The Social Innovation Mission Facility successfully kicked-of the 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗦𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗟𝗮𝗯 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗺𝗺𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗕𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗦𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗢𝗿𝗴𝗮𝗻𝗶𝘀𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗦𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗜𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗦𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗢𝗿𝗴𝗮𝗻𝗶𝘀𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 (𝗕𝗦𝗢/𝗦𝗜𝗦𝗢) on May 5 with the first webinar, organised by the Impact Hub Network (Lucia Radu).
Supporting mission-oriented innovators is not straightforward work. It requires systems thinking, strategic selection, intentional programme design – 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗮 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝗽𝗲𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗰𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗮𝗯𝗼𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗼𝗻 𝘀𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺𝗶𝗰 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗲𝘀.
This kickoff session introduced the toolkit that anchors the programme and opened with a case study on mission-aligned network growth from Impact Hub. The webinar further gave participants the first opportunity to connect across the cohort.
Reimagining Social Innovation Funding for EU Missions
Join leading funders and investors from across Europe for a convening hosted by the Social Innovation Mission Facility with partners, The Commons Hub and Strategic Design Scenarios – bringing together key actors to explore how private and public capital can be catalytically combined to drive mission-oriented social innovation at scale.
We will have a dynamic panel discussion featuring voices from across Europe, examining:
The trends and emerging models of financing social innovation already shaping the field
How to increase flow of capital into EU Mission-aligned social innovation
How philanthropic, public, and private capital can be combined for greater impact
The role of investors and funders in shaping Europe’s social innovation ecosystem
Our aim is to create a space for honest dialogue, peer-to-peer connection, and forward-looking exchange.
Expect an energising atmosphere, plenty of room for conversation, and the chance to hear perspectives from across the field. Whether you’re already supporting the EU Missions or are curious about the future of social innovation funding, this is a chance to connect and leave with new ideas to take forward.
Speakers
The panel discussion will be moderated by Carly Wickham, EdelGive/SIX.
Amir Rizwan – London Social Ventures (UK)
Amir Rizwan is the outgoing Director of London Social Ventures and an independent impact investment consultant. He works with foundations and investors on strategy, governance, and how capital can be deployed to support early-stage ventures and inclusive economic growth. His work sits at the intersection of social innovation, investment, and ecosystem development, with a focus on how new venture models can address complex societal challenges. He has worked across the UK social investment ecosystem, including roles at Better Society Capital and Comic Relief, where he led the development of its social investment strategy, including the £7.5m Red Shed Fund. Amir holds board and investment committee roles with Social Investment Scotland and The Clothworkers’ Foundation and is a trustee of the Joseph Rowntree Foundation. His work focuses on aligning investment approaches with mission, strengthening venture pathways, and addressing structural inequalities in access to capital.
Anne Snick – Club of Rome (EU Chapter)
Anne Snick is a systems thinker, philosopher, and independent researcher whose work sits at the intersection of sustainable finance, social innovation, and regenerative economics. She holds a PhD in Philosophy of Education, with a focus on ethics and epistemology, and has spent her career alternating between academic research and applied work in health, gender equality, social economy, and social innovation. Anne is a full member and Board member of the Club of Rome’s EU Chapter, and serves as an Ethics Expert in Research and Innovation for the European Commission. Her current work focuses on how finance and education — as two of the most powerful systemic drivers in society — can be redirected towards ecological and social sustainability. Anne brings a distinctive systems-level lens to questions of social innovation finance, arguing that social and environmental sustainability are fundamentally inseparable, and that meaningful change requires paradigm-level shifts in how we understand the purpose of money and capital.
Luisa Bernardes – Portugal Social Innovation
Luísa Bernardes is the Centro Region Representative and International Projects Manager at Portugal Social Innovation, with five years in the technical financing team and a background in the Simplification and Interconnection Unit of the Portuguese Agency for Cohesion and Development, where she served as Portugal’s EaSI National Contact Point and contributed to establishing National Competence Centres for Social Innovation. She draws on nearly two decades of experience in European and international partnerships – 13 years leading the Cooperation and International Relations Department at the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Portugal’s Centro Region – and has been a longstanding member of the Enterprise Europe Network. She is also the founder of Mulheres Incomuns, a community dedicated to celebrating women’s success.
Pieter-Jan Van de Velde – Trividend
Pieter-Jan Van de Velde is a key figure in Belgium’s impact investing ecosystem, specializing in early-stage financing for social economy enterprises. As Investment and Fund Manager at Trividend, he transformed it into the leading early-stage investor in impact ventures in Flanders, managing over 50 direct investments, including subordinated and convertible loans as well as equity participations. He is also founding partner of the European Catalytic Impact Investing Fund ECIIF II. Pieter-Jan is committed to building impact financing ecosystems that offer an adequate financing mix to each impact venture to achieve its full potential. His expertise spans investment strategy, financial structuring, governance models and scaling mission-driven enterprises.
Event details
Date: 11 May, 2026 Time: 17.30 – 20.30 Location: Brussels near Central Station (Exact location available once registered)
Arrival from 17.30 Talk/discussion begins at 18.00
Register Your Interest
Whether you are a philanthropist, impact investor, or public funder, this is an opportunity to connect, collaborate, and help shape the next chapter of social innovation in Europe.
Places are limited and will be confirmed directly. We encourage early registration, here: https://luma.com/hudbvsbh
The EU Missions are tackling urgent challenges like climate change, biodiversity loss, and ocean pollution, driving systemic change toward sustainability. But achieving their goals requires more than technology—it demands social innovation to address societal needs in new ways. 𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐬𝐨𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐢𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐛𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐞𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐲 𝐦𝐨𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐚𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐌𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬?
Based on an analysis of 280 Mission-funded projects, we’ll share key insights on how social innovation is currently addressed across the five Missions. The session includes an expert panel and group discussions to 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐥𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐝 𝐬𝐨𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐢𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐧 𝐌𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐟𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐨𝐬. Together, we’ll co-develop actionable starting points to strengthen its integration.
🗓️ Tuesday, 12 May 2026 12:30 – 16:00 CEST
📍 Brussels
For:
▪️ Policy actors shaping and implementing the EU Missions;
▪️ Researchers and practitioners advising on or contributing to Mission implementation.
This is an invitation-based workshop, with a number of places available for eligible participants. To participate, please register via this link: https://forms.gle/5vkVnk4q89sFjQ7F6
https://simissionfacility.eu/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/WS_12052026_website.png500616Leonie Dworskyhttps://simissionfacility.eu/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/SIMF-BASICS-LOGO-V1-RGB_SIMF-BASICS-LOGO-V1-POS-RGB.svgLeonie Dworsky2026-03-12 15:53:422026-04-24 10:39:55Upcoming Workshop: “Embedding Social Innovation in EU Missions”
https://simissionfacility.eu/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/banner_website-key-visual-1.png500616Leonie Dworskyhttps://simissionfacility.eu/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/SIMF-BASICS-LOGO-V1-RGB_SIMF-BASICS-LOGO-V1-POS-RGB.svgLeonie Dworsky2026-02-05 16:23:452026-04-17 12:54:40Launch: Open Call for Training and Scaling Lab Programme
The Social Innovation Mission Facility (SIMF) kicks-off the new year with a publication announcement! 📖
SIMF Partners (TUDO, ZSI and DRIFT with contributions from the other partners) finalised their first output of the project: An empirical backed report on “Social Innovation in Support of the EU- Missions” (Deliverable Nr.1.1) including a catalogue of example projects that showcase social innovation and social innovative approaches in projects supporting the five EU Missions.
Social innovation is no longer a niche concern. It’s a driving force behind Europe’s most ambitious goals – from climate action to cancer prevention.
The Social Innovation Mission Facility (SIMF) brings together people, projects, and policies across five key EU Missions. To reflect this scope and complexity, SIMF has developed a visual identity that is more than a brand – it is a shared language for transformation.
The message at the heart of this identity: Future seeks social innovation. This powerful statement reframes the term “innovation”. In our eyes, innovation is not only a purely technological pursuit, but also a social necessity. It speaks to the idea that our shared future depends on new ways of living, working, and collaborating – and that that innovation must be visible, tangible, and inclusive, as exemplified by social innovation.
One identity, many stories While SIMF works across the five EU Missions (climate, soil, water, cities, and cancer) in a complementary manner, each mission area also has its own focus, challenges and communities. That’s why our visual identity doesn’t stop at a single logo or colour palette. To respond to these specifities, each mission has its own custom-designed symbol in the project’s corporate identity, creating a set of distinct yet connected visual elements.
These symbols serve a practical purpose: they help to communicate complex themes quickly and clearly. Whether used on reports, websites, presentations or social media, they offer immediate recognition and consistency – while still allowing each mission to tell its own story.
Together, these elements form a modular visual system. A bold gradient illustrates the overlapping nature of the missions, while black-and-white collages introduce a human element, grounding the work in real lives and real communities. The contrast between monochrome imagery and vibrant backgrounds brings depth, emotion and artistic clarity to the overall design.
Designed for dialogue Most importantly, the SIMF visual identity is not just about aesthetics – it’s about communication that works for everyone, and in particular the project’s stakeholders and target groups. The design process yielding this visual identity focused on accessibility, flexibility, and coherence with the broader visual standards of EU-funded programmes. The result is a system that can speak across sectors and settings – from grassroots workshops to high-level policy events.
It engages multiple audiences: policymakers, civil society, entrepreneurs, researchers, and citizens. It creates space for storytelling, dialogue, and collaboration – and it reflects SIMF’s role as a connector across the mission ecosystem.
Why it matters In an environment where attention is limited and complexity is high, a strong visual identity isn’t a luxury – it’s a necessity. It enables shared understanding. It builds trust. And it provides a consistent frame for engaging with the diverse and often fragmented world of social innovation.
The new identity positions SIMF not as just another EU project, but as a strategic and unifying initiative that brings social innovation to the forefront of Europe’s transformation agenda.
“Welcome to the visual identity of the Social Innovation Mission Facility – created not just to represent a project, but to reflect a purpose. Bold, human, and future-facing.“
https://simissionfacility.eu/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/News-visual-language.webp500616Nesrin Sen-Buttermilchhttps://simissionfacility.eu/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/SIMF-BASICS-LOGO-V1-RGB_SIMF-BASICS-LOGO-V1-POS-RGB.svgNesrin Sen-Buttermilch2025-09-30 13:25:592025-10-02 07:35:39A strong identity for bold missions: Introducing the visual language of the Social Innovation Mission Facility
Last Thursday and Friday, July 3rd and 4th, we had the pleasure of officially kicking off the SI Mission Facility with our first in-person meeting in Vienna. Hosted by ZSI at Impact Hub Vienna, the meeting gave the consortium members the opportunity to introduce their work packages, pose questions, get to know each other and discuss their visions and ideas for SIMF.
On the first day, the consortium stayed among themselves, giving each work package lead the opportunity to present their work package and exchange ideas and questions with their consortium partners. After every presentation there was room for interactive brainstorming activities. In a knowledge valorisation session, the partners got the chance to exchange their ideas and knowledge in groups, collecting and documenting them collectively.
In the evening a sociable working dinner at a local restaurant allowed the participants to get to know each other better, ensuring an enjoyable working atmosphere and smooth cooperation during the project and for any future collaborations.
On Friday, after a brief internal presentation on project management and coordination as well as ethics by project coordinator Wolfgang Haider (ZSI), SIMF could officially be kicked off with the SI Mission Facility Launch Event. For this event the consortium members were joined by several guest speakers who introduced the Mission actions and connected Social Innovation in Austria.
Matthias Weber of the Austrian Institute for Technology acquainted the audience with the history of EU Missions and provided insights on its success and the role Social Innovation might play in their context. Sascha Ruhland of the Austrian Research Promotion Agency (FFG) gave insights on Austria’s strategy and challenges implementing the EU Mission Framework. Leonie Dworsky (ZSI) and Reinhard Millner (WU) introduced the Austrian SI Competence Centre Plus which focuses on labour market projects and reported on their experiences with SIs and SEs in Austria. These insights provoked new thoughts and discussions among the consortium partners, which were immediately discussed but will also be taken into the next phases of the project.
One of our main take-aways of the meeting was that the topics included in the EU Missions affect everyone, making an even more important element. Overall, the two meeting days were very productive for the consortium, providing space for discussion, leaving us with new insights and good collegial relations promoting our project’s success.
https://simissionfacility.eu/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/correct.jpg15362048Fiorda Llukmanihttps://simissionfacility.eu/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/SIMF-BASICS-LOGO-V1-RGB_SIMF-BASICS-LOGO-V1-POS-RGB.svgFiorda Llukmani2025-07-09 10:10:142025-07-09 10:10:14Launch of the Social Innovation Mission Facility for EU Missions in Vienna
Hosted by ZSI, the project partners meet in Vienna on July 3-4 to jointly start the first activities of the SIMF. Whereas the first day focusses on the project-internal administration, distribution of roles and responsibilities for each partner, the second day already marks the first public event of our project. We will gather social innovation stakeholders for a half-day launch event at Impact Hub Vienna to introduce the rationale, objectives and initial activities of SIMF.
During the event, insights from European and national mission implementation and experiences from Social innovation (funding) practice will be shared.
With that, we aim to open a dialogue on how to better connect R&I ecosystems, (social) policy actors, funders, investors and civil society to enhance mission-oriented policy-delivery through social innovation. Selected speakers will present the five EU Missions, the way how these missions are implemented in Austria, and how social innovations are enabled in Austria and across the EU by the Austrian Competence Centre for SI. An open fishbowl discussion will conclude the thematic part of this event.
