About
About
Who we are
Romanian Competence Center for Social Innovation
Romanian Competence Center for Social Innovation is a national platform dedicated to accelerating the adoption and expansion of proven innovative solutions in the fields of employment, education, and social inclusion. Its mission is to create a stronger and more supportive ecosystem for social innovation, bringing together public institutions, civil society, and private sector actors.
The center plays a central role in strengthening the national infrastructure for social innovation. Through partnerships, knowledge sharing, and targeted support, the center strives to raise awareness, build capacity, and promote collaboration across sectors. It also supports policy development aligned with EU social-innovation goals and frameworks.
Our Goals
The Center's Goals Are To
- promote social innovation at the national level
- develop and deliver training programs for innovators, entrepreneurs, and civil society organizations
- connect stakeholders across sectors to strengthen the social economy
- enable access to funding for social innovation initiatives
- collaborate with European and national institutions in shaping social innovation strategies and policies
- establish a supportive environment for the development of social enterprises and cooperatives
services
The Center's Services
01
Project development support
We provide guidance and expertise to help transform innovative ideas into impactful projects, from concept to implementation.
02
Networking and matchmaking events
We connect changemakers, experts, and organizations to foster collaboration, partnerships, and knowledge exchange.
03
Education and trainig
We deliver workshops and learning programs that build skills, promote innovation, and strengthen capacities for social and economic impact.
Explore the core
For more about the Seed2Scale project and the European Competence Center for Social Innovation, explore the initiatives below.
Seed2Scale supports the development of scalable innovation ecosystems across Europe, connecting partners and fostering new opportunities for growth.
The Center strengthens inclusive, impactful solutions that address societal challenges through collaboration.
Partners
The Romanian Competence Center for Social Innovation was founded by fonduri-structurale.ro / consolid8. Fonduri-structurale.ro is a Romanian accelerator supporting SMEs, start-ups, social enterprises, NGOs, and public authorities in identifying financing sources for their development.
Since 2007, it has offered services in business development, project management, grant applications, and implementation for a wide array of beneficiaries in Romania. It also runs consolid8, Romania’s first crowdfunding platform for impact entrepreneurs, and consolid8 festival, a premier event in Eastern Europe dedicated to fostering a sustainable ecosystem of social innovation and economic resilience in the region.
Our impact in numbers
FAQ
Find answers to commonly asked questions about competence center.
1. What is the Romanian National Competence Centre for Social Innovation?
The Romanian National Competence Centre for Social Innovation is a national hub established as part of the SEED project and has reached a mature stage under the SEED2SCALE project, both funded by the European Social Fund. The NCC is an initiative that helps social entrepreneurs in Romania, support organisations, social innovation researchers, policy-makers, and public officials collaborate to successfully implement future ESF+-supported projects in the field of social innovation.
2. What is the main objective of the Romanian National Competence Centre for Social Innovation?
The Romanian National Competence Centre for Social Innovation’s objective is to create an open public infrastructure to streamline navigation of the public social-innovation system by providing access to tools and knowledge that simplify local implementation of entrepreneurs’ projects.
3. How does the Romanian National Competence Centre define social innovation?
The Romanian NCC defines social innovation, in accordance with the ESF+ Regulation (2021), as an activity that is social both in terms of its objectives and of the means employed and, in particular, an activity related to the development and implementation of new ideas concerning products, services, practices, and models which responds to social needs and also creates new social relationships or collaborations among the public, civil society, or private organizations, thus benefiting society and enhancing its capacity to act.
4. Which funding programmes support social innovation in Romania? But others?
In Romania, the funding programmes that support social innovation are the National Programmes: the Education and Employment Programme and the Inclusion and Social Dignity Programme. Other funding is available through the “Employment and Social Innovation” (EaSI) component of the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+), which has a budget of €762 million.
5. Where can I find project partners?
Applicants can search for partners in the Social Innovation Match database, a platform managed by the European Competence Centre for Social Innovation that promotes the transfer and/or scaling of social innovations across Europe. Additionally, the European Commission provides an online tool for organizations wishing to join consortia and apply for funding.
6. What are the services of the Romanian National Competence Centre?
The Romanian National Competence Centre for Social Innovation offers a comprehensive suite of services designed to support and scale socially-driven projects and organizations:
- Consultancy: Strategic guidance and hands-on support to design, develop and implement innovative social initiatives.
- Training: Capacity-building workshops and tailored learning programmes.
- Advocacy: Representation and policy engagement to raise awareness of social challenges, promote best practices and influence decision-makers at local, national and European levels.
- Events: consolid8 festival, a premier event in Eastern Europe, dedicated to fostering a sustainable ecosystem of social innovation and economic resilience in the region.
- Funding & Crowdfunding: Assistance in identifying grant opportunities, preparing funding applications and running successful crowdfunding campaigns.
Have questions?
Let’s talk!
We’re here to listen, answer your questions and explore opportunities together.
