Resources
This resource library brings together key publications, tools, and learning materials supporting the development of the social economy across Europe.
T4FOOD Training
- Type: E-learning course
- Author: Diesis Network
Right to Grow: Interviews
T4Food: Training
- Type: E-learning course
- Author: Diesis Network
- Published on: 04/07/2019
NewTalents4EU: Training
NewTalents4EU (NT4EU) project proposes to empower all refugees to program their future, making integration work now and more durably. Market-focused training schemes in coding/programming skills and enterprises networking will be implemented by social innovators across four EU countries, offering a skilled workforce in a demanding sector.
- Type: E-learning course
- Author: Diesis Network
- Published on: 21/05/2021
MAX: Training, Research & Good Practices
The MAX project will change public perception of migrants’ contribution to society, both by seeking to convince rationally on the basis of facts and statistics, but also by acting on opinion formers and on citizens directly. The messages are based on scientific research into facts and opinions, as well as on emotion, and will tell personal stories and creating face-to-face encounters between indigenes and newcomers.
- Type: Good practices, Training programme, Peer learning report, E-learning course, Research Paper, Guide/Handbook/Toolkit
- Published on: 15/05/2020
SDGS in action: insights from Diesis Network
Discover Diesis Network initiative to showcase the Social Economy Enterprises (within Diesis wider network) that work towards realising objectives of SDGs in their work.
- Type: Good practices, Impact Report
- Author: Diesis Network
- Published on: 01/01/2021
Supporting Youth Social Entrepreneurship: Western Balkan & Europe
Supporting Youth Social Entrepreneurship in the Western Balkans and Europe has been published within the framework of the WB SEA (Western Balkans Social Economy Alliance) project, in June 2021. The study looks into the opportunities open to social economy and how economic activity can be carried out among the youth community and the youth voluntary and social enterprise sectors across the Western Balkan countries and the EU. The ultimate goal is to stimulate more young people to start and develop social businesses, and to make sure that they have access to appropriate help and support at each stage of their entrepreneurial path. The study also draws out the challenges, needs and trends identified in the Western Balkan region in the field of youth social entrepreneurship and lead to recommendations inspired by the country models in terms of the right tools, programmes and support to meet the needs of youth in the Western Balkan countries, so they can, eventually, contribute their utmost to the development and the success of their social businesses.
- Type: Research Paper, Guide/Handbook/Toolkit
- Author: Diesis Network & Project Partner
- Published on: 01/01/2021
The digital social economy – managing and leveraging platforms and blockchain for a people-centred digital transformation
- Author: Diesis Network
- Published on: 20/03/2026
Social Economy and Social Entrepreneurship: the role of social economy enterprises in supporting migrant entrepreneurs
The support that the social economy can give to migrant entrepreneurs is extremely relevant and diversified. This chapter analyses how actors from the social economy sector support migrants before, during and after the creation of a social enterprise. Indeed, social economy enterprises can encourage and support not just the creation of new jobs, but also entrepreneurship and access to economic activities for migrants and refugees.
- Author: Diesis Network
- Published on: 01/11/2020
Youth Social Entrepreneurship: Framework of Competences
- Type: Framework of competences
- Author: Diesis Network
- Published on: 01/01/2022
The potential of the social economy in advancing the green transformation
It covers recent developments and efforts in the field and later connects with the circular economy approach, while presenting several examples of social enterprises already working in the green transformation model.
- Author: Diesis Network
- Published on: 01/01/2019
Tourism as a development tool
- Author: Partners
- Published on: 20/03/2026
How Social Enterprises Contribute to Alternative Food Systems
What does it mean for a social economy enterprise to take food into account? The paper contributes to this branch of studies with the aim of understanding how social enterprises are able to generate alternative food systems to promote food sovereignty and sustainability. Firstly, a review of the relevant literature is presented, with the aim of showing an overview of the relationship between social economy enterprises and sustainable development with a specific focus on sustainable food. Following this, after a description of the methodology employed, the experiences of a number of social enterprises of food sector among Europe that have implemented innovative projects involving sustainability and counteracting the desertification of rural areas, women’s employment, migrant integration, decent job conditions and work integration. This leads to a discussion of the results, the interpretation of the new roles of social enterprises, and the identification of the main implications. The main thing that links all these cases is five key elements, which are present in all the experiences we analysed: inclusion, equity, respect, responsibility and opportunity. These elements can be seen as keywords and important aspects for a transition towards more sustainable food systems through social economy enterprises.
