ASIS - Guidelines #5 - Guidelines for social innovation funding
- 1. GUIDELINES FOR SOCIAL INNOVATION FUNDING The following guidelines are targeted to public authorities when publishing a call for social innovation projects. INTRODUCTION EUROPEAN REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT FUND
- 2. 2 ASIS - Guideline #5 - Guidelines for social innovation funding (Amadeus)-June 2020 TABLE OF CONTENT What is the programme about? 3 How does the innovation process look like? 3 Definitions 4 Goals 5 Non-Goals 6 Who can submit applications? 6 What is the funding rate? 6 What projects or sectors are eligible for funding? 7 What should I bear in mind when submitting an application? 7 Innovation potential 9 Methodical approach 9 Actor involvement 10 Feasibility 10 Financial situation 11 Program relevance 12 Program objectives 12
- 3. 3 ASIS - Guideline #5 - Guidelines for social innovation funding (Amadeus)-June 2020 Social Innovation promotes the use of innovation methods for solving a problem. The key point is that the process involves all relevant stakeholders with the aim of finding new ideas and developing effective solutions. The result may take the form of services, products or processes offering added value for the target group. The important thing is that you are still at an early stage of your project, meaning that you can define the problem but have not yet developed a solution for it. Social Innovation provides funding for: An intensive analysis of the problem The finding of ideas Involving relevant stakeholders Support from innovation experts Developing suitable solutions If you are actively using innovation methods your team will profit as well: building innovation expertise will also help you in other projects. How does the innovation process look like? The use of innovation methods is a main focus of Impact Innovation. The key steps of an innovation process are shown in the graphic below. But keep in mind: innovation is a flexible process! You are allowed or even encouraged to take one step back, throw away ideas or approaches and come up with new ones. This is the only way to create optimal solutions for your target group. What is the programme about? Problem identification Problem Analysis Brain storming Idea selection Product or Service development Product or Service Commerciali- zation Ready to submit a funding application Funding possible Graphic: Problem identification, Problem analysis, Idea selection, Development, Product/ Service, Marketing Application possible, Funding possible
- 4. 4 ASIS - Guideline #5 - Guidelines for social innovation funding (Amadeus)-June 2020 Innovation: is the development of a new solution. It can be a product, a service or simply a process. Crucial to the Impact Innovation program is that the solution sought brings added value to the target group or group. It should therefore solve the problem better than the existing offer. Innovation process: The innovation process describes the way from the recognition of a problem to an innovative solution. The starting point is a problem definition in which effects and affected groups are presented and analysed in concrete terms. Based on this problem, ideas are worked out and tested again and again in order to ultimately develop the right solution. Innovation methods: The application of innovation methods for Impact Innovation together with the involvement of relevant actors is a basic prerequisite for funding. Innovation methods are methods that specify a procedure for the exchange of knowledge and empirical values. Above all, the involvement of the relevant actors requires appropriate methods that make it possible to retrieve and integrate experiences, ideas and expert knowledge in a targeted manner. At the beginning of the project, however, submitting organizations do not have to have the necessary expertise on innovation methods themselves. This expertise can either be provided by external companies, research institutes and / or consultants (subcontractors in third party costs) or covered by their own staff. Involvement of relevant actors: For Impact Innovation, it is important that relevant actors, ie people and / or organizations that have a direct or indirect relationship to the problem, are involved early and repeatedly in the solution. In addition to the application of innovation methods, this stakeholder involvement is a prerequisite for funding. Relevant actors can be both customers and users, as well as experts with the necessary knowledge in the relevant topic area or stakeholders, such as interest groups, ie every person who comes in contact with the problem and / or its effect or whose experience can help to find a solution. It may also be unusual (for example, outside the sector) actors who, with their expertise, can cover the topics more broadly and provide different perspectives. Impact: Impact Innovation understands Impact as the implications of the problem. It analyses how far-reaching and strong the impact is on the group (s) directly and / or indirectly affected by the problem. The understanding is not limited to impact in the social or social sense (social impact), but also concerns, for example. Impact on clients, workers or processes of an organization or users of services. Definitions
