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"Boosting Innovation for a Better Social Outcome: Edinburgh, 21st May

"Social Innovation: A European Commission perspective and recent

activities "

Aurelio Fernández DG Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion, Unit Social Policies, Innovation and

Governance

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Social innovation in EU activities

Different perspectives have been considered in EC approaches to social innovation

• From Innovation Union to the Social Investment Package considerable amount of actions were taken since 2010 by different

DGs to foster and/or used social innovation to reach EU policy goals

Employment, Social affairs and Inclusion

Research and Innovation

Grow

Connect

Structural and Investment Programs and Plans

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EU Policy Frameworks (rooting social innovation)

• Europe 2020

• Seven EU flagship initiatives • (in particular, Innovation Union and the European Platform Against

Poverty).

• Complementing funding programmes • (such as FP7, Progress, EaSI, Horizon2020, COSME)

Main policy packages Social Business Initiative, Employment Package, Social Investment

Package

The new multiannual financial framework for the Structural and Investment Funds

2014 -2020

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New European Commission

• Rebalancing economic policy, employment and social affairs

A model of economic growth where efficiency and social fairness feed each other

• Breaking policy silos (integrated approaches)

• A new economic governance package: Investment, Structural reforms, fiscal responsibility

Job creation and modernisation of social protection systems at the heart of the agenda

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The Social Investment Package (SIP):

A strategic social investment approach to modernisation

• Social protection systems that prevent against risks, respond as early as possible and respond to people's needs throughout their lives

• Join up adequate benefits with activating and enabling benefits to support people's inclusion in society and the labour market

• More effective and efficient social spending to ensure adequate and sustainable social protection

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"Social Policy Innovation"

• SIP brought a specific perspective for social innovation that emphasizes the importance of

• - connecting social innovation to strategic policy packages and EU priorities.

• - mainstreaming social innovation in the implementation of Member States reforms supporting social investment and the modernisation of social protection systems.

• - taking into account the added value of innovation as a key tool for achieving improved social outcomes.

• http://ec.europa.eu/social/BlobServlet?docId=13691&langId=en

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Conference on Social Policy Innovation (Brussels, 19th – 20th May).

How social policy innovation can contribute to implement efficient and effective reforms in social protection systems based on a social investment perspective?

Around 400 participants

25 show-casing sessions on policy experiences

The outcomes of the Conference provided inputs to the new Commission on the way forward in this of policy area.

http://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?langId=en&catId=88&eventsId=981&furtherEvents=yes

• http://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?langId=en&catId=88&eventsId=981&furtherEvents=yes

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Innovative social policy investments

TCP- National telecare development programme (Scotland).

Long-term care integrated services reform (Slovenia)

Barcelona (ES – innovative model organisation of social services)

South Karelia (SI – integrated social and health services)

Leap Project (MT – family resource centers)

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Innovative social policy investments (II)

Partnerships involving the business community (Wallet of the Poor initiatives –BE, FR, PT).

Innovation by social entrepreneurs (Ashoka, Oksigen).

Innovations by Civil Society Organizations:

Caritas, Diakonie, Local organizations

ESF multiregional program against discrimination (ES – 2006 -2011).

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Funding instruments: Employment and Social Innovation Program (EaSI - 2014-2020)

• Stronger connection to Europe 2020 and the integrated policy guidelines

• Funding allocated in the new programme for social innovation has increased in relation to PROGRESS

(10 to 14 million euros a year).

• Further synergies with ESF activities on social innovation will be built

http://ec.europa.eu/social/easi

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EaSI: First Call for Proposals (2014) Social policy innovations supporting reforms in social services

€9.2 million.

Maximum EU co-financing (80%)

More that 100 innovation initiatives from 20 Member States

Focus areas:

• One-stop-shop approaches

• Personalised approaches to social services

• Innovative partnerships

2015 Call (to be launched in the second semester).

http://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?langId=en&catId=629

•

http://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?langId=en&catId=629http://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?langId=en&catId=629

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EaSI: Supporting social economy and social entrepreneurs

EaSI (Entrepreneurship axe): funding for helping the creation and scaling-up of social enterprises (not direct finance, entrepreneurs

or social enterprises are final beneficiaries)..

86 million € to stimulate, broaden and speed

up the development of social finance markets across Europe (2014 – 2020).

• Similar amount to microfinance and institutional capacity building for microfinance providers

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ESF and Social Innovation

With the new programming period, there is much more scope to use

the ESF in support of social policy innovation (ESF shall promote social

innovation).

Member States are required to identify the themes for social

innovation corresponding to their specific needs in their Operational

Programmes and/or during implementation (art 9 ESF regulation).

Possibilities of a priority axis devoted to social innovation and of an

increasing of 10% in the co-financing rate.

Relevant examples: New ESF operational programmes (CZ, AT, ES),

Sachsen Ansalt (DE), Friuli Venetia (IT), Flanders (BE)

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IESI Project – ICT enabling social innovations supporting social investment

Specific objectives

To provide a deeper understanding of how EU Member States can make

better use of ICT-enabled social innovation to implement the actions suggested

by the SIP

To contribute building evidence-based knowledge by providing results of a

structured analysis of ICT-enabled social innovation initiatives implemented in

EU Member States

To develop a methodological framework of analysis of the impacts generated

by ICT-enabled social innovation initiatives `promoting/embodying´ social investment.

• http://is.jrc.ec.europa.eu/pages/EAP/eInclusion.IESI.html

http://is.jrc.ec.europa.eu/pages/EAP/eInclusion.IESI.htmlhttp://is.jrc.ec.europa.eu/pages/EAP/eInclusion.IESI.htmlhttp://is.jrc.ec.europa.eu/pages/EAP/eInclusion.IESI.htmlhttp://is.jrc.ec.europa.eu/pages/EAP/eInclusion.IESI.htmlhttp://is.jrc.ec.europa.eu/pages/EAP/eInclusion.IESI.htmlhttp://is.jrc.ec.europa.eu/pages/EAP/eInclusion.IESI.htmlhttp://is.jrc.ec.europa.eu/pages/EAP/eInclusion.IESI.htmlhttp://is.jrc.ec.europa.eu/pages/EAP/eInclusion.IESI.htmlhttp://is.jrc.ec.europa.eu/pages/EAP/eInclusion.IESI.htmlhttp://is.jrc.ec.europa.eu/pages/EAP/eInclusion.IESI.htmlhttp://is.jrc.ec.europa.eu/pages/EAP/eInclusion.IESI.htmlhttp://is.jrc.ec.europa.eu/pages/EAP/eInclusion.IESI.htmlhttp://is.jrc.ec.europa.eu/pages/EAP/eInclusion.IESI.htmlhttp://is.jrc.ec.europa.eu/pages/EAP/eInclusion.IESI.htmlhttp://is.jrc.ec.europa.eu/pages/EAP/eInclusion.IESI.html

15

The IESI Knowledge Map

2014 – A static view…

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The way forward: Further steps

Making sure social policy innovation play a role in reforms made by Member states for modernizing social protection systems.

Pursuing the promotion of social innovation in ESF implementation activities

Support Member states through guidance, evidence-based knowledge, capacity building and the use of funds for social policy

innovation

Pursue broad partnerships between public authorities, the private sector and civil society to deliver better social outcomes

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• THANKS