Innoviris funds 9 entrepreneurial social innovation projects with over 860,000 euros
Innoviris announces funding approval for 9 projects led by social and democratic enterprises in the Brussels-Capital Region.
These enterprises are innovating to address the needs of Brussels residents. The laureates of the Prove Your Social Innovation call for projects, which received 37 applications, stand out for their innovative character, the viability of their economic models, and their relevance in tackling today’s societal challenges.
A strategic opportunity to meet social and economic needs in Brussels
In line with the Regional Innovation Plan, Prove Your Social Innovation supports the Region’s ambition to develop innovative projects in areas such as employment, inclusion, access to housing, healthcare, and education, while also creating new economic opportunities.
The call provides organizations with the means to test the relevance of their idea in response to a clearly identified social need, while at the same time assessing the strategic potential for their long-term development.
Meaningful solutions with impact
The supported projects illustrate the richness and diversity of social innovation in Brussels, with initiatives in key areas such as:
- Solidarity-based financing, to ensure fairer access to essential goods and services;
- Urban agriculture and short supply chains, to guarantee sustainable, local, and accessible food for all;
- Ecological self-renovation, for more affordable and environmentally friendly housing;
- Renewed and ecologically designed business services, that are also accessible.
By supporting these initiatives, the Region fosters a more inclusive and resilient economy, firmly rooted in the local reality of Brussels residents.
A coherent strategy
This funding is part of an overarching Innoviris strategy built around four objectives:
- developing an ecosystem that promotes ambitious social innovations addressing the Brussels-Capital Region’s priority social and economic challenges;
- strengthening support for experiments in social entrepreneurship;
- ensuring favorable conditions for the dissemination of social innovations throughout the Region and beyond;
- increasing visibility and awareness around social entrepreneurship and innovation.
An ecosystem of leading actors
Prove Your Social Innovation is part of the Innovation Journey in social innovation and is complemented by Innovate support from CoopCity, the center for social and cooperative entrepreneurship in Brussels. CoopCity offers tailored support to social enterprises in areas such as innovative and hybrid economic models, democratic and participatory governance, social impact assessment, and strategies for the dissemination of innovation.
Innoviris also relies on BISSIB, the network of key reference actors in social innovation and a true sounding board for the call. This network includes: CoopCity, Hub.brussels, Innoviris, Crédal, Déclic and PerspectivES, Bruxeo, Febrap, Synhera, Social Innovation Factory, and SAW-B.
Renewed support for social innovation
After five successful years of Prove Your Social Innovation, Innoviris will launch the 6th edition of the call in early September.
Through this support, Innoviris and the Brussels-Capital Region aim to establish Brussels as a reference point in social innovation, offering social and democratic enterprises the opportunity to test new solutions to pressing social and environmental challenges.