1. Carolina Gario DG GROW, European Commission
Social Innovation for Refugee inclusion: the exemples of the European Social Innovation Competition and the Social Challenges Platform
Carolina Gario
DG GROW, European Commission

2. Why social innovation?

3. Inclusivity and co-creation Better solutions, no wasted potential
Challenges 
Solutions
Inclusivity and co-creation
Better solutions, no wasted potential
Business creation, jobs and growth +
Social and environmental value

4. - business incubation and coaching - seed money
Copyrights
- raising awareness
- business incubation and coaching
- seed money
- visibility, recognition of excellence

5. Judging criteria
• degree of innovation, including both disruptive and incremental innovations, also in comparison with solutions already developed and implemented;
• impact assessed as the potential of the proposed idea to make a change
• sustainability and scale assessed as the potential of the proposed idea to be transferred to another
area in Europe or scaled up at a national and/or European level.

6. The European Commission officially launched the 2016 edition of the European Social Innovation Competition with the aim of supporting the reception and integration of refugees and migrants in Europe. The competition seeks creative approaches that realise the potential of refugees and migrants, enabling them to contribute to the social, economic, cultural and political life of their host countries.
The diversity of its people has helped shape European common values and collective identity. The shift in population and migration therefore represents not only a challenge but also an opportunity to build new inclusive communities and the potential to grow Europe’s economy. Many refugees and migrants have the potential to be the next entrepreneurs and innovators, but without the right support, the skills of new arrivals can be wasted and they may become marginalised.
Themed, ‘Integrated Futures’ the Competition aims to find innovations in products, technologies, services and models that can support the reception and integration of refugees and migrants, including but not limited to, ideas around:
 Education and skills development
 Employment and entrepreneurship
 Access to appropriate housing and health services
 Safety and human rights
 Community cohesion and cultural diversity
1095 entries from 36 countries (Mostly from Germany, Italy and the UK)
-> Proximity to and awareness of the need for integration might have encouraged initiatives led or co-led by refugees.

7. CUCULA is an educational and manufacturing project
CUCULA is an educational and manufacturing project. It enables refugees to build up their own future by making furniture based on the concept of the Italian designer Enzo Mari. Working with and not for newcomers CUCULA aims to empower them financially, socially and with skills. The focus lies on the potentials of each individual. The economical integration model is a platform for interdisciplinary and intercultural exchange as well as a design subject and a scope for new societal chances. By linking the refugee issue with the groundbreaking design concept new spaces for creation are opened up.
CUCULA, Germany Education & Skills Development

8. Virtuous Triangle is a platform that addresses community cohesion and skills development simultaneously. Based on the principles of reciprocity, profitability and mutual understanding, ‘Virtuous Triangle’ aims to open up a platform where local university students and primary school children are matched to refugee pupils. A triangle consists of a university student, a local and a refugee pupil. Virtuous Triangle unfolds as the pupils communicate and establish a long-term friendship, at the same time being supervised, guided and supported by the university students who are responsible for the integration, skills and language development of children. The university student will be rewarded with bonuses or exemptions. In a nutshell, Virtuous Triangle produces a remedy for each party for seemingly unrelated problems by merely interconnecting them to each other.
Project Virtuous Triangle, Turkey Education & Skills Development

9. The Machine to be Another is a scalable system that allows pairs of individuals, such as Europeans and migrants, to step into each other’s shoes through virtual reality. The Machine To Be Another is a Creative Commons Non-Commercial-Share-a-Like tool which allows people to see and feel themselves in the body and personal story of another person very different from themselves. Based on cognitive science, the system offers a multisensory experience that allows participants to literally swap bodies, perspectives and personal thoughts. Designed to promote immersive perspective-taking and empathy, the Machine To Be Another aims to be a tool for public use, available in libraries and community centres, specially open for promoting meaningful encounters between locals and new-arrivals. The tool is an opportunity for dialogue and breaking down stereotypes in a direct face-to-face way that helps challenge deeply-held perspectives about identity and the division between self and other.
The Machine to be Another, Spain Community Cohesion and Cultural Diversity

10. Impact prize 2017 – The Bike Projet, UK
Copyrights

11. Social Challenges Innovation Platform

12. - 1 platform
- turning challenges into solutions
- online ecosystem encouraging the interaction between social innovators and SMEs
- challenges supported and sponsored by an EU grant mechanism scheme
- 30 challenges currently open
- max 3 solution providers per challenge
- self-sustainable in the long-term

13. An example of an open challenge: Connect Migrants to the Business Community
"We are looking for new tools :
- through which the targeted beneficiaries can learn languages;
- for mobility from suburbs to the city center;
- to prove the educational and work experience of migrants;
- to create new and nurture established relationship.
We are looking for ambitious solutions than can be simple to implement"