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Department of Management - DISA

SEED2SCALE-SEEDing competences TO SCALE up social innovation ecosystems

ESF+ Social Innovation+ Initiative

Funding program: ESF+ Social Innovation+ Initiative

Funding Agency: European Social Fund Agency

Project number: ESF-SI-2023-NCC-01-0003

The SEED2SCALE project aims to establish and activate 5 National Competence Centers for Social Innovation (NCCs) in the involved partner Countries: Croatia, Greece, Italy, Romania, and Slovenia. 

It builds on the legacy of the SEED project developed between 2021 and 2023 in 4 of the mentioned Member States (all except Croatia), where the blueprints for the Competence Centers were outlined in a co-design process involving not only the project partners but also a broader ecosystem of stakeholders. 

The ambition of SEED2SCALE is to reach a more mature stage of the National Competence Centers for Social Innovation, where each of them can rely on a defined legal framework and has developed and implemented effective and shared governance and business models. This process includes a deeper analysis of the contextual frameworks in each Country, as well as a constant dialogue with the ESF+ Managing Authorities and the ecosystems of innovation (including the lower level of governance, the private for-profit sector, the nonprofit sector, community-based groups, and individual innovators). This exchange will be crucial in the process of better defining the competencies that the NCCs have to develop to play a relevant role in fostering new relationships within the SI ecosystems, identifying, supporting, and upscaling best practices, offering professional resources, raising awareness and knowledge of the impact of the Social Innovation approach on many policies.

By adopting the systemic approach, SEED2SCALE implements the following actions to reach the expected outputs:

  • the establishment of 5 National Competence Centers for Social Innovation with defined organisational structure, mission, and governance;
  • the activation of the Core competencies that each NCC should offer, through a needs assessment, the development of the Competences Portfolio and its testing, validation, and consolidation through the performance of 5 pilot projects in the Partner Countries;
  • the collaboration with an extended network of public authorities and national stakeholders in co-designing National Strategies and Action Plans on Social Innovation. This activity includes the effort to involve the private sector in the
    financial sustainability of Social Innovation policies and actions that will be identified in the National Strategies and Action Plans; 
  • the development and implementation of Online National Platforms as NCCs resource center hubs, meaning the online interface where information, services, resources, tools, and best practices will be available and easily accessible (in national languages) for a growing audience of potential beneficiaries; 
  • the participation in a transnational network of organizations committed to creating NCCs in all EU Member States and the development of opportunities for peer learning and transnational exchange of knowledge.

The Alma Mater Studiorum-Università di Bologna Departments involved:

  • Economics (leading Department) - DSE
  • Management - DiSA
  • Architecture - DA
  • The Arts - DAR
  • Sociology and Business Law - SDE
  • Political and Social Sciences - SPS

The DiSA Team: Giuseppe Torluccio, Francesca Regoli (Research Manager)

Project Partners: 

  • COMUNE DI TORINO (Coordinator)
  • Agenzia per la Coesione territoriale – Managing Authority Pn Metro PLUs
  • Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs - Managing Authority NP Social Inclusion and fight against
  • FONDAZIONE GIACOMO BRODOLINI S.R.L. SB
  • Politecnico di Milano
  • Politecnico di Torino
  • Alma Mater Studiorum – Università di Bologna
  • EURICSE
  • Grupul de Consultanță pentru Dezvoltare DCG SRL
  • Center for space technologies Herman Potocnik Noodung
  • Urban Municipality of Kranj
  • Inštitut za ekonomsko demokracijo
  • Inštitut Republike Slovenije za socialno varstvo
  • Primorska gospodarska zbornica / Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Primorska
  • Fundacija za zboljšanje zaposlitvenih možnosti PRIZMA, ustanova
  • Razvojna agencija Kozjansko/De velopment Agency Kozjansko
  • Sklad 05 - ustanova za družbene naložbe
  • Hashnet, distribuirane tehnologije d.o.o.
  • BSC, Poslovno Podporni Center 
  • Impact Hub Ljubljana, zavod za podjetništvo in razvoj
  • Tehnoloski Park Ljubljana DOO
  • ACT Group
  • Sveu ilište u Zagrebu Filozofski fakultet
  • Hrvatski poslovni savjet za održivi razvoj
  • Ministry of Labour, Pension System, Family and Social Policy
  • Poslovna Inteligencija d.o.o.
  • Razvojna agencija Grada Novske NORA
  • Udruga mladih Novska
  • Sveuciliste U Zagrebu Ekonomski Fakultet
  • HashNet d.o.o.
  • Geoponiko Panepistimio n Athinon
  • Research Organisation For The Commons And Peer To Peer Practices
  • Ypourgeio Koinonikis Synochis Kai Oikogeneias
  • Anaptyxiaki Karditsas Anaptyxiaki Anonimi Etairia O.T.A.
  • People's University of Social Solidarity Economy “UnivSSE Coop”
  • Kollektiva For Social Innovation And Culture  Non Profit Civil Partnership
  • Koinsep Electra Energy
  • LDK Socioeconomic Development Consultants P.C.
  • Higher Incubator Giving Growth & Sustainability
  • Social and Solidarity  Economy (SSE) Organisations Association of the South Aegean

Total Contribution: 1,559,074.00

Project starting date:1 10-06-2024

Project end date: 10-06-2027

“Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or European Social Fund Agency. Neither the European Union nor the
Granting Authority can be held responsible for them.”