Our work around social innovaton focuses on understanding how to foster innovation, evaluate and implement innovative pilot projects. 

Local governments are required to adapt and innovate their services to respond to new and emerging challenges. Social innovation can mean new ways of formulating policies, new organisational models, new legal frameworks, new partnerships and so on.

Cities are best-placed to build the kind of creative, cross-sectoral and cross-cultural thinking needed for a socially cohesive Europe. Local authorities and NGOs working in communities notice social problems as they occur. This gives them a clearer insight and perspective far in advance of national governments or EU institutions. It means they are in a good position to react to these problems and develop innovative and effective solutions to them. This innovation is closely linked to the principle of subsidiarity: giving the people nearest the problem the capacity to resolve them.

Our social affairs forum and our nine Cities for Active Inclusion partners showcase and promote social innovation by exploring creative policies and projects. Members can share their ideas, learn from others and cooperate on joint commitments and action plans.