Social UP – Design thinking for sustainability of social enterprises Erasmus Project

Project Title

Social UP – Design thinking for sustainability of social enterprises

Project Key Action

This project related with these key action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices

Project Action Type

This project related with this action type : Strategic Partnerships for vocational education and training

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2016

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: New innovative curricula/educational methods/development of training courses; Enterprise, industry and SMEs (incl. entrepreneurship); Entrepreneurial learning – entrepreneurship education

Project Summary

The ‘SocialUP : Design Thinking for Sustainable Social Enterprises’ project utilised a design thinking approach to discover the needs of users, design a bespoke design thinking methodology and toolkit, and launch an open-source, web based guide for widespread free, public use.

The project ‘Inspiration Phase’ engaged circa 100 organisations and confirmed figures revealing that the EU social economy employs over 11 million people in the EU, accounting for 6% of total employment and circa €900 billion per annum. Burgeoning interest in social entrepreneurship stems from the recognition of the role social enterprise can play in tackling societal challenges, the global economic crisis, austerity measures and ongoing withdrawal of public agencies from supplying social services, in tandem with new and growing social needs. In UK it was discovered that circa 35% of all new startups have a ‘social purpose’. Their increasing number is expected to result in widespread gains for public budgets, and is expected to constitute a dynamic entrepreneurial movement encapsulating the drive for new business models that combine economic activity with social mission. However, it was also discovered that the nature of social economy businesses varies widely from country to country, and that there is no common definition of the term ‘social enterprise’ across the EU. For this reason the project scope widened from the narrow definition of a social enterprise, to help all organisations within the social economy.

Survival and growth of social startups is hindered by several key constraints, including lack of viable business models, high reliance on the public sector and single, large clients as a source of income, lack of entrepreneurial spirit, skills and specialised advisory services, and access to startup funding. With startup survival rates very low mainly due to being unable to target a real market need, creating a sustainable startup business model continuously ranks among the top-5 support needs of social enterprises. Since social entrepreneurs’ innovative business ideas or plans are often based on non-proven concepts, investors often consider them too risky, despite the growth of social impact investing across the world. These issues confirm the need to bring about new perspectives, tools, and approaches to strengthen social start-ups ability to survive and have access to investment.

At the culmination of the research phase an ‘Inspiration Synthesis Report’ was published covering sector needs, methods, tools and best practices, including the methodological framework for the subsequent methodology and toolkit.

Human centred design thinking approaches have been used to help businesses and organisations across all sectors to create innovative new solutions rooted in people’s actual needs. So design thinking tools specifically adapted for social enterprises will unlock real impact. The SocialUP project co-created a bespoke design thinking-based toolkit and training resources in the form of an on-line “Design Thinking Field Guide for Social Enterprises” providing users with a free, open-source resource to motivate design thinking and support them to grow, scale–up and prosper.

The SocialUP project has addressed and raised awareness about the value and of human centred design thinking culture; introduced social entrepreneurs to the design thinking process and use of the human centred design thinking approach to help in creating and establishing sustainable business models with an entrepreneurial spirit; enabled design thinking practitioners and agencies by providing deeper sector understanding and bespoke social economy tools; and provided support agencies, VET trainers, and advisers of social enterprises with a proven methodology and supporting tools to facilitate innovation and design thinking within their social enterprise audiences, thereby expanding their services.

The SocialUP project engaged the following target groups, either directly or indirectly: Social entrepreneurs and wantrepreneurs; design thinking experts and practitioners; advisers of social enterprises; VET trainers; academics, and national support agencies; The indirect target groups include social sector-related authorities and institutions; social partners; policy makers; and end consumers (society).

As a result of the completed project and its successful dissemination demand for the SocialUP toolkit has already begun. Pilot projects are being developed and implemented to cover social challenges. Two examples of this being how to provide mental health support services for university students, and how to reduce food waste across the domestic and catering sectors. Further projects will continue to grow as exposure to the guide and toolkit becomes more widespread, and as project partners integrate them into their service offerings and develop sector specific partnerships. These projects will create sustainable impact within the social sector across the EU.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 279070 Eur

Project Coordinator

DesignThinkers (UK) Limited & Country: UK

Project Partners

• MILITOS SYMVOULEUTIKI A.E.
• R&DO LIMITED
• Social Enterprise Mark CIC
• OY VAASAN AMMATTIKORKEAKOULU – VASAYRKESHOGSKOLA AB
• Knowl Social Enterprise for Education and Lifelong Learning
• Innovation Training Center, S.L.