The EC announced the winner of the 2024 European Social Innovation Competition (EUSIC), during the European Social Innovation Forum Annual Event – NeSEI, a gathering that fosters innovation and collaboration among European social entrepreneurs and innovators.
The winning project is “Cultivating Civic Habits” by Latvia’s Sabiedribas Lidzdalibas Fonds Sabiedribas Lidzdalibas Fonds (Foundation of Public Participation).
As previously reported by LSM, the project aims to enhance civic competencies among young people aged 14-18 and empower them to make informed public decisions as responsible citizens in a diverse, democratic society.
Central to the project was the development of a mobile application “Varu.Daru” targeting Latvian youth, focusing on social, civic, and democratic engagement through meaningful, low-barrier activities that users can perform daily.
The app features pre-written daily civic activities based on real-life situations, designed to foster civic competence and engagement among its users. The project demonstrated significant impacts on youth engagement and civic awareness, supported by comprehensive feedback and development plans for future app enhancements.
Daily feedback from users highlighted active engagement and areas for improvement, reinforcing the app’s relevance and effectiveness.
“Overall, Varu.Daru effectively facilitated coordinated social action among students, encouraging their participation in civic activities and the development of crucial life skills. Its innovative approach positions it as a valuable tool for promoting EU values and active citizenship among European youth, with continuous evaluation and adaptation enhancing its impact in the evolving landscape of civic engagement,” said the citation by the EC.
The European Social Innovation Competition winner will receive a €75 000 prize.
Moreover, the winner and the runners up will join the Network of Social Entrepreneurs and Innovators (NESEI) Group, a European Innovation Council (EIC) Community platform designed for expanding business and networking opportunities among EIC-funded organisations, and other innovation stakeholders. The platform provides access to matchmaking events, training, bootcamps, workshops, and the broader European innovation ecosystem.
The European Social Innovation Competition (EUSIC), now in its twelfth edition, is supported by the European Innovation Council (EIC) under Horizon Europe. The competition aims to raise awareness of social innovation to a wide audience and inspires the creation of new socially innovative ideas and networks of like-minded practitioners.
Sabiedribas Lidzdalibas Fonds is perhaps best known in Latvia for founding the popular ‘Manabalss.lv‘ civic engagement platform. Other civic engagement tools, like, Open2Vote.eu and Lemejs.lv have also been developed.
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