European Social Innovation Competition

The European Social Innovation Competition is an initiative of the DG Growth of the European Commission, and is organised by Kennisland in cooperation with Nesta, Ashoka, ENoLL en Scholz & Friends. The first edition of the competition was launched on the 1st of October 2013 in Lisbon, in memory of Diogo Vasconcelos++Diogo VasconcelosDiogo was one of the forerunners in Europe in the field of social innovation. Read more. The competition promotes and supports social innovation in Europe and provides a platform for leading European innovators to support new initiatives, help them develop further and learn from each other.

The Competition

The goal of the European Social Innovation Competition is to help social innovation initiatives develop further and realise their potential. Out of all the applications, thirty semi-finalists will be chosen by a jury. They will participate in the Social Innovation AcademyOut of all the applications, thirty semi-finalists will be chosen by a jury. They will participate in the Social Innovation Academy for which Kennisland is responsible. in a European city. During this three-day programme, participants will have coaching sessions and workshops and will be able to learn from colleagues from other countries. Of these semi-finalists the jury will choose ten finalists, of which three projects++Winners 2020Take a look at the winners of the 2020 competition! will eventually receive a price of € 50,000 each at the award ceremony in Brussels. In the spirit of continuous progress, all the semi-finalists of the last edition have a chance to win an additional impact prize of € 50,000 one year later. This prize is based on the impact they have realised since their participation in the Social Innovation Academy.

EUSIC 2020 banner

Reimagine Fashion: Changing behaviours for sustainable fashion

Maker: EUSIC

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2020 Reimagine Fashion

The competition has a new socially relevant theme each year. Last year, the theme was Challenging Plastic Waste++2019: Plastic wasteIn 2019 the competition focused on ideas that challenge our consumer behaviour, reduce plastic waste and improve the reuse and recycling of plastic at a systemic level. More information can be found here.
and in 2018 RE:THINK LOCAL++2018: Youth unemploymentThe 2018 initiatives worked on tackling youth unemployment by focusing on local labour markets. Read more here.. The 2020 theme is Reimagine Fashion: Changing behaviours for sustainable fashion. The fashion industry has colossal negative environmental and social impact. This year’s competition is looking for early-stage projects that will change the ways we produce, buy, use and recycle fashion and encourage a more sustainable change in consumer behaviour.We are looking for early-stage projects that will change the ways we produce, buy, use and recycle fashion and encourage a more sustainable change in consumer behaviour.

The fashion industry: social and environmental polluter

EU citizens on average buy more than 12 kilos of clothing yearly, the production of which contributes 195 million tonnes of CO2 to the atmosphere and uses 46 billion cubic meters of water. Clothing accounts for between 2 and 10% of the environmental impact of overall EU consumption. At the same time, more than 30% of clothes in Europeans’ wardrobes have not been used for at least a year. Once discarded, over half of the garments are not recycled, but end up in mixed household waste and are subsequently sent to incinerators or landfill in countries out of our sight. Through outsourcing the production of our fashion articles to other countries where it’s made for as little money and in as little time as possible, we have lost the connection with the makers of our clothes and accessories. Exploitation, child labour and modern slavery are still everyday business.

Fortunately, European consumers are becoming increasingly aware What business models could help us consume more sustainable, or consume less? How can we make processes throughout the fashion production chain more inclusive? And how can we make a sustainable lifestyle not only a logical step for the happy few?of the impacts of their consumer habits. There are also several measures the European Commission has implemented to address the problem of sustainability in fashion. The circular economy package requires Member States to ensure that textiles are collected separately, for example, and the Packaging Waste Directive introduces targets for the recycling of 60% of all packaging by 2025 and 70% by 2030. But that is not enough. What business models could help us consume more sustainable, or consume less? How can we make processes throughout the fashion production chain more inclusive? And how can we make a sustainable lifestyle not only a logical step for the ‘conscious’ happy few, but for others as well?

Social Innovation Academy

Kennisland is responsible for the substantive organisation of the Social Innovation Academy that takes place in Amsterdam this year.Kennisland is responsible for the substantive organisation of the Social Innovation Academy that takes place in Amsterdam this year. This academy consists of a three-day programme that is aimed at improving or further developing the participants initiatives. The thirty semi-finalists will form a learning network and receive instruments and inspiration by participating in workshops, interactive discussions and sessions with experts and other participants.

In these three days, the participants will be working on a range of aspects relevant to their projects. This will, for instance, include trainings in the pitching of ideas, developing a business plan, forming new collaborative partnerships and working on a good team interaction. During interactive sessions with experts, participants will receive feedback on their ideas and approaches. In addition to these content-related meetings, the programme also has an important local aspect. Participants will pay visits to local initiatives, where they will get to know Amsterdam’s social innovation climate and have an opportunity to improve and grow their network.

The winners introduce themselves

More information

You can find more information about the competition here. You can also follow the competition on Twitter via @EUSocialInnov and #diogochallenge.

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