Social Innovation Forum 2026
Join us for the fourth annual Social Innovation Forum 2026, taking place on 7–8 October 2026 in Brussels, Belgium.
This year’s Forum will explore the theme: ‘Building a Common Voice for Social Innovation – bringing together Impact, Evidence, and Success Stories to inspire collective action’.
The event will feature Ms. Roxana Mînzatu, Executive Vice-President for Social Rights and Skills, Quality Jobs and Preparedness at the European Commission.
The Forum brings together ESF+ social innovation stakeholders, including ministries, managing authorities, experts and project operators. The objectives of the Forum are to discuss successful social innovations from various Member States, the opportunities and challenges in terms of further scaling up and scaling wide such innovations, and explore how advocacy can be strengthened through evidence, impact communication, and closer alignment between practice and policy. Discussions will also focus on impact, the value of social innovation and its role in policymaking, as well as funding of social innovation.
Together, we will shape solutions where social innovation is fully recognized as a driving force for sustainable social progress and transformative policy change.
Download Agenda
7 October
8 October
| Time (Local time) | Topic and speaker |
|---|---|
| 08:00 - 09:00 |
Registration
|
| 09:00 - 09:20 |
Welcome Speeches
Roxana Mînzatu,
Executive Vice-President for Social Rights and Skills, Quality Jobs and Preparedness, European Commission
Dr. Laura Girlevičienė,
Director, European Competence Centre for Social Innovation / Lithuanian European Social Fund Agency (ESFA)
|
| 09:20 - 09:30 |
Voice from the Ground: Testimonial from a Beneficiary of Social Innovation
|
| 09:30 - 10:00 |
High-Level Keynotes: From Innovation to Policy Influence
Prof. Jürgen Howaldt,
Director, Social Research Centre, TU Dortmund University
|
| 10:00 - 11:00 |
Panel Discussion: Scaling Impact – From Local to Union-Wide: The Role of Funding Instruments, including the Next Multiannual Financial Framework
Ruth Paserman,
Director - Funds: Programming and Implementation, DG EMPL, European Commission
Pascale Taminiaux Van Laere,
Senior Project Coordinator, Climate, Environment & Biodiversity, King Baudouin Foundation, Belgium
|
| 11:00 - 11:45 |
Coffee Break
|
| 11:45 - 13:30 |
Parallel Activities: Breakout Session 1: Showcasing Impact: Successful Innovations: Employment and Social Inclusion
Starting from concrete examples, this session could highlight how social innovation initiatives deliver impact across different policy areas.
|
| 11:45 - 13:30 |
Parallel Activities: Breakout Session 2: Social Innovation Impact at Local and Regional Level
Drawing on practical examples, this session could explore how social innovation initiatives contribute to social inclusion, employment and skills development to support economic growth, poverty reduction and the fight against social exclusion at local and regional levels.
It will discuss how local and regional actors can make better use of impact evidence for learning, improvement, and decision-making. It will also discuss how evaluation frameworks can support the scalability and replicability of successful innovations. |
| 11:45 - 13:30 |
Parallel Activities: Breakout session 3: The Added Value of Social Innovation for ESF+: Evidence from Practice in the Areas of Care and Fight Against Poverty
Drawing on practical examples, this session could explore how social innovation contributes to ESF+ objectives and creates added value compared to more traditional approaches in the areas of care and fight against poverty. Attention could be given to its role in testing new solutions, engaging stakeholders, strengthening partnerships, and addressing complex social challenges.
|
| 11:45 - 13:30 |
Parallel Activities: Breakout session 4: Looking Ahead – Future Priorities for Transnational Cooperation on Social Innovation in the Next MFF
Drawing on evidence and lessons from ESF+ Social Innovation+ initiatives, this session could explore where transnational cooperation can add the greatest value in how lessons and evidence from practice can contribute to future policy and funding discussions (the next MFF).
|
| 13:30 - 15:00 |
Lunch
|
| 15:00 - 16:30 |
Meet the Social Innovators
Building on the showcasing of social innovation projects, this session will provide participants with an interactive opportunity to engage directly with 12 selected initiatives (24 innovators) from the SIM Database, presented across two parallel rounds of workshop sessions.
|
| 16:30 - 17:15 |
Coffee Break
|
| 17:15 - 17:30 |
Insights into the European Competence Centre for Social Innovation
Neringa Poškutė,
Head of Social Innovations and Transnational Initiatives Center at the European Social Fund Agency (ESFA)
|
| 17:30 - 17:45 |
Fireside Chat: What Convinces Decision-Makers to Support Social Innovation?
Jeroo Billimoria,
Convener, Government Council for Social Innovation, founder, One Family Foundation
|
| 19:00 - 21:00 |
Networking Dinner
|
| Time (Local time) | Topic and speaker |
|---|---|
| 09:00 - 09:10 |
Opening of Day 2
Raluca Painter,
Head of Unit, Social Climate Fund, European Globalisation Adjustment Fund, Social Innovation, DG EMPL, European Commission
|
| 09:10 - 10:10 |
Panel Discussion: The Role of Social Innovation in Supporting the Most Vulnerable
This panel will discuss transnational projects funded under ESF+ calls for proposals organised by the European Competence Centre for Social innovation that support the most vulnerable. The themes covered include projects under the Ukraine call, ALMA call, Zero long-term unemployment. It will present the objectives of the recent call dedicated to Strengthening the European Child Guarantee and Roma NEETs.
|
| 10:10 - 11:25 |
Parallel Activities: Workshop in Groups
Each participant will be able to attend one of the six workshops, selected in advance. The main objective of the workshops is to encourage knowledge sharing, exchange of experience and practical examples of social innovations which could be scaled up in the next MFF. It will also discuss how cooperation between policy makers at different levels (local, regional, national, EU, global), as well as collaboration with other stakeholders (private sector, foundations, NGOs) needs to support social innovations.
|
| 11:25 - 11:40 |
Comfort Break
|
| 11:40 - 13:00 |
Panel Discussion: From Successful Innovations to Identifying Areas in Which Social Innovation is Further Needed: Taking Stock of Group Discussions of Day 1
The panel will discuss the conclusions from the breakout sessions of day 1. One panelist from each of the breakout sessions will discuss the relevant findings. The objective is to take stock of the examples of successful social innovations that emerged in the breakout sessions and the ideas and suggestions as regards areas of further work in a transnational setting.
|
| 13:00 - 13:15 |
Closing Remarks
Andriana Sukova,
Deputy Director-General for Funds, Fair Transition and Analysis, DG EMPL, European Commission
|
| 13:15 - 14:30 |
Light Lunch / Networking / Departure
|