Tavoite

SOCENT SPAs will contribute to increase the regions’ competitiveness through the promotion of social entrepreneurship in sparsely populated areas (SPAs). More specifically, the action will foster interregional cooperation among six public and private non-profit entities of Finland, Germany, Slovakia and Spain in a view to improve the effectiveness of their respective regional policies in actively supporting the visibility, incubation and acceleration of social entrepreneurs in SPAs as a driver to regional competitiveness and inclusive growth.

Sparsely populated areas are generally marked by depopulation and an ageing remaining population; demographic trends are thus an important challenge. As counter-measure, social innovation results to be fundamental as it can make a real difference as a source of innovative approaches for resolving societal challenges through mobilizing civil society to further inclusive socioeconomic development and promote employment and competitiveness. The capacity of social enterprises (SEs) to directly benefit local development and correct major socioeconomic imbalances while benefiting local communities has been proven and it remains a crucial asset to secure the population in sparely populated areas.

However, bespoke support for social entrepreneurs is limited. Indeed, social enterprises face barriers impeding them to implement satisfying solutions to social challenges. Governments and policymakers are uniquely positioned to play a significant role in influencing the potential for social enterprises’ success by using their regulatory and legal powers to set up the right legal framework for SEs across sectors and geographical areas.

Thus, to influence regional policies in a view to enhance social entrepreneurship visibility and competitiveness whilst taking into account the specific conditions of sparsely populated areas, SOCENT SPAs will foster interregional exchange of knowledge, successful experiences and good practices among the implementing project organizations and entities. A comprehensive policy learning process based on an integrated approach and on the identification, analysis and transfer of good practices will be implemented through the organization of thematic workshops, site visits and meetings with the partners and relevant stakeholders of each participating country (Finland, Germany, Slovakia and Spain). Besides, for policymakers to have a solid understanding of the ‘state of the play’ in terms of social innovation within their region, the Action, through its policy learning process and communication strategy, will raise their awareness i) on the social entrepreneurship framework, enabling them to gain insights into how to create more favourable conditions for social enterprises; ii) on social innovations organizational outputs and societal outcomes, enabling them to gain insights into social innovation impacts to best target support; iii) on entrepreneurial activities that produce social innovations, enabling them to better understand how social innovation emerges and how well it develops in societies.

Through the policy learning process, the partners will learn what works best in different environments and will be able to design and then implement adequate action plans aiming at integrating the lessons learnt into their policy instrument, i.e. aiming at engaging policymakers to take action and integrating into their regional policies support schemes for social entrepreneurship in sparsely populated areas

 

Implementing entities and organizations

  • Lead Partner:

  • General Directorate for Social Economy and Self-employed persons – Regional Government of Castile and Leon (Spain)

    • Co-Partners

  • NGOD Cives Mundi (Spain)
  • Social Impact (Germany)
  • Lapland University of Applied Sciences (Finland)
  • Not-for-Profit organization EPIC (Slovakia)
  • Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs and Family of the Slovak Republic (Slovakia)

    • Tulokset

    Enhanced the interregional cooperation and synergies among regional public and private non-profit bodies of the social economy of the target regions on the promotion and support of social entrepreneurship in sparsely populated regions

  • Raised awareness among public/regional authorities and key stakeholders on social entrepreneurship as an integral part of the SMEs eco-system and a driving force to influence the competitiveness of the regions and to ensure inclusive growth, social cohesion, and equal opportunities

  • Enhanced the target policy markers’ capacities in assessing the needs of social entrepreneurs from SPAs and appropriately address them

  • Improved the instrument policy strategic focus of the target sparsely populated areas in a view to support especially social entrepreneurs in SPAs

  • Improved understanding of the social entrepreneurship concept in the sector of services thanks to interregional cooperation

  • Identified and removed the barriers for social entrepreneurship support in the target SPAs

  • Enhanced knowledge on creating running effective support mechanism for service oriented social entrepreneurship start-ups in SPAs from other regions’ experience

  • Best practices of service oriented social entrepreneurship identified through interregional cooperation and implemented through specific action plans in the target regions

  • Improved support infrastructures (counselling, coaching) for social entrepreneurs in SPAs

  • Established support mechanisms and a favorable environment for social entrepreneurship start-ups

  • Created an ecosystem of service oriented social entrepreneurs in SPAs of target regions through   international linkages

    • Tulosten hyödynnettävyys

    Hankkeessa tuotetaan toimintasuunnitelma (Action plan), jossa kuvataan kuinka hankkeen aikana tunnistetut mallit ja parhaat käytännöt viedään osaksi alueellisia strategioita ja ohjelmia. Lapin liitto rahoitusviranomaisena on sitoutunut hankkeen tulosten hyödyntämiseen. Hankkeen tuloksia hyödynnetään harvaan asuttujen alueiden yhteisöjen kehittämisessä. Lisäksi yhteistyössä ProAgrian ja älykäs maaseutuverkosto -klusterin kanssa valmsitellaan erillinen hankehakemus NSP- tai Interreg Nord -hakuun, jossa valmistelussa hyödynnetään Socentspa-hankkeen materiaalia.