- Type: Research Paper, Paper other topic
- Author: Anastasia Costantini, Alessia Sebillo, Gianluca Pastorelli, CIRIEC International
- Published on: 01/01/2019
Quo vadis, homo?
An article about the EMEN project was published on the June issue and special edition of Focus Europe entitled “Quo vadis, homo? The European Union at a crossroads concerning the vocational integration of refugees – green paper from grassroots projects”.
- Type: Article
- Author: Diesis Network
- Published on: 01/06/2019
Improving work-life balance through enabling social services
The European Pillar of Social Rights (EPSR) contains a principle (principle 9) aimed at improving work-life balance of parents and people with caring responsibilities. One of the deliverables of the EPSR is the ‘New Start’ initiative aimed at addressing the work-life balance challenges faced by working parents and carers. The initiative, launched on 26 April 2017, entails a mixture of legislative and non-legislative measures aimed at modernising the regulation of this area. The Work-Life Balance Package proposed will help working parents and carers by not obliging them to make a choice between their family lives and their professional careers. The proposal for a directive sets new or higher minimum standards to create more convergence between EU Member States, by preserving and extending existing rights. It will improve current EU law on paternity, parental and carers’ leave as well as flexible working arrangements.
- Type: Research Paper, Paper other topic
- Author: Social Services Europe
- Published on: 01/01/2018
Cinema & Regeneration – The Role of Social Enterprise
This paper is part of a series of Senscot Briefings which aim to showcase the approach that social enterprise is taking to address a range of complex social issues across Scotland. This Briefing highlights the regenerative effects that local cinema can have on communities, bringing about positive social change through a range of activities. Senscot, member of Diesis network, is a third sector intermediary established in 1999. Along with others, we have helped to develop a support infrastructure for SEs over the last 15 years. A key part of our work is to support Social Enterprise Networks (SENs) – geographic and thematic – across Scotland.
- Author: Senscot Scotland
How social enterprises contribute to sustainable food system
Social enterprise experiences in the sustainable food chain are spreading in various regions of Europe and include a wide range of initiatives. These experiences show that social enterprises are engaged in a search for new ways of interacting in the production and consumption of food, while showing an active and participatory commitment to their communities.
We have investigated social enterprises that are part of sustainable food systems across Europe. Our study begins with an overview of food systems, and a brief discussion of the concept of sustainable food systems. The second part deals with the social economy and social enterprises as models for the development of sustainable food systems, and presents some alternative patterns for food systems developed by social economy enterprises, such as social farming and community food. The third part of the study focuses on the role of the social entrepreneur and presents some good practices of social enterprises involved in creating sustainable food systems. This research has enabled us to elaborate some observations on the role of social economy organisations in the implementation of actions toward sustainable food systems.
- Type: Good practices, Impact Report
- Author: Diesis Network
Social economy enterprises and creative cultural industries
We have observed the role of social enterprises involved in the CCIs across Europe. We were looking for to understand how social economy enterprises can contribute to cultural and creative industries and how together they are able to foster spatial and sectorial clusters, such as one taking an ecological approach to cultural cooperation and territorial development. One of the main things that links all good practices analysed is the strong will to deal with issues of their territory through creative and cultural solutions which are able to boost community involvement. The experiences of SEEs operating in CCIs collected represent tools for inclusion and social participation, vehicles of innovation and strategic factor s in the development of territories. As an area for research, policy and practice social economy enterprise involved in creative cultural industries may set to become increasingly important in future.
