Social enterprise and innovation forum 2023 – Lietuvos socialinio verslo asociacija

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SOCIAL ENTERPRISE AND INNOVATION FORUM

Let’s Accelerate Social Enterprise Development in Times of Crisis!

5 May 2023

Businesses, from across the spectrum, have recently been tested to the limits of their capabilities. Social enterprises, however, have demonstrated rapid growth, while their resilience and creativity in doing so much good for society, regardless of all challenges, has been awe-inspiring.

Today, more than ever, we are facing difficult challenges, namely, climate change, digitalisation, increasing inequality and demographic changes. The ongoing war against Ukraine, which has lasted for a year now, and the energy and economic crises have exacerbated the situation and led to the understanding that we need to strengthen our civil societies, seek inclusion, combat poverty and provide better social services. Moreover, as we overcome the immediate consequences of these crises, it becomes clear that a fundamental change in our societies is needed in order to achieve an even more sustainable model from both an environmental and social point of view. In this sense, social entrepreneurship is at the forefront of this change due to its commitment to give priority to the people and the planet.

Social business plays an important role both in the overall economic growth of the country and in addressing societal challenges. During the crises of the recent decades, this sector has demonstrated a remarkable ability to contribute to the strengthening and building of resilient communities and to manage major transitions as well as ‘[…] outperformed other industry sectors and generated up to 12 % of jobs while also advancing key societal issues. The collective scale and impact of these purpose-driven enterprises is vast, with 2.8 million social enterprises in Europe alone […]’ (Unlocking Social Entrepreneurship for the Recovery | World Economic Forum, Davos 2021).

Many of the societal and environmental challenges that we are facing will only grow stronger, and social entrepreneurship can offer many ways to respond to them. This year’s Social Enterprise and Innovation Forum once again invites leaders of the social business ecosystem to engage in an open dialogue with policy makers during which we will honour the achievements of social entrepreneurs and innovators and the valuable changes they deliver to us. We are happy about the European Competence Centre for Social Innovation that was established in Lithuania last year. We will thus learn more about its upcoming plans. The Forum will also be a place for discussing the results of the Social Economy Action Plan, launched by the European Commission more than a year ago, and for finding ways to accelerate the sustainable development of this sector.

For the second year in a row, the Forum will be co-organised by the Lithuanian Social Business Association and the Committee on Economics of the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania, in cooperation with the Ministry of Economy and Innovation, the Ministry of Social Security and Labour of the Republic of Lithuania, the Innovation Agency, the Nordic Council of Ministers Office in Lithuania, the Parliamentary Forum for Democracy, the Embassy of Canada, the European Network of Social Integration Enterprises (ENSIE), the ESF+ Social Innovation+ Initiative, the Raoul Wallenberg Centre for Human Rights in Canada, the Martynas Mažvydas National Library of Lithuania, the Lithuanian National Radio and Television and other partners. The event will take place under the patronage of Ms Aušrinė Armonaitė, Minister of the Economy and Innovation of the Republic of Lithuania.

PRELIMINARY PROGRAMME

Venue: Constitution Hall, Building 1, Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania (Hybrid event)

