Introducing the European Social Innovators’ Insight Report

The 2021 European Social Innovators’ Insight Report, a new publication from the European Social Innovation Competition, is now available for download.

With a focus on distinct areas across Europe and the Horizon Europe countries, the report shines a spotlight on the diversity of social innovation across these countries, while also providing an overview of the national support structures, important stakeholders, and resources available to companies working in the area of social innovation.

With the broad goal of generating a conceptual understanding and definition of social innovation and related concepts in the target countries, the European Social Innovators’ Insight Report sheds light on Europe’s social innovation ecosystems – both at the national and European level.

Trends and developments

The report also highlights research areas that have received little attention to date, presents an overview of European trends and developments, showcases inspiring examples from social innovators across Europe and underlines the significant positive impact social innovation can create for people, communities and the environment. It will act as a first reference point for social innovators and change-makers in the target countries, informing them on the specific approaches taken in each country. As such, it will be a valuable resource for social innovators and policy-makers alike.

In addition to desk research, in compiling the report, interviews were conducted with alumni of the European Social Innovation Competition, yielding first-hand information on opportunities and potential challenges in the target countries.

Creating an enabling environment

Realising the potential of social innovation and social entrepreneurship in tackling pressing societal challenges, the European Commission has been working to promote social innovation as a source of growth and job creation. This includes sharing information about social innovation in Europe, and supporting innovative entrepreneurs and mobilising investors and public organisations. The new European Social Innovators’ Insight Report will make a valuable contribution in this regard.

The overarching goal of these efforts is to create an enabling environment for European social innovators and change-makers. Furthermore, with milestone policies and funding initiatives such as the Innovation Union Initiative, the Social Business Initiative, the Start-Up and Scale Up Initiative, Horizon 2020/Horizon Europe, and the current Employment and Social Innovation (EaSI) strand of European Social Fund Plus (ESF+), the European Union has been paving the way for the creation, uptake and scaling of socially innovative solutions. These efforts are paying off and, all over Europe, innovative change-makers are increasingly contributing to the creation of jobs, social inclusion and the equaling of opportunity.