Social Innovations for Upskilling Vulnerable Youth: Kick-off Meeting of the SKILLS Call Beneficiaries

On 20th November, the European Competence Centre for Social Innovation hosted an online event, the ‘Skills Call Beneficiaries’ Kick-Off Meeting’. The aim of the kick-off meeting was to provide beneficiaries of the Call, ‘Social Innovations for the Upskilling of Vulnerable Youth, Especially Young People not in Employment, Education, or Training (NEETs)’, with essential information on managing project grant agreements, specific reporting requirements for project implementation, and recommendations for effective project communication. 

‘Through this initiative, we are not just addressing immediate challenges; we are laying the foundation for a more inclusive and resilient Europe,’ stated Miglė Aleksonytė, Head of the Project Management Group at the European Competence Centre for Social Innovation.

The event opened with an address by Michael Grosse, Team Leader for Social Innovation at DG Employment, Social Affairs & Inclusion, European Commission. He warmly welcomed participants and commended the significant achievements of this initiative. Michael Grosse highlighted the pressing issue of NEETs in Europe, with 11.2% of 15–29-year-olds currently not in employment, education, or training. He expressed enthusiasm for the role the selected projects will play in engaging this target group, developing innovative learning models, validating acquired skills, and facilitating successful integration into the labour market.

Miglė Aleksonytė, Head of the Project Management Group at the European Competence Centre for Social Innovation, reiterated the relevance of social innovation across Europe. She shared that the Skills Call received over 100 applications when launched in March. This initiative seeks to promote collaboration and knowledge-sharing by supporting transnational projects focused on transferring or scaling social innovations in the field of skills development. Miglė emphasised the importance of addressing skills development for NEETs in creative and innovative ways, noting that this focus lies at the heart of the 20 selected projects. She expressed confidence that by pooling resources and exchanging knowledge, these projects could deliver tangible outcomes.

Scaling Change: Small Steps, Big Social Impact

Elin McCallum, Founder and Executive Director of Bantani Education, delivered an inspiring presentation highlighting the critical importance of recognising, documenting, and showcasing the skills that young people develop through diverse activities. Her insights served as a powerful reminder of the value of making skills visible to empower youth and unlock new opportunities. Elin emphasised how even small steps can lead to significant social change, demonstrating the profound impact that scaling social innovation can have on individuals and communities: ‘Make skills visible and recognised. To support the potential of the young people that you’re working with, they are there with you to explore themselves, to explore their potential, to build their self-efficacy. Your social innovation is about opening up their world to what they have the potential to become, and that is so exciting. Give the young person something they can take away, something they can add to their evidence of the potential they have. But most of all, congratulations. I want to hear how it goes.’

Practical Insights for Participants

Renata Ribinskaitė, Project Team Lead at the European Competence Centre for Social Innovation, welcomed all participants and provided an overview of the Skills Call. A total of 108 applications were submitted, with coordinators representing 22 Member States. Italy emerged as the leading Member State, submitting 32 applications. Across all projects, 562 entities are involved. The total grant amount requested by applicants stands at €60,197,498, significantly exceeding the indicative overall Call budget of over €9 million. On average, projects requested a grant of €557,384.

Participants also received expert guidance from the European Competence Centre for Social Innovation team, including Eglė Kryžanauskaitė, Jūratė Kuodytė, and Karolina Andriuškevičiūtė. Key topics covered included:

• Best practices for managing ESF+ SI+ projects,
• Insights into the logic and key aspects of reporting and payments, and
• Requirements for project videos and effective dissemination strategies.

These insights provided beneficiaries with essential tools and strategies to maximise the effectiveness of their projects, foster meaningful change, and scale their impact across Europe.