Europe is going through difficult times in recent years with the financial crisis, leaving our society fragile in relation to a decreasing level of innovation and long term investments in the social sector, little social entrepreneurship, increased unemployment and exclusion of vulnerable citizens from the labour market and a potential risk of having a rising number of European citizens having an income below the poverty rate1

Europe is thus facing significant challenges and it is therefore important to invest strategically in the development and implementation of innovative models, which can lead our society towards a more INCLUSIVE and SUSTAINABLE growth.

The SEEING Project is exploiting social economy enterprises as a strategic means for local authorities around Europe to establish an inclusive labour market, where “businesses with a heart” create employment possibilities for ALL citizens at the same time as they create innovation and economic growth.

The SEEING partnership is made up of three European local authorities that are all front runners in respect of the social economy, each in their own way.

Local authority of Kolding in Denmark is a front runner in the area in Denmark, being the first local authority in Denmark to have developed a local strategy for Social Economy Enterprises and is now showing the way for other Danish local authorities.

Devon County Council in the UK is a front runner in the UK, having participated in several national projects, one – among others, where they have developed a local action plan for social entrepreneurship. The UK in general is one of the European countries where social enterprises have the longest tradition because of the strong presence of charity organisations in the business environment.

Local authority of Vielsalm in the province of Luxembourg in Belgium is a front runner in Belgium, being one of the first local authorities having invested in the creation of social economy enterprises and adapted work places for citizens with a disability as far back as1961.

Our goal with the SEEING Project is, through collaboration in our European partnership, to identify, test and approve good practices that can be reproduced in other EU countries and regions to support the use of social economy enterprises as a strategic means to create employment, social inclusion, innovation and economic growth.

First issue of the SEEING Project newsletter