,
•European Research Institute on Cooperative and Social Enterprises (EURICSE),
•Giacomo Brodolini Foundation,
•Social Italy Foundation,
•Politecnico of Milano,
•Politecnico of Torino
•Romania
•Grupul de Consultanță pentru Dezvoltare DCG
•Slovenia
•Ministry of Economic Development and Technology,
•Centre for Space Technologies Herman Potočnik Noordung,
•Hashnet,
•Sončna zadruga
The SEED Consortium: The main partners
•Greece
•Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs (Directorate General for Labour Relations, Health, Safety and Work
Inclusion),
•Science for You (SciFY),
•Development Agency of Karditsa (AN.KA),
•KOLLEKTIVA Creative Thinking
•Italy
•City of Turin (Coordinator)
•Bologna University,
•European Research Institute on Cooperative and Social Enterprises (EURICSE),
•Giacomo Brodolini Foundation,
•Social Italy Foundation,
•Politecnico of Milano,
•Politecnico of Torino
•Romania
•Grupul de Consultanță pentru Dezvoltare DCG
•Slovenia
•Ministry of Economic Development and Technology,
•Centre for Space Technologies Herman Potočnik Noordung,
•Hashnet,
•Sončna zadruga
•Greece
•Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs (Directorate General for Labour Relations, Health, Safety and Work
Inclusion),
•Science for You (SciFY),
•Development Agency of Karditsa (AN.KA),
•KOLLEKTIVA Creative Thinking
•Italy
•City of Turin (Coordinator)
•Bologna University,
•European Research Institute on Cooperative and Social Enterprises (EURICSE),
•Giacomo Brodolini Foundation,
•Social Italy Foundation,
•Politecnico of Milano,
•Politecnico of Torino
•Romania
•Grupul de Consultanță pentru Dezvoltare DCG
•Slovenia
•Ministry of Economic Development and Technology,
•Centre for Space Technologies Herman Potočnik Noordung,
•Hashnet,
•Sončna zadruga

Overview of the SEED Consortium
Overview of the SEED Consortium

The Greek network of Social Economy Organizations
•People’s University of Social Solidarity Economy
"UnivSSE Coop“ (http://www.univsse.gr)
•COMMONSPACE CO-OP (http://www.commonspace.gr)
•LDK Consultants (www.ldk.gr)
•Wind of Renewal (https://anemosananeosis.gr/en)
•P2P Lab (https://www.p2plab.gr/en/)
•Development Agency of Karditsa (www.anka.gr)
•Co-Space
•People’s University of Social Solidarity Economy
"UnivSSE Coop“ (http://www.univsse.gr)
•COMMONSPACE CO-OP (http://www.commonspace.gr)
•LDK Consultants (www.ldk.gr)
•Wind of Renewal (https://anemosananeosis.gr/en)
•P2P Lab (https://www.p2plab.gr/en/)
•Development Agency of Karditsa (www.anka.gr)
•Co-Space
The Greek network of Social Economy Organizations
•People’s University of Social Solidarity Economy
"UnivSSE Coop“ (http://www.univsse.gr)
•COMMONSPACE CO-OP (http://www.commonspace.gr)
•LDK Consultants (www.ldk.gr)
•Wind of Renewal (https://anemosananeosis.gr/en)
•P2P Lab (https://www.p2plab.gr/en/)
•Development Agency of Karditsa (www.anka.gr)
•Co-Space
•People’s University of Social Solidarity Economy
"UnivSSE Coop“ (http://www.univsse.gr)
•COMMONSPACE CO-OP (http://www.commonspace.gr)
•LDK Consultants (www.ldk.gr)
•Wind of Renewal (https://anemosananeosis.gr/en)
•P2P Lab (https://www.p2plab.gr/en/)
•Development Agency of Karditsa (www.anka.gr)
•Co-Space

