Tapas, System Change and the EU Budget: European Competence Centres Gather in Madrid

At the beginning of May, summer had already arrived in Madrid. The city was full of sunshine, coffee, tapas, and lively conversation as European Competence Centres for Social Innovation gathered to discuss a common question: why is developing good solutions often easier than implementing, spreading, and embedding them into permanent structures?

One observation quickly emerged: despite national differences, the challenges are remarkably similar across Europe.

The Same Problem Everywhere: Projects End Just as Things Start to Happen

The same phrases appeared repeatedly in discussions across countries: “lack of stable funding,” “project-based ecosystem,” and “difficulty scaling innovations.” Good solutions are being developed, but integrating them into everyday practice remains a challenge.

In Croatia, participants highlighted a project-based system that is heavily dependent on EU funding. In Italy, social innovation is recognised in strategies and policy documents, but this has not yet translated into permanent structures or sustainable funding. Finland faces its own challenges, including weak connections with key funders and public administration actors.

There is something reassuring in knowing that Finland is not alone in facing these issues. At the same time, it is frustrating that Europe as a whole has recognised the same challenge for years: we are relatively good at funding development, but much less successful at funding implementation and scaling.

Spain’s Lesson: One Project Does Not Change the World

One of the most interesting examples came from Spain, where social innovation is approached through portfolio thinking. The idea is simple but important: individual projects rarely transform systems on their own, but a combination of interconnected experiments, policy measures, and funding instruments can.

Rather than searching for a single “silver bullet,” the goal is to develop multiple solutions simultaneously and learn from both successes and failures.

Social Innovation Is Not a “Soft Add-On”

Perhaps the most important message from Madrid was that social innovation should be understood much more broadly than it often is today. It is not merely a topic for projects or the third sector—it is a way of renewing society itself.

This message was also reflected in the Madrid Declaration for Stronger Recognition and Funding of Social Innovation in the EU Multiannual Financial Framework 2028–2034. The declaration emphasises the need to close the funding gap for social innovation, establish more permanent support structures, and recognise social innovation as an important contributor to Europe’s competitiveness.

Ultimately, the idea is straightforward: if Europe wants to succeed in the future, it must become better at solving social challenges in effective and innovative ways.

The EU Multiannual Financial Framework 2028–2034

The EU’s next Multiannual Financial Framework (2028–2034) may not sound like the most exciting topic, but this time the discussions included genuinely promising proposals: simplification, more flexible structures, and a stronger social dimension.

Perhaps the most significant message appeared almost unnoticed on a presentation slide:

“Social innovation shall be supported … with the aim of testing, evaluating and scaling up innovative solutions.”

In other words, the focus is not only on experimentation, but also on evaluation and scaling. This is exactly the kind of discussion that deserves much more attention in Finland as well.

Key Takeaways from Madrid

Above all, the meeting reinforced the feeling that countries across Europe are grappling with very similar challenges. New and promising solutions continue to emerge, but implementing, embedding, and spreading them within permanent structures remains difficult.

Discussions highlighted the need to shift attention increasingly from experimentation and development towards the wider adoption of effective solutions. Achieving this requires evaluation, long-term funding, cross-sector collaboration, and structures that support the diffusion of innovation.

At the same time, it was inspiring to meet colleagues from across Europe. Conversations reflected a strong belief that social innovation can play a significant role in Europe’s future—provided that greater investment is made in implementation and scaling.

Author
Hanne Savolainen
Project Manager
National Competence Centre for Social Innovation