European Commission

Graphic courtesy of torinosocialinnovation.it

FaciliTO Giovani and Innovazione Sociale, projects set up by Turin Social Innovation Programme, have been designed to support young entrepreneurs and their projects.

Active from January 2014 to December 2015, the programme, aimed at aspiring entrepreneurs aged between 18 and 40 years old, seeks to add both social and economic value to society. It hopes to transform innovative ideas in a range of fields, from education to social inclusion.

FaciliTO is a model that the Municipality of Turin adopted to tackle the difficulties that small enterprises encounter in struggling urban areas. It won the Improving the Business Environment category of the 2012 European Enterprise Promotion Awards.

One enterprise that has benefited from FaciliTO is NISO Biomed, founded within the I3P incubator of the Polytechnic University of Turin in 2009. It develops and distributes diagnostic devices in gastroenterology and cancer prevention. Distinguished gastroenterologists around the world have tested its technology.

On the “Day of Italian Quality”, a day dedicated to celebrating the best of “Italian grown” business, NISO Biomed won the “Leonardo Start-up prize”. It was also named start-up of the year by the PNICube association of university incubators.

Turin Social Innovation’s start-up programme was also recognised as the best initiative in the sector by a group of experts appointed by six business associations: The Italian Private Equity and Venture Capital Association (AIFI), Italian Association of Science and Technology Parks (APSTI), Italian Business Angels Network (IBAN), Italy Startup Network for the Promotion of University Research (NETVAL), and the Association of Incubators and Business Plan Competitions Academic Italian (PNICube). The Ministry of Economic Development, the Leonardo Committee and the ICE – Agency of Promotion and Internationalisation of Italian Enterprise, coordinated the award.

Outset presented with the 2012 EEPA Grand Jury Prize in Cyprus

The European Enterprise Promotion Awards have run since 2006. There have been 42 winning entries including one Grand Jury Prize winner in each competition. The most recent recipient of the Grand Jury Prize being Think Small First – Introduction to Micro Companies in Latvia.

Winners from previous years are listed below. We hope they inspire you to enter your national competition in 2015!

2012

Outset, YTKO
Cambridgeshire, United Kingdom

Outset is designed to show the unemployed that self- employment and enterprise
is a realistic alternative to unemployment. Since the start of the programme, Outset has engaged with over 10,000 people. Of those, 1,916 have started a business, together creating 2,188 jobs.

www.outset.org

2011

Barcelona Activa SAU SPM, Barcelona City Council, Spain

With its mission to transform entrepreneurship and business growth in Barcelona, the centre acts as a reference point and hub for entrepreneurs and uses an innovative model of online and on-site services to train individuals, thereby fostering the establishment of more than 6,000 new companies.

www.barcelonactiva.cat

2010

Entrepreneurs’ Residencies, Auvergne Agence Regionale de Developpement des Territoires d’Auvergne (ARDTA), France

Entrepreneurs’ Residencies provides short and long-term support measures for business creators or buyers from outside the area willing to settle in the region. They are designed to support, facilitate and accelerate the setting up of new businesses by guiding potential entrepreneurs and refunding their living expenses.

www.auvergnelife.tv

2008/09

The Scarborough Renaissance Partnership, North Yorkshire, United Kingdom

The development project transformed the north-east England seaside town of Scarborough by pioneering renaissance and boosting entrepreneurship, thus turning a seasonal economy with winter unemployment 50% higher than summer into a year-round economy with only a 10% difference between summer and winter employment.

www.scarborough.gov.uk

2007

Development of premises for business use, Lan Ekintza-Bilbao, Bilbao, Spain

Innovative urban redevelopment initiative that aims to prevent city decay by attracting startups and established businesses to relocate to the old heart of the city by providing financial support as well as combating marginalisation and social exclusion.

www.bilbao.net/bilbaoekintza

2006

Y4 Committee, Finland

A complete methodology that introduces the business perspective in regional decision-making, encourages innovation and entrepreneurship espousing ethically sustainable values. The project triggered a cultural change in Central Finland, raising the proportion of entrepreneurs in a region that previously had a well- established culture of paid employment.