Retour aux membres
Rapport national sur l'innovation sociale :
Cyprus
In Cyprus, there is not an official legal definition or framework for “social innovation” in the same way it may be formally defined or legislated in other countries. Social innovation is still an evolving concept in the country. However, it is recognized as an important area within the broader scope of the social economy, which includes social enterprises, cooperative societies, and other forms of social initiatives that aim to address societal challenges.
Cadres juridiques et politiques

Cyprus does not yet have a formal legal framework or national strategy for social innovation. However, discussions are ongoing to establish policies related to the social economy.

‍

Étape actuelle de mise en œuvre :
Acteurs de l'écosystème
Les acteurs clés de l'écosystème

The leading actors driving social innovation in Cyprus include government ministries, social enterprises, NGOs, philanthropic institutions, academia, and other ecosystem builders. The top three most influential actors are:

  • Government entity (ministries/agencies)
  • Social entreprises & social innovateurs (Impact hubs)
  • NGOs

Examples: Center for Social Innovation (CSI), SYNTHESIS CENTER FOR RESEARCH AND INNOVATION

Éducation et renforcement des capacités

Formal and informal education programs that support social innovation exist in the following forms in Cyprus:

  • Private sector or NGO-led programs:“ Non-governmental organizations, incubators, or private sector actors actively run training, mentorship, or acceleration programs for social innovation.
Organes de coordination

A centralized body responsible for coordinating social innovation efforts across sectors exists in Cyprus.

Communication écosystémique
The level of communication and coordination among key actors in Cyprus’s social innovation ecosystem is currently Moderate: “some collaboration, but existing gaps in coordination."
Mécanismes de soutien aux politiques et aux finances
Incitatifs politiques et mécanismes de soutien

To support social innovation, Cyprus has implemented the following incentives and mechanisms:

  • Incentives for individuals to fund social innovation or social businesses,
  • Government-backed funding programs (e.g., grants, subsidies, social impact funds)

Further information:

  • A tax relief on natural persons, who invest in social enterprises, up to 50% of their taxable income in the year of the investment and up to the total amount of €150.000 for a total period of five years. (The bill has been drafted by the Ministry of Finance and sent to the Legal Service of the Republic for a legal technical review).
  • A subsidy scheme for social enterprises to cover initial expenses (e.g. set up and operative expenses). The scheme provides €10.000 for each registered social enterprise, with a total amount of €300.000 per year for the period of 2025 – 2027 and with a total budget of €900.000. The scheme is expected to be approved by the Council of Ministers soon.
Mécanismes de financement
Incidence
Programmes et réalisations phares

Notable achievements and flagship programs in social innovation in Cyprus include:

  1. The National Competence Center for Social Innovation - took place within the framework of the Project FUSE (https://www.fuseproject.eu).
  2. Youth Innovation Factory (YIF) - Launched in August 2023 by UNDP Cyprus and SocialTech Lab (https://socialtechlab.org). YIF is a venture-building program supporting youth in developing tech-based innovations, offering seed funding of 25.000 euro for successful projects.(YIF - https://www.undp.org/cyprus/youthinnovationfactory).
  3. Youth Cities - An innovative and highly participatory initiative that focuses on empowering and creatively engaging young people to address challenges in their local community, managed by the Center of Social innovation (https://csicy.com) and RESET ( https://resetcy.com) and funded by the National Betting Authority and the Cyprus Youth Organization (https://onek.org.cy/en).
Collaborations internationales

Cyprus is involved in international collaborations on social innovation through the following initiatives:

Cyprus public and private sectors collaborate in the field of social economy and social innovation at international level with the following organizations:

  1. Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)
  2. EUCLID Network (https://euclidnetwork.eu)
La technologie au service de bonnes innovations
Cadres de mesure de l'impact

Cyprus does not have a formal framework or methodology for measuring social innovation impact.

Contribution économique de l'innovation sociale

Social innovation contributes to Cyprus’s economy through:

Q17_2_1: 40 Q17_2_2: 324 Q17_2_3: 200364058 Q17_2_4: www.cssda.gov.cy

Rapports sur l'impact social

There are no Reports and studies that assess the social impact of innovation in Cyprus.

Momentum politique

Momentum for social innovation as a public policy issue in Cyprus is currently rated as:

Some Momentum: There is growing awareness and initial efforts in public policy, but implementation remains limited or fragmented.

Les obstacles à la croissance

The following barriers are currently hindering the growth of social innovation in Cyprus:

  • Lack of sustainable funding model,
  • Lack of awareness and understanding of social innovation,
  • Weak collaboration between public, private, and civil society sectors,
  • Difficulty in measuring and demonstrating impact
Idées collaboratives

Proposals from Cyprus for potential collaborative initiatives with other GCSI members include:
We are optimistic that collaborative ideas with member countries of GCSI could be emerged through the development process of social economy and social entrepreneurship in Cyprus.

‍

Restez à jour
Recevez de nouvelles informations, des histoires et des appels à l'action directement dans votre boîte de réception.
AccueilÀ propos de GCSIMembres du GCSIObjectifs stratégiquesPlan d'actionInnovation sociale
ContacterAccessibilitéPolitique de confidentialité