Author: Charlotte Burnod
How can collaborative efforts between public and private actors drive social innovation and entrepreneurship in urban environments?
Launched in 2012 by the Municipality of Turin, Torino Social Innovation fosters social innovation and entrepreneurship by bringing together over 40 public and private organisations to support sustainable business projects addressing societal needs in education, sustainability, employment, mobility, health, and inclusion. TSI is the first attempt to adopt a territorial and systemic approach to developing social innovation policies in Italy.
Torino Social Innovation aligns with the PON Metro Torino program, a National Operational Program for Metropolitan Cities (2014-2020) adopted by the European Commission. The program focuses on adopting the Smart City paradigm to redesign and modernize urban services, and promoting social inclusion.
FaciliTo Giovanni
FaciliTo Giovanni, TSI's flagship program which ran from 2014 to 2017, supported aspiring entrepreneurs, sole proprietors, self-employed individials, as well as businesses with less than 48 months of operation that wish to open or expand an office in Turin. Different types of assistance were offered:
- Technical support: business plan development, market analysis, marketing, intellectual property
- Financial aid for business startup and development ranged from €10,000 to €80,000, comprising grants (up to 20% of eligible expenses) from the Municipality and loans (up to 80% guaranteed) from private banks, backed by a revolving fund from the City of Turin.
- Short-term accomodation options for entrepreneurs who are not local to Turin
TSI partners provided their expertise and advisory services based on their specific competencies. This allowed them to gain media visibility, become involved in the design of social policies, and play a key role in Turin's social innovation ecosystem.
Interested individuals applied by submitting an application, reviewed monthly by the evaluation committee. Of the 255 applications to the FaciliTo Giovani program, 68 received entrepreneurial support (participation in incubation program, analysis of business plans, adding sustainability/social benefits of the business plans) and 32 were funded. This represents an investment of over € 650,000 in supporting actions, and € 200,000 euros in professional advice. In addition, the employment impact of FaciliTo Giovani was surveyed.
Some of the funded projects under FaciliTo Giovani directly contributed to environmental sustainability:
- aGrisù is a system for capturing and sharing environmental data linked to physiological metrics.
- Bringme is dedicated to advancing sustainable mobility by promoting carpooling and fostering shared usage of vehicles among individuals. It stands as the largest Italian community for carpooling, facilitating numerous trips spanning the entire national territory.
- LastMinuteSottoCasa enables stores with excess food products to promptly and effortlessly notify nearby individuals, effectively combating food waste.
Under programs and initiatives under TSI's umbrella include Open Incet (the Center for Open Innovation in Turin), Torino Social Factory, Social Crowdfunding Academy, and Torino City Lab.
Torino Social Impact
In 2017, TSI evolved into Torino Social Impact, enhancing stakeholder involvement and building an ecosystem for social innovation through activities like managing a Competence Center for Impact Measurement. Torino Social Innovation has since evolved into Torino Social Impact, which includes over 300 organizations (public sector, private sector, financial operators, incubators, third sector…) that have signed a Memorandum of Understanding.
Torino Social Impact facilitated the involvement of non-profit organisations during the design process of Turin’s Climate City Contract. For example, in September 2023, over 80 non-profit organisations attended a workshop to discuss CCC objectives from the third sector’s point of view in September 2023. Most of the attending organisations are Torino Social Impact partners.
Key ressources
- Financial resources: Torino Social Impact activities are funded by the Torino Chamber of Commerce and Compagnia di San Paolo Foundation.
- Expertise and advisory services provided by the partners based on their specific competencies and skills in exchange for media visibility, involvement in the design of social policies, and the opportunity to play a key role in Turin’s social innovation ecosystem
- The municipality’s EU Funds and Innovation Department, with a staff of 50, of which 15 work directly on issues related to social innovation
Potential for Replication and Scale-Up
- Strong partnerships and local Authorities: Replication of TSI's model requires strong partnerships between local authorities, public and private organisations, and other stakeholders. This collaborative approach is essential for building a robust social innovation ecosystem.
- Existing innovation networks: Cities with pre-existing innovation networks and ecosystems are better positioned to replicate and scale up TSI's model. Leveraging these networks enhances the program's reach and impact.
- Flexibility and adaptability: TSI's flexible approach allows for adaptation to local contexts and needs. Replicating the model requires the ability to tailor initiatives to suit the unique characteristics of each city or region.
- Resource mobilization: Securing financial resources from diverse sources, such as chambers of commerce and foundations, is crucial for replicating and sustaining the program in new locations.
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Key lessons
• Public-Private Collaboration: Torino Social Innovation effectively brings together a diverse range of stakeholders, including public and private organizations, to promote social innovation and entrepreneurship. This collaboration enhances the ecosystem's richness and resources available to entrepreneurs.
• Integrated Support Ecosystem: TSI offers a comprehensive suite of services, including incubation, mentorship, financial aid, training, and consulting, tailored to the needs of social entrepreneurs. This integrated support ecosystem nurtures the growth of sustainable and inclusive business projects.
• Focus on Youth and Social Impact: Initiatives like FaciliTo Giovani prioritize supporting young social entrepreneurs addressing various societal needs such as education, sustainability, employment, and inclusion. This focus on youth entrepreneurship and social impact contributes positively to the community.
• Innovation Networks and Ecosystem Building: TSI leverages existing innovation networks and ecosystems in Turin, fostering an environment conducive to social innovation. This collaborative approach enhances the scalability and sustainability of the program.
• Financial and Expertise Support: TSI secures financial resources from both public and private sources, along with expertise and advisory services from partners. This dual support system ensures the holistic development of social entrepreneurship projects.
• Political Commitment: Strong political and operational commitment from the municipality demonstrates the importance of social innovation in local policies, providing a conducive environment for program success.
Main barriers
• Program Structure Ambiguity: The lack of a clearly defined program structure within TSI may pose challenges for potential participants and stakeholders, impacting clarity and coherence in implementation.
• Dynamic Nature of TSI: TSI's evolving nature as a set of policies and programs could be both advantageous and limiting. While it allows for flexibility and adaptation, it may also create uncertainty and inconsistency for stakeholders.
• Need for Diverse Partnerships: The success of TSI relies heavily on the presence of diverse partners and pre-existing innovation networks in the city. Replicating the model in cities lacking such resources could be challenging.
Images from Unsplash: Turin skyline (Fabio Fistarol), street (Wendy Dekker), and plaza (Antonio Sessa). Thank you to Fabrizio Barbiero (Muncipality of Turin, Innovation Department) for his insights into TSI.
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