Call for Proposals: Boosting the Digital Transition of Social Economy Enterprises and SMEs

Objectives

• Primary objectives of this call for proposals are:
  • First, strengthening the digital transition and capabilities of SMEs in the social economy through capacity building activities, knowledge transfer and transnational cooperation, and consequently foster their economic, organisational and impact related performances.
  • Second objective is to strengthen the digital capacity of ‘enabling organisations’ in the social economy. Those are organisations representing, federating or supporting SME’s in the social economy and are operating at local, regional, national or EU level. In doing so, those organisations can multiply the effects of this call and support their members, clients and stakeholders in their digital transition as well as driving digital social innovations. Consequently, those organisations can take up an enabling role adapted to the sectoral, local or organisational context and consequent digital needs.
  • The first and the second objectives are primary objectives of this call.
• A secondary objective is to strengthen, where digital maturity allows, the role of social economy as a driver for digital social innovation and consequent digital solutions and tools (e.g. tech for good) developed to answer social, societal and environmental challenges.
• The proposals should take into account – where relevant – several horizontal aspects such as:
  • The degree of digital maturity of target SMEs in the social economy as well as their enabling organisations, including differences amongst project partners and potential for transfer of knowledge between them.
  • When supporting the introduction, development and design of a digital tool or technology it is important to consider affordability, adaptability and accessibility.
  • Specific aspects related to the local context and activities of SME in the social economy (e.g. local economic, social, societal, or ecological challenges and business opportunities).
  • The opportunity of cooperation and joint business and/or public-private initiatives (allowing to pool resources and use/ develop shared solutions).

Themes and Priorities (Scope)

From a thematic point of view, proposals must be focused on at least one of the 7 action areas of the digital chapter in the transition pathway for proximity and social economy:

• New business models – the platform economy
• Data Maturity and data driven business models
• Public and private tech partnerships and support
• Data sharing, Data management & Code of Conduct
• Supporting Digital Social Innovation & Tech for Good entrepreneurship
• Access to technology
• Boosting digital skills by – and in the social economy

Available Budget

The available call budget is EUR 8000000. This budget might be increased by maximum 20%.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligible participants (eligible countries)

• In order to be eligible, the applicants (beneficiaries and affiliated entities) must:
  • be legal entities (public or private bodies)
  • be established in one of the eligible countries, i.e.:
    • EU Member States (including overseas countries and territories (OCTs))
    • non-EU countries:
      • listed EEA countries and countries associated to the Single Market Programme or countries which are in ongoing negotiations for an association agreement and where the agreement enters into force before grant signature
      • Ukraine (territories controlled by the Government of Ukraine at submission deadline), in accordance with conditions laid down in Article 9(3)(a) of the Single Market Programme Regulation, as stipulated in the Eligibility criteria section of Annex 2 to the 2023 SMP Work Programme9.
    • be social economy ‘enabling organisation’ (intermediary); the organisation can be operational at national, regional or local level or
    • be support organisations active at EU level representing social economy entities (such as sectorial member federations and associations or networks).
  • In addition, the following types of entities are encouraged to participate as applicants (beneficiaries and affiliated entities) in the consortia:
    • public authorities or organisations acting on behalf of a public authority, responsible for or active in the fields of social economy, economic affairs, industry, business support, incubation, EU funding opportunities, sustainable finance, impact investing or related fields;
    • non-profit organisations, non-governmental organisations and private organisations established at European, national, regional and local level as social economy associations, federations, financial institutions, impact investors, business incubators & accelerators, business support centres, innovation hubs, chambers of commerce, consultancy providing sustainability and financing advisory services;
    • IT and tech service and support providers;
    • Expertise, knowledge centres, think tanks and research bodies in the area of digital training, digital social innovation, digital inclusive service provision, tech for good, social tech, digital commons, social economy based platforms, AI for good, assistive technologies, etc.
    • private and profit-making entities also including social economy SMEs, mainstream SMEs and larger undertakings, and financial institutions;
    • other relevant organisation.
  • Beneficiaries and affiliated entities must register in the Participant Register — before submitting the proposal — and will have to be validated by the Central Validation Service (REA Validation). For the validation, they will be requested to upload documents showing legal status and origin.
  • Other entities may participate in other consortium roles, such as associated partners, subcontractors, third parties giving in-kind contributions, etc.

For more information, visit European Commission.