- 5. 5 ASIS - Guideline #5 - Guidelines for social innovation funding (Amadeus)-June 2020 Prototypes: As for the development steps of an innovation project, the ideas should be implemented fast in prototypes, in order to test the idea early and simply. Prototypes make the basic functions of an idea recognizable and understandable. Very early in brainstorming, these can be very rudimentary and only exemplify the idea. The further the problem solution is already defined, the more mature are prototypes. Goals The purpose of this call for tenders is to encourage social innovation projects in which problems are solved in an innovative way and produce a positive impact. This requires a broad and not purely technological view of innovation. An early and intensive involvement of relevant actors and a methodical approach are relevant for successful problem solving. For structured innovation processes, however, small and medium-sized enterprises tend to lack the necessary resources (financially, personally and qualitatively). The general objective of the program is therefore to promote projects with a structured innovation process and intensive involvement of relevant actors. The following concrete objectives for the call have been defined: Broadening the innovation base: The promotion should stimulate innovation in new areas without R D focus. A broader understanding of innovation and consideration of an innovation process addresses non-technical innovation. In addition, organizations that have little experience with innovation and innovation processes are addressed by the funding. More successful innovation projects: The promotion allows products, processes and services to be better developed, as the following aspects are taken into account: An early involvement of relevant actors A structured and methodically guided approach along an innovation process Organizations can incorporate necessary knowledge about the problem at an early stage Learning experiences on the problem can be made early and better solutions can be developed
- 6. 6 ASIS - Guideline #5 - Guidelines for social innovation funding (Amadeus)-June 2020 Non-Goals Who can submit applications? What is the funding rate? The following innovations are not eligible for application: Regular innovations, such as the regular and / or seasonal introduction of new products and services (e.g., offering new fashion lines or artwork) The regular operation of developed solutions or the regular offering of services after their development The pure professionalization of corporate structures or organizations Adjustments of organizations resulting from regular operations / regular business activities Projects that do not answer societal challenges or that aim to pure economic purposes The programme is open to small and medium enterprises from all sector, including: Start-ups Profit and non-profit oriented companies and partnerships Natural persons/sole traders Associations Non-profit organisations Depends on funding body.
- 7. 7 ASIS - Guideline #5 - Guidelines for social innovation funding (Amadeus)-June 2020 Even though the projects eligible for funding under Impact Innovation may vary, there are some things they have in common: Your project should aim to solve a defined problem. Your project description should therefore be based on a detailed problem definition. Special focus should be placed on the following points: What is the particular problem to be solved by the project? Whom does it concern? What impact does it have? The project should apply (innovation) methods suitable for solving the problem. So please describe the planned implementation of the methods in your project. If you do not yet have sufficient knowledge of these methods you may also develop the relevant expertise during the project, including with the help of experts, if desired. In this case, please describe who (internally and/or externally) has the required methodological expertise and how it should be developed. Relevant ‘actors’ – i.e. persons affected, stakeholders and experts – should be involved as early and as intensively as possible. So, when planning your project, please ensure that you obtain feedback from key actors at an early stage and on a regular basis. Describe how you will involve the relevant actors and take this into account in your plans. Impact Social Innovation looks at the impact of the identified problem. It takes into account the size of the group concerned, the relevance of the problem and the extent to which a solution to the problem is possible. Moreover, if there are already concrete ideas for problem solving, it will be analysed if they cover the effects of the problem. What projects or sectors are eligible for funding? The Innovation programme allows all topics and sectors for funding. There are no restrictions! Experience in research or innovation is not a requirement! What should I bear in mind when submitting an application?