9.30–10.00	Registration
10.00–10.10	Welcome address by H.E. Ms Viktorija ČMILYTĖ-NIELSEN, Speaker of the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania
10.10–11.10	*Session on the vision of social business development featuring high-level politicians* Mr Nicolas SCHMIT, European Commissioner for Jobs and Social Rights Ms Aušrinė ARMONAITĖ, Minister of the Economy and Innovation of the Republic of Lithuania Mr Kazys STARKEVIČIUS, Chair of the Committee on Economics of the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania Mr Dmytro NATALUKHA, Chair of the Committee on Economic Development of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Mr Martynas ŠIURKUS, Vice Minister of Social Security and Labour of the Republic of Lithuania Mr Víctor MESEGUER SÁNCHEZ, Special Commissioner for Social Economy, Government of Spain
11.10–11.50	Keynote speeches: Ms Viktorija BRAŽIŪNAITĖ, Director of the Lithuanian Social Business Association Mr Petro DARMORIS, Director of Social Economy Ukraine Ms Alessia SEBILLO, Executive Director of Diesis Network
12.00–13.00	Break
13.00–14.15	Other speeches and interventions
	SESSION 1. Social business plays an important role both in the overall economic growth of the country and in addressing societal challenges. During the crises of recent decades, this sector has demonstrated a remarkable ability to contribute to the strengthening and building of resilient communities and to manage major transitions. With its multi-billion potential, the social business sector also promotes economic development. During this session, we will discuss what steps need to be taken by each of the institutions and organisations we represent and what conditions are required for building a thriving social business ecosystem. Speeches and interventions to be delivered by: Ms Viktorija NAUSĖDĖ, Founder and CEO of the Social Circular Fashion Startup TEXTALE Ms Romualda STRAGIENĖ, Director at the Innovation Agency Ms Alina BOCHARNIKOVA, Social Innovation Advisor at the Future Development Agency, Ukraine Ms Marie Strand FUGELSNES, Digital Consultant at Social Enterprise “Friskus”, Norway Ms Jorien van Lookeren CAMPAGNE, Social Enterprise NL Project Lead Government Relations Mr Ryan TURNBULL, Member of Parliament of Canada and Chair of the Social Innovation Caucus Moderator: Ms Roberta ORLAUSKAITĖ, Lithuanian Social Enterprise Hero Talents Agency Speaker
14.15–15.30	*SESSION 2:* In the new period, Member States are invited to support social innovation with ESF+ funds through concrete action in their national and/or regional context. In the new period of EU structural funding, social innovation, as a separate priority, is envisaged in the ESF+ programmes of all EU countries as a tool to tackle societal challenges. How can we effectively use the results to be achieved through the social innovation priority action to further disseminate successful initiatives? What is the vision and objectives of the ESF Social Innovation+ initiative? Speeches and interventions to be delivered by: Mr Jeroen JUTTE, Head of European Social Fund+ Unit, Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion, European Commission Mr Filipe ALMEIDA, President of the Portugal Social Innovation Mission Unit Ms Dominika TADLA, Deputy Director of the Department of the European Social Fund, Poland’s Ministry of Development Funds and Regional Policy, Poland Mr Valtteri KARHU, Chief Specialist at Finland’s Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment, Finland Ms Madeleine CLARKE, Executive Director, Genio, Ireland Ms Justina LUKAŠEVIČIŪTĖ, Advisor of the Non-governmental Organisations Development Unit Ms Neringa POŠKUTĖ, Head of the Social Innovations and Transnational Initiatives Division of the European Social Fund Agency, Head of the ESF+ Social Innovation+ initiative Moderator: Mr Risto RAIVIO, Senior expert of European Social Fund+ Unit, Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion, European Commission
15.30–16.00	Coffee break
16.00–17.00	Panel discussion: Leaders of parliaments, governments, social enterprises, business, academia, and media will discuss the ways and the necessary steps to accelerate the development of social business ecosystems. They will also present best practices and discuss the lessons learned. Panellists: Mr Simas GAIDELIONIS, Chair of Eičiai Village Community Organisation Karšuva Ms Monika OŠMIANSKIENĖ, Member of the Committee on European Affairs, Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania Ms Lucie MONCION, Member of the Senate of Canada Mr Filipe ALMEIDA, President of the Portugal Social Innovation Mission Unit Mr Patrizia BUSSI, Vice-president of Social Economy Europe, Director of ENSIE Mr Stein Rune ERIKSEN, Subject Supervisor at the Norwegian Social Enterprise Fullt Focus, Norway Ms Julia B. C. Moreira, Lead Analyst/Project Manager at the Swedish Social Enterprise SwIdeas Moderator: Mr Ruslanas IRŽIKEVIČIUS, founder of The Lithuania Tribune
17.00–17.30	SUMMARY AND CLOSING SESSION Mr Patrick KLEIN, Head of sector – Social Economy and Social Enterprise, European Commission DG GROW Ms Viktorija BRAŽIŪNAITĖ, Director of the Lithuanian Social Business Association

The number of places for contact participation in the event at the Parliament of Lithuania is limited.
We will confirm your registration in due time if there are available places.

This activity is part of the Lithuanian Social Business Association strengthening project G-A-L-I-U’23 (abilities-representation-leadership-innovation-employment) and is financed by the Ministry of Social Security and Labor.