New EU Programme for Social Change and Innovation

The Commission has proposed a new Programme for Social Change and Innovation (PSCI), which will support employment and social policies across the EU. The PSCI integrates three existing programmes:Progress (Programme for Employment and Social Solidarity), EURES (European Employment Services) and the European Progress Microfinance Facility and extends their coverage. The Programme will support policy coordination, sharing of best practices, capacity-building and testing of innovative policies, with the aim that the most successful measures be up-scaled with support from the European Social Fund.

The Progress Programme will continue its current activities (analysis, mutual learning and grants) and will have a specific budget for social innovation and experimentation, i.e. testing of innovative policies on a small scale, with the aim that the most successful ones can be up-scaled, including with ESF support.

Out of the EUR 574 million proposed for Progress in the 2014-2020 period, EUR 97 million will be allocated to experimental projects.

For more information:

http://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?langId=en&catId=89&newsId=1093