The main objective of SEED project
•The specific objective of SEED is to stimulate and support the
establishment of 4 Social Innovation Competence Centers in Italy,
Greece, Romania and Slovenia
•The Social Innovation Competence Centers will be the space, where
researchers, practitioners, policy-makers and civil servants will work
together.
•Their task will be to create public and open infrastructures capable to
assist national ESF managing authorities to better employ the ESF+
funds for the mainstream of Social Innovation as Public Sector
Innovation approach to societal challenges.
•The specific objective of SEED is to stimulate and support the
establishment of 4 Social Innovation Competence Centers in Italy,
Greece, Romania and Slovenia
•The Social Innovation Competence Centers will be the space, where
researchers, practitioners, policy-makers and civil servants will work
together.
•Their task will be to create public and open infrastructures capable to
assist national ESF managing authorities to better employ the ESF+
funds for the mainstream of Social Innovation as Public Sector
Innovation approach to societal challenges.
The main objective of SEED project
•The specific objective of SEED is to stimulate and support the
establishment of 4 Social Innovation Competence Centers in Italy,
Greece, Romania and Slovenia
•The Social Innovation Competence Centers will be the space, where
researchers, practitioners, policy-makers and civil servants will work
together.
•Their task will be to create public and open infrastructures capable to
assist national ESF managing authorities to better employ the ESF+
funds for the mainstream of Social Innovation as Public Sector
Innovation approach to societal challenges.
•The specific objective of SEED is to stimulate and support the
establishment of 4 Social Innovation Competence Centers in Italy,
Greece, Romania and Slovenia
•The Social Innovation Competence Centers will be the space, where
researchers, practitioners, policy-makers and civil servants will work
together.
•Their task will be to create public and open infrastructures capable to
assist national ESF managing authorities to better employ the ESF+
funds for the mainstream of Social Innovation as Public Sector
Innovation approach to societal challenges.

The Work Packages of SEED project
•Ecosystems Exploration
•Competence centers design and implementation
•Capacity building for SI mainstreaming
•Roadmap to a conducive environment for social innovation
•Ecosystems Exploration
•Competence centers design and implementation
•Capacity building for SI mainstreaming
•Roadmap to a conducive environment for social innovation
The Work Packages of SEED project
•Ecosystems Exploration
•Competence centers design and implementation
•Capacity building for SI mainstreaming
•Roadmap to a conducive environment for social innovation
•Ecosystems Exploration
•Competence centers design and implementation
•Capacity building for SI mainstreaming
•Roadmap to a conducive environment for social innovation

Ecosystems Exploration
•Mapping and bottom-up SI data collection
•Analysis of the institutional contexts in each country
•Ecosystems framework
•Mapping and bottom-up SI data collection
•Analysis of the institutional contexts in each country
•Ecosystems framework

Competence centers design and implementation
•Competence centers organizational models
•Competence centers business models
•SI implementation methodologies
•Pilots implementation in each country
•Monitoring and assessing social innovation
•Digital toolbox: Learning repository
•Competence centers organizational models
•Competence centers business models
•SI implementation methodologies
•Pilots implementation in each country
•Monitoring and assessing social innovation
•Digital toolbox: Learning repository
Competence centers design and implementation
•Competence centers organizational models
•Competence centers business models
•SI implementation methodologies
•Pilots implementation in each country
•Monitoring and assessing social innovation
•Digital toolbox: Learning repository
•Competence centers organizational models
•Competence centers business models
•SI implementation methodologies
•Pilots implementation in each country
•Monitoring and assessing social innovation
•Digital toolbox: Learning repository

Capacity building for SI mainstreaming
•Mapping and stakeholder engagement for capacity
building
•Planning and implementing the SI capacity building
program
•Exchanging and learning best practices
•Twinning with other SI competence centers across Europe
•Mapping and stakeholder engagement for capacity
building
•Planning and implementing the SI capacity building
program
•Exchanging and learning best practices
•Twinning with other SI competence centers across Europe
Capacity building for SI mainstreaming
•Mapping and stakeholder engagement for capacity
building
•Planning and implementing the SI capacity building
program
•Exchanging and learning best practices
•Twinning with other SI competence centers across Europe
•Mapping and stakeholder engagement for capacity
building
•Planning and implementing the SI capacity building
program
•Exchanging and learning best practices
•Twinning with other SI competence centers across Europe