- 8. 8 ASIS - Guideline #5 - Guidelines for social innovation funding (Amadeus)-June 2020 Positive The problem affects a large group of users / customers (such as citizens across Europe, all smartphone users), society, markets and / or disadvantaged groups There is a relevant and comprehensible problem with immediate, very strong negative impact on those affected At least indirect but negative impact on society, markets and / or disadvantaged groups Potential solutions can be disseminated quickly and easily to the affected target group The existing solution ideas / approaches cover the problem very well and far reaching The problem can be solved sustainably and comprehensively Negative It is a special problem of a customer The effects of the problem are limited to only a few people or customers Solving the problem is more of a «nice to have» The problem is not clear, so the effects remain unclear A potential solution is difficult to scale (e.g., service / concept needs to be customized for each client) The approaches have clearly identifiable deficits and / or are not suited to solve the problem efficiently The solution ideas do not address that problem The solution ideas contradict norms, laws and / or physical principles It is a generic problem (for example: world peace) that can not be solved within the framework of impact innovation
- 9. 9 ASIS - Guideline #5 - Guidelines for social innovation funding (Amadeus)-June 2020 The potential of innovations in the problem area is considered. For this, existing products / services are analysed in terms of the extent to which they already solve the identified problem. Positive There are still no comprehensive solutions to this problem Due to the problem, new solutions or an overall concept have to be developed Negative There are already numerous solutions to the problem, there is hardly any potential for innovation recognizable There are already solutions in subareas; Innovations therefore only concern individual sub-steps of the problem Innovation potential Methodical approach Methods will be evaluated to what extent they are suitable for gathering and integrating the knowledge of involved actors. Positive It is a methodically, flexible and agile approach to come to solution (s) that allows project changes for improved results It is built on a concrete and detailed problem definition. The procedure is suitable to consider the findings from the involvement of the relevant actors The approach is chosen so that lessons learned can have a strong impact on key aspects of the solutions (e.g., solution / business model is open) Negative The solution is already well planned, which is why it is difficult to react flexibly / agile to changes Relevant aspects of the problem are ignored The methodology has strong content weaknesses The procedure is only conditionally suitable to take into account the findings of stakeholder involvement in the project
- 10. 10 ASIS - Guideline #5 - Guidelines for social innovation funding (Amadeus)-June 2020 The selection and relevance of the involvement of the actors and the intensity with which they are involved are assessed. Positive All relevant actors are involved and all needs and diversity aspects are considered The integration is expected to have a strong impact on key aspects of the solutions The actors are already involved in the problem definition Regular and very frequent integration Negative Relevant actors are missing, essential relevant aspects are not taken into account Actors are involved late in solution development Sporadic or random involvement An influence of the insights from the involvement of the actors on the further course of the project is not recognizable Actor involvement Feasibility Qualifications. Knowledge and experience on innovation methods, content expertise for solution development and team composition are assessed. Positive There is a lot of knowledge and experience about innovation methods (whether internal or external is not relevant) Further methodological knowledge is necessary and it is planned to build up missing knowledge in the project The project team (internally) is qualified enough to implement the project and possible results. Clear role allocation in the team Various skills in the team available Highly motivated team with high personal commitment
- 11. 11 ASIS - Guideline #5 - Guidelines for social innovation funding (Amadeus)-June 2020 Negative Although knowledge about innovation processes is involved; but this does not seem adequate for the solution of the problem One does not know what knowledge is necessary There is a lack of knowledge in the field of innovation methods and it is not planned to include or build it There is no technical knowledge and no know-how transfer is planned (eg order development) Only external specialist knowledge for the development of the solution is involved Unilateral team composition (e.g., lack of entrepreneurial thinking) High fluctuation in the team Lack of reflectivity Financial situation It is assessed whether sufficient funds are available for project financing. Positive The project can be demonstrably financed from the current cash flow The project costs are reasonably related to economic performance Sufficient own funds for the remaining financing can be proven There is a contract for future financing rounds Negative The project costs are at the limit of economic efficiency It is a company in economic difficulties Financing resources are not yet secured
- 12. 12 ASIS - Guideline #5 - Guidelines for social innovation funding (Amadeus)-June 2020 Program relevance Program objectives Funding is only permitted if a corresponding impact on the project can be shown. Positive The project will not be carried out without funding The project will only be carried out to a much lesser extent without funding Negative The project will be carried out without funding (almost) unchanged It is assessed whether the project meets the program objectives. Positive The methodical approach in the project differs significantly from the usual procedure of the organization in the development of solutions The project is in the phase of problem analysis, brainstorming or idea selection Negative Compared to previous developments of products / services there is no discernible difference The product / service is fully developed and you are about to enter the market.