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Legal and Policy Frameworks

The Walloon Region (Belgium) has adopted the following legal frameworks, strategies, and vision documents related to social innovation:

Social Entrepreneurship
Social Innovation
Social Businesses
Social [and Solidarity] Economy

Current stage of implementation:

Stage8: Social Entrepreneurship / Innovation / Businesses / [and Solidarity] Economy

with:

Stage1: “No Policy or Recognition: No formal recognition, discussion, or policy exists. The sector operates informally or without government involvement.”;
Stage2: “Initial Discussions & Awareness: The government acknowledges the sector and has started discussions or consultations, but no formal policy framework or regulation exists.”;
Stage3: “Draft Policy or Framework in Development: A draft policy, strategy, or regulatory framework is currently being developed. The government may be conducting research, stakeholder consultations, or legislative drafting.”;
Stage4: “Pilot Programs or Limited Implementation: Some initiatives, pilot projects, or partial government-backed programs exist, but full implementation has not yet been achieved. Policies may be tested in select regions or for specific groups.”;
Stage5: “Policy Adopted but Not Fully Implemented: A formal law, policy, or regulation has been passed, but it has not been fully implemented, enforced, or funded. Gaps in execution may still exist.”;
Stage6: “Policy in Effect & Actively Implemented: The policy is fully enacted and actively being implemented. There is clear government support, funding, and enforcement mechanisms in place.”;
Stage7: “Policy Reviewed & Strengthened: The existing policy has been evaluated and improved over time based on feedback, data, or evolving needs. New funding, incentives, or structural reforms may have been introduced.”; and
Stage8: “Leading in Policy Innovation: The country is recognized as a leader in this policy area, with best practices, strong regulatory frameworks, and incentives that actively promote and support the sector.”

More details:

The Walloon Region has had a regional law decree on social economy since 2008, making it one of the first European regions to implement such legislation. It has developed its own regional strategy on social economy, which is currently being reviewed under a Technical Support Instrument (TSI) from the European Commission. Additionally, the region boasts a robust social economy ecosystem. https://economie.wallonie.be/home/gerer-mon-entreprise/gerer-une-entreprise-d-economie-sociale.html https://alternativeswallonia.be/

Ecosystem Actors

Key Actors in the Ecosystem

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

Social entreprises & social innovateurs (Impact hubs)
Government entity (ministries/agencies)
Academic and research centers

Examples: Social entreprises & social innovators (impact hubs): social economy consultancy agencies (they pursue two types of missions: consulting and support, and promotion and guidance): https://economie.wallonie.be/home/creer-mon-entreprise/demarrer-une-activite-d-economie-sociale/agence-conseil-en-economie-sociale-1.html

Government entity (ministries/agencies): W.alter (A financial partner specialized in supporting social and cooperative economy projects in Wallonia) https://www.w-alter.be/ ;

iES! (social economy incubator)https://i-es.be/ ; the Sustainable Development Unit from the Public Service of Wallonia (dealing