Roadmap to a conducive environment for social innovation
•National SI agendas and action plans
•Dissemination plans and implementation
•Recommendations to national and EU policy makers
•Final Conference
•National SI agendas and action plans
•Dissemination plans and implementation
•Recommendations to national and EU policy makers
•Final Conference
Roadmap to a conducive environment for social innovation
•National SI agendas and action plans
•Dissemination plans and implementation
•Recommendations to national and EU policy makers
•Final Conference
•National SI agendas and action plans
•Dissemination plans and implementation
•Recommendations to national and EU policy makers
•Final Conference

The priorities - challenges of SI Centers for each country
•ITALY: To Support ESF authority to address SI as a driver for Public Sector Innovation
•SLOVENIA: Support ESF authority to promote the culture of Digital social innovation
•GREECE: Support ESF authority to recognize, re-connect and institutionalize SI
•ROMANIA: Support ESF authority to exploit SI for local communities development
•ITALY: To Support ESF authority to address SI as a driver for Public Sector Innovation
•SLOVENIA: Support ESF authority to promote the culture of Digital social innovation
•GREECE: Support ESF authority to recognize, re-connect and institutionalize SI
•ROMANIA: Support ESF authority to exploit SI for local communities development
The priorities - challenges of SI Centers for each country
•ITALY: To Support ESF authority to address SI as a driver for Public Sector Innovation
•SLOVENIA: Support ESF authority to promote the culture of Digital social innovation
•GREECE: Support ESF authority to recognize, re-connect and institutionalize SI
•ROMANIA: Support ESF authority to exploit SI for local communities development
•ITALY: To Support ESF authority to address SI as a driver for Public Sector Innovation
•SLOVENIA: Support ESF authority to promote the culture of Digital social innovation
•GREECE: Support ESF authority to recognize, re-connect and institutionalize SI
•ROMANIA: Support ESF authority to exploit SI for local communities development

The functions of national competence centers
•Capacity-building:
•Building capacity among a range of stakeholders:
•ESF+ managing authorities,
•local and regional authorities,
•practitioners,
•support organizations,
•donors, etc.
•Raising awareness of the social innovation concept.
•Developing tools and methods to achieve and scale-up impact.
•Networking, synergies and resources:
•Collaboration between public, private and third sector organizations, academia, etc.
•Synergies between different EU funding schemes.
•Transnational exchange
•Sharing knowledge: what does/does not work?
•Beyond sharing: cooperating in joint endeavors, active mentoring and partnerships.
•Capacity-building:
•Building capacity among a range of stakeholders:
•ESF+ managing authorities,
•local and regional authorities,
•practitioners,
•support organizations,
•donors, etc.
•Raising awareness of the social innovation concept.
•Developing tools and methods to achieve and scale-up impact.
•Networking, synergies and resources:
•Collaboration between public, private and third sector organizations, academia, etc.
•Synergies between different EU funding schemes.
•Transnational exchange
•Sharing knowledge: what does/does not work?
•Beyond sharing: cooperating in joint endeavors, active mentoring and partnerships.
The functions of national competence centers
•Capacity-building:
•Building capacity among a range of stakeholders:
•ESF+ managing authorities,
•local and regional authorities,
•practitioners,
•support organizations,
•donors, etc.
•Raising awareness of the social innovation concept.
•Developing tools and methods to achieve and scale-up impact.
•Networking, synergies and resources:
•Collaboration between public, private and third sector organizations, academia, etc.
•Synergies between different EU funding schemes.
•Transnational exchange
•Sharing knowledge: what does/does not work?
•Beyond sharing: cooperating in joint endeavors, active mentoring and partnerships.
•Capacity-building:
•Building capacity among a range of stakeholders:
•ESF+ managing authorities,
•local and regional authorities,
•practitioners,
•support organizations,
•donors, etc.
•Raising awareness of the social innovation concept.
•Developing tools and methods to achieve and scale-up impact.
•Networking, synergies and resources:
•Collaboration between public, private and third sector organizations, academia, etc.
•Synergies between different EU funding schemes.
•Transnational exchange
•Sharing knowledge: what does/does not work?
•Beyond sharing: cooperating in joint endeavors, active mentoring and partnerships.

Thank you for your attention!
For any information: https://www.seedeuproject.eu/
Thank you for your attention!
For any information: https://www.seedeuproject.eu/