The European Commission has proposed measures to support the growth and expansion of the social economy. These include the launch of the Social Economy Gateway, a one-stop shop for the social economy to get projects off the ground – and to keep them growing. The Gateway acts as a portal to get access to funding from the ESF+, as well as other national and EU-wide funds. It also provides policy information, guidance and access to resources for people and organisations working in the social economy field.
Social economy entities put people first, reinvesting back into the community, responding to social issues and creating a more participatory form of entrepreneurship and innovation. There are 2.8 million social economy entities in Europe, spanning sectors from social and care services to housing and affordable energy.
The measures proposed by the Commission are a follow-up of the Social Economy Action Plan, launched in December 2021 to help the social economy thrive in Europe, tapping into its economic and job-creation potential – and meeting the challenges of the green and digital transformation.
ESF+ funding for the social economy
The European Social Fund Plus (ESF+) is the EU’s main instrument for investing in people. Through ESF+ funding, Member states help social economy organisations to develop their potential – particularly in creating quality jobs – and support social innovation and social inclusion. Social innovation is a priority in national and regional ESF+ programmes with the aim of boosting innovative solutions to country-specific and local challenges.
The ESF+ also funds the Social Innovation Plus initiative, which expands the platform through which social economy enterprises can participate. With €197 million over the 2021-2027 programming period, transnational projects can develop, replicate and scale up innovative solutions. A key element of the Social Innovation Plus initiative is the creation of a European Competence Centre for social innovation, focal points for collecting, developing and disseminating suitable tools and methods for advancing social innovation at all levels. Enterprises can also make use of the Social Innovation Match service, which provides access to social innovation initiatives, as well as information on organisations across Europe.
Furthermore, the Employment and Social Innovation (EaSI) strand of ESF+ finances EU-wide social experimentation calls to support the implementation of the European Pillar of Social Rights, as well as to respond to emerging needs on the ground.
