Three new European projects and a renewed focus for the European Network of Innovation for Inclusion
Through our European Projects department, we at Action Against Hunger remain committed to driving real social change and strengthening our international partnerships and alliances. Since the creation of the European Network of Innovation for Inclusion in 2016, we have worked to promote social innovation and build a more inclusive labor market in Europe. Today, we are part of a network that already counts around 500 organizations, united to transform the European social and labor landscape.
This 2024 we have taken several more steps toward the inclusive future we are pursuing. We achieved an increase in funding for the Network; we redefined its focus, now centered on scaling social innovations; and we initiated three new European projects that expand our reach. Thus, 2025 is shaping up to be a year of growth, collaboration and new challenges, to continue making a positive impact across Europe through initiatives for social inclusion, gender equality and sustainable economic development.
Strengthening the European Innovation for Inclusion Network
Looking ahead to 2025, the increase in funding for the European Network of Innovation for Inclusion will allow us to consolidate the alliance both nationally and internationally, and make it a reference space for scaling social innovations at the European level. Thus, our main goal will be to accompany other organizations in the development of their own scaling processes and in the implementation of social innovation models that respond to the needs of the most vulnerable communities.
Within this effort, training plays a fundamental role. Throughout the year, we have held several webinars that have served as spaces for exchange and learning among the more than 500 member entities of the network. Among the outstanding topics, we have addressed social innovation within the European Erasmus+ program, the identification and measurement of the degree of innovation of a project and the opportunities offered by green and digital employment through Green at You project.
The 12th Forum for Inclusive Employment and Entrepreneurship
Also within the framework of the European Innovation Network for Inclusion, we hold, as every year, the Inclusive Employment and Entrepreneurship Forum. Our largest European event for inclusion.
In the last edition, the forum highlighted the importance of social innovation as an engine for advancing the social changes necessary for social and labor inclusion. This year, the invited specialists addressed current topics such as the community approach in social innovation, artificial intelligence for inclusion or scaling innovative projects.
"Getting together and learning", is the main objective of the entities attending this annual event, as explained by the director of Technical Engineering and Social Action Spain of Acción contra el Hambre, Luis González, "as well as fostering collaboration between entities to build a stronger and more community-based social innovation ecosystem".
In addition, the event also serves to award the projects participating in the call for best practices, which seeks to encourage and inspire teams working to improve the social and labor inclusion of the most vulnerable groups.
The winner of the Best Practice in Inclusive Entrepreneurship 2024 was the Belgian initiative #SheDIDIT. Among the finalist projects were also the Merlo program, from the Ronsel Foundation, and the Relight initiative, from the DRAMBLYS (Social Creativity Lab) organization. Representatives of the three organizations then participated in the study visit to Antwerp (Belgium), where they were able to learn first-hand about the #SheDIDIT project, a space that empowers, supports and trains women of all ages and cultural backgrounds to become entrepreneurs.
On the other hand, the winner of the Best Practice in Social and Labor Inclusion 2024 was the Italian cooperative Lazzarelle, a women-only initiative that markets artisanal coffee and chocolate produced by women prisoners in the Pozzuoli prison. This initiative together with the finalists, Odyssea and the European Youth Energy Network (for its online platform Energy Transition Careers Compass (ETCC), traveled to Naples to learn about the project.
Continuing with Green at You and Novafoodies, Agro4SDGs comes to an end
In addition to the three new European projects that will start in 2025, Action Against Hunger continues to coordinate key initiatives such as Green at You, which will offer micro-credentials to people participating in its courses, with the aim of preparing people at risk of exclusion for green and digital jobs. This project will be launched in 2025 after having developed the contents during this year 2024 (enrollment open).
On the other hand, Novafoodies, the project in which Action Against Hunger participates as a partner, will become more relevant in 2025. The organization has a crucial role in the development of a roadmap for social inclusion and gender equality in the aquaculture sector, as well as leading the creation of an employment school in this growing sector.
As for Agro4SDGs, we are pleased to announce that this project, which we led together with four other partner organizations and was funded by the Erasmus+ program, has come to an end. During its implementation, Agro4SDGs contributed significantly to gender equality in the agroecological and rural sector, working with public authorities and various stakeholders in Spain, especially in the region of Extremadura.
Our new European Projects for 2025
In 2024, we at Action Against Hunger have secured funding and coordination for three new key European projects to be launched in the coming year:
- Women 5.0: Aims to train women entrepreneurs and the professionals who advise them in the development of digital skills. With innovative tools, it seeks to strengthen the capabilities both in the business creation process and in the personal empowerment of the participants.
- Creasse: Focused on improving the European social economy ecosystem, Creasse works to strengthen entities operating in this sector, especially those that support people at risk of exclusion or poverty.
- Space-Nest: This project addresses one of the great challenges of rural areas: the recovery and improvement of abandoned or underutilized rural spaces. The initiative seeks to transform these spaces into development hubs for the social economy, offering innovative solutions that respond to the needs of rural communities.
Looking to the future
With these new projects and the continued strengthening of our partnerships, 2025 is shaping up to be a key year for further progress in creating a more inclusive and sustainable working environment across Europe. At Action Against Hunger, we remain committed to social innovation, gender equality and economic development, driving positive change for the most vulnerable communities.
