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"Boosting Innovation for a Better Social Outcome:

East Poland House, 23rd October

"Social Innovation: A European Commission perspective and recent

activities "

Aurelio FernándezDG 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 InclusionResearch and Innovation

GrowConnect

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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The EU Employment and Social Situation

High level Unemployment: 9.5 % (10.9% euro area).•Higher youth unemployment:20,4% (21,9 % euro area)•High number of NEETS (around 15,9% in 2013)•Small declining of Long-term and very long-term unemployment (LTUR 4.9% -VLTU 3%).•Involuntary part-time work & underemployment increasing.•Households financial distress fell but remains higher than in 2007, in particular in the low income quartile. •Poverty and social exclusion has increased during the crisis. 24,5% of all Europeans in 2013•Inequalities within MS and social divergences among MS also growing.

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Inequality: Income quintile ratio (S80/S20), Income quintile ratio (S80/S20), evolution

2008-2013evolution 2008-2013

Source: Eurostat (EU-SILC)

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Lack of progress on the EU 2020 headline target on poverty and social exclusion

Source: Eurostat (EU-SILC)

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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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Refocussing social innovation Lessons learnt

• Greater involvement of public authorities is needed for effective follow-up and sustainability.

• Innovations supporting social investment and policy-making would be better connected (Focus on a more systemic level).

Develop broader partnerships (civil society organisations, service providers, private sector,…) is essential for

addressing social challenges and pursuing better social outcomes

Need to adjust methodologies for measuring social outcomes

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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 investmentsTCP- 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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Social innovation (Poland reports)• "Programme of Active Forms of counteracting social

exclusion"(competitions for local authorities and non-governmental organisations relating to partnership projects for organizing social integration centres and clubs).

• New legislation on social support for social rental housing (new refundable funding mechanisms).

• PL13 – Programme of reducing social inequalities in health (in the framework of the Norwegian Financial Mechanism) 23 pilot projects in the field of public health in local communities (e-health, information systems).

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SIP brings a specific perspective to how innovation and social economy actors are connected to the

modernisation of social protection systems

Social enterprises of the social economy are well placed to play a supportive role in the promotion and piloting of social investment approaches.

They can complement and provide leverage to public sector efforts to implement the needed reforms for the

modernisation of social protection systems and for achieving better social outcomes.

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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: Testing and supporting innovation in social policies

• Testing social policy innovations and supporting authorities and relevant stakeholders in building capacities to design

and implement them.

Supporting Member States by promoting better instruments and social impact methodologies which provide evidence-

based knowledge for reforms that will improve efficiency and effectiveness of social protection systems and services.

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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

• 

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2015 EaSI Call for Proposals for Social Policy Innovations supporting reforms of Social Services (VP/2015/011)

I.   Purpose of this call is "to foster policy innovation in the organisation and delivery of social services aiming at the integration of service users in the labour market. Policy innovation should focus on the integrated delivery of this type of social services".

II. Budget: 10.800.000€ (Grant requests between 750.000€ minimum and 2.000.000€). 

III. Co-financing rate 80% of total eligible costs of the action.IV. Eligibility criteria: Consortium of stakeholders involving public, private or 

not-for profit entitiesV. Deadline for submitting applications: 16/11/2015

http://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?catId=629&langId=en&callId=462&furtherCalls=yes

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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 InnovationWith 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

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The IESI Knowledge Map 2014 – A static view…

Other social innovation activities• SIE – Social Innovation Europe Platform

• European Social Innovation Europe Competition (launched this year in Gdansk)

• EIP-AHA European Innovative partnership on Active and Healthy Ageing

• Work place Innovation

Innovation and advanced manufacturing 24

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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