Across the globe, people face countless environmental, community, and societal challenges. The initial approach often involves traditional methods such as municipal or state-funded support, services, or infrastructure. However, in Europe’s shrinking society, it becomes increasingly evident that these conventional approaches are inefficient, costly, and often fail to deliver optimal results. Frequently, activities focus on addressing symptoms rather than finding sustainable solutions to root causes. Society requires new social enterprises, NGOs, projects, initiatives, policies, and community efforts that respond comprehensively and engage target audiences. This is why Social Innovation Competence Centers are being established across Europe, including Latvia.

By definition, social innovation represents a new way to address societal challenges and improve people’s lives. It may be a new service, idea, or process that enables individuals and communities to tackle challenges previously unaddressed or to do so more effectively. Social innovations vary widely and can be initiated by individuals, municipalities, ministries, NGOs, or social enterprises. A common misconception is that social innovations apply only to social services, but they also span environmental protection, urban planning, education, democracy, governance, culture, and more. Likewise, there is a stereotype that social innovations are solely digital solutions, which must be broken.

Six Criteria to Define Social Innovation

To identify and evaluate social innovations, six main criteria have been established:

1. Novelty: Social innovation introduces something new—a completely new solution or a new way of utilizing existing resources. Examples include new technological solutions or innovative approaches to problem-solving.
2. Social Impact: The goal is to improve lives and create positive societal change, such as making life easier, fostering justice, or enhancing the environment.
3. Involvement of Beneficiaries: Those who benefit from the solution actively participate in its design and implementation.
4. Effectiveness: The innovation performs better or more efficiently than existing methods, offering faster, cheaper, or superior results.
5. Sustainability: The idea works long-term, continuing even after initial funding ends or initiators leave. Sustainable ideas avoid creating future problems, like environmental harm.
6. Scalability: The solution can be expanded and implemented elsewhere, reaching more people and communities for broader impact.

Examples of Social Innovations in Latvia

“Brīvbode” (Free Store)
An initiative by the social enterprise Free Riga, offering clothes and goods based on donation and exchange principles to promote resource reuse and support vulnerable groups.

• Innovation: New consumption model based on gifting and community support.
• Social Impact: Reduces resource consumption and aids socially vulnerable groups.
• Involvement: Community participation in resource exchange.
• Effectiveness: Enhances resource circulation and community involvement.
• Sustainability: Long-term growth possible through community strengthening.
• Scalability: Applicable to other resources and locations.

“Riga Tech Girls”
A program empowering women in the technology sector through training and mentoring.

• Innovation: Integrates women into the traditionally male-dominated tech industry.
• Social Impact: Increases women’s employment and opportunities in IT.
• Involvement: Women directly participate in training and mentoring.
• Effectiveness: Boosts the proportion of women in IT.
• Sustainability: Continuous educational opportunities.
• Scalability: Adaptable to other tech fields and regions.

“Housing First”
Provides stable housing for homeless individuals before addressing other issues like employment or health.

• Innovation: A new approach emphasizing housing as foundational to solving broader problems.
• Social Impact: Reduces homelessness and improves quality of life.
• Involvement: Direct collaboration with homeless individuals.
• Effectiveness: Proven positive societal reintegration results across Europe.
• Sustainability: Potential for long-term housing solutions.
• Scalability: Successfully piloted in three Latvian municipalities based on international experience.

“IziPizi” Food Lockers
Connects farmers directly with consumers, bypassing major retail chains, to provide accessible, fresh food.

• Innovation: Community-driven food locker system shortening the supply chain.
• Social Impact: Simplifies farmers’ access to markets and ensures fresh food for consumers.
• Involvement: Consumers and farmers co-designed the service.
• Effectiveness: Reduces the distance between producers and buyers.
• Sustainability: Built on a clear business model benefiting all parties.
• Scalability: Easily replicable in other regions and communities.

Role of Latvia’s Social Innovation Competence Center

The Social Innovation Competence Center of Latvia promotes social innovation by offering knowledge, skills, resources, and support to organizations and individuals. It provides access to examples of social innovations in Latvia and Europe, facilitates networking opportunities, and advocates for the integration of social innovations into state and regional planning.

Key Activities and Benefits

• Education and Training: Programs to enhance skills in innovation creation, impact assessment, scalability, and more.
• Mentorship and Consultation: Support for designing and implementing innovative projects.
• Research and Analysis: Insights into trends and challenges in social innovation.
• Networking: Building connections between organizations and individuals.
• Advocacy: Promoting recognition and support for social innovations in policymaking.
• Financial Support: Future plans include funding assistance to overcome financial barriers for implementing and scaling innovations.

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The establishment of the Social Innovation Competence Center is co-financed by the European Union’s European Social Fund (ESF+) program, aimed at fostering the development of social innovation across the European Union. The project will be implemented until 2026, with the goal of providing more meaningful solutions to significant societal issues and creating long-term positive impacts for the entire society of Latvia.