- Type: Good practices, Impact Report, Research Paper
- Author: Diesis Network
- Published on: 01/04/2018
Seninter Tourism Model
SENINTER is not just a trip, it is a legacy A NEW MODEL WITHIN RESPONSIBLE TOURISM The SENINTER project proposes the creation of a slow and sustainable tourism product adapted to the seniors travelling with their grandchildren during the low and medium season in Europe. Partner organisations from Slovenia, Italy, Belgium and Spain are giving a new form to this innovative idea that launches a new tourist model and opens a new way from conventional to responsible tourism
- Type: Guide/Handbook/Toolkit
- Author: Diesis Network
Employee Involvement In Facility Management Enterprises
The present study is composed of three main parts. The first part focuses on the European legal framework related to the European Company and the European Cooperative Society as well as on the rights of information and consultation of the workers. The Second part of the study focuses on the situation in Countries involved in the project: Italy, Spain, Greece, Hungary and Bulgaria.The third part focuses on the development training modules for the implementation of rights of information, consultation and participation of employees.
- Type: Research Paper
- Author: Project team EI for FM
- Published on: 01/04/2018
Best European Policies ,Analysis and Transference in PHS
The twenty good practices identified correspond to relatively different, diverse models, in terms of both forms of action and spheres of intervention, which makes it possible to enrich the analysis and the lessons learnt in the work process.
- Type: Good practices, Impact Report
- Author: Project team
- Published on: 01/03/2018
Benisi Scaling Guide
This document aims at presenting the findings from the BENISI scaling-up programme. It aims to represent the role that incubators, and networks of incubators, can play in successfully scaling and increasing the scope of social innovation in Europe and beyond. It explores how social innovation incubators can support innovators in defining, implementing and scaling solutions that address the societal challenges Europe is facing today.The BENISI project aimed to build a Europe-wide network of networks of incubators or social innovation. The network identified more than 300 social innovations with high potential for scaling successfully in the public, private, third, social enterprise and cooperative sectors, and ensured them the delivery of necessary support services for scaling.
- Type: Guide/Handbook/Toolkit
- Author: Benisi project team
- Published on: 01/01/2016
Mapping European Social Market Economy: Review on Social Dialogue, Labour Market and Employment: Project MESMER
After a short introduction on the concept of social economy and its main components in each country, the country reports descibe the main players of social economy and their role in social dialogue and industrial relationships. Part of the report is devoted to the analysis of work conditions in social economy enterprises and the involvement of workers and democratic governance in social economy and social enterprises (namely participation, consultation and information rights and models of business governance and involvement of workers). Each country report is completed by the description of one or more concrete examples of good practices of social economy enterprises in the filed of social dialogue. Section two of the report provides a crosscutting overview of the main findings of the research focused on the workers’ cooperative sector since, from the country reports, it emerged that it is the sector with more interesting practices and where the cooperation with trade unions is more developed. This overview focuses on some countries, namely Italy, Spain France and UK, and examines in depth positive behaviours and practices that can be replicated or serve as experience for other countries. Section three consists in a series of conclusions aiming at supporting and addressing the European and national policy level, in the view of contributing to the ongoing debate on the best way to shape initiatives for enhancing social business and social economy and their role in social dialogue.
- Type: Impact Report, Paper other topic
- Author: Diesis Network
The Employee Involvement in Personal and Household Services Industry
Personal and household services (PHS) cover a broad range of activities that contribute to wellbeing at home of families and individuals: child care, long term care for the elderly and for persons with disabilities, cleaning, remedial classes, home repairs, gardening, ICT support, etc. One can distinguish between “care” activities and “non-care” activities, depending on the state of being of the recipient of the service or his/her needs. One can say that care services are provided to (dependent) persons with special needs (long-term care for older people, care services to disabled persons, childcare services), while “non-care” services will rather be provided so as to improve the well-being of the recipients. However, it is important to note that the same service (e.g., cleaning the home) can be considered as part of the overall care provided to a dependent person, or just a convenience service helping non-dependent people to have more free time or better conciliate their work-life balance. ( EI for PHS project)
- Type: Research Paper, Paper other topic
- Author: Diesis Network
- Published on: 03/03/2016