The ESF Social Innovation+ initiative facilitates the transfer and upscaling of innovative solutions to the societal challenges of today, notably in the fields of employment, education, skills and social inclusion.

ESF Social Innovation+ has a budget of €197 million for the 2021-2027 programming period.    

The Lithuanian European Social Fund Agency (ESFA) has been entrusted to establish the European Competence Centre for Social Innovation and to implement the initiative during the 2021-2027 period.

The Centre has two work streams:

Social Innovation Grants

The European Competence Centre for Social Innovation launches EU-level calls for proposals aimed at supporting transnational projects that facilitate the transfer and/or scaling up of social innovations including several types of action. These projects conceptualise and validate tested approaches, help to roll out validated models across Europe or help the social innovation support organizations to improve their capacities.

Knowledge Sharing

Under this work stream the European Competence Centre for Social Innovation offers mutual learning, capacity building and networking activities for ESF+ Managing Authorities and other relevant stakeholders. This includes Communities of Practice on the following issues: Employment, Education and Skills, Social Inclusion, Social Innovation, Migrant Integration, Material Support.

Furthermore, the Centre supports the work of the ALMA network and the EURoma network.

The Centre will collect, assess, develop, validate and disseminate suitable tools and methods for social innovation- such as the European Social Innovation database. To this end the Centre will work in close cooperation with the National Competence Centres for Social Innovation.e