IT´S THE MOMENT FOR SOCIAL ECONOMY!
After a wonderful edition in 2021, in which we received more than 100 solutions from the social economy, we’re glad to present to you the Second Edition of The European Social Economy Awards!
In post crisis times, we reinvent ourselves: COVID 19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine have brought lots of challenges, but also have shown us the weaknesses of the current system with a trend to relocation in which cooperation and proximity can be key. We need to build a different Europe, one that is people-centred, sustainable, eco-friendly and fair, and each part of society should work for that. The social economy has the capacity to address all these changes and the EU has already recognised it as the proximity and social economy have been chosen as one of the 14 industrial ecosystems in the European Industrial Strategy, which is going to be the foundations of a new Europe. In order to work for that, we can count on the Social Economy Action Plan and the Transition Pathways, which show us the road to move on to a digital and green system. On these Awards, we want to specially recognise your efforts and contributions for this transition.
The Awards, replicated every two years, serve as inspiration to other social economy actors, and citizens aiming at becoming entrepreneurs, activists and change-makers. Also, they aim at raising the visibility of the social economy, in order to continue putting on the public agenda our needs and potential.
The Awards have a pan-European focus being also open to initiatives from the Western Balkans, the Eastern Partnership, EFTA countries, the UK, Turkey, and Southern Mediterranean Countries.
Let’s scale up. Let’s work for the Social Economy!
This year, these prestigious Social Economy Awards will have four categories:
SOCIAL INNOVATION
For those organisations which work towards the following topics: Inclusion of vulnerable or marginalised individuals, such as migrants, or other minorities far from the labour market; accessibility and inclusion of people with disabilities; gender equality; LGTBI Rights; youth social entrepreneurship and inclusion of young people in the labour market; innovative social services, including innovation in care services; other solutions to social issues.
skills
In the European Year of Skills, this category aims to award organisations working on upskilling and reskilling social economy employees, potential entrepreneurs, students etc. and/or on the development of training and courses related to social economy, such as educational cooperatives, VET cooperative centres, universities, etc.
Green transition
For organisations working on renewable energy, housing, sustainable mobility, the circular economy, water management, sustainable food production among many others and/or in the action areas of the Green Transition of the Transition Pathway for the proximity and social economy ecosystem.
digitalization
For social economy initiatives operating in the digital economy or with an important focus on technological innovation and/or working in the action areas of the Digital Transition of the Transition Pathway for the proximity and social economy ecosystem.
Who is eligible?
Social economy enterprises and organisations, such as cooperatives, mutuals, associations, foundations, social enterprises, ethical and alternative banks and financiers, micro-credit institutions, labour societies and other similar social economy forms; whose head office is located in an EU-27 Member State or in the following regions: the Western Balkans (Albania, Bosnia & Herzegovina, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Kosovo and Serbia), the Eastern Partnership (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine), Turkey, Southern Mediterranean Countries (Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Palestine, Syria and Tunisia), the UK and the EFTA Member States (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland).
Applications for each one of these categories can be submitted on this Google forms by August 31, 2023.
A balanced jury formed by social economy experts, researchers, and representatives of EU Institutions will select three finalists for each category. One member of each organisation selected as finalists will be invited to the Gala of The Awards on November 14, in San Sebastian (Spain).
GOOD LUCK!
BECOME A SPONSOR
In this key year for the future of the EU Social Economy, SEE calls on social economy enterprises and institutions engaged in the promotion of the social economy to support these second edition of the EU Social Economy Awards by becoming sponsors. Should you be interested in becoming a sponsor of the EU Social Economy Awards, please send an e-mail to paula.dediego@socialeconomy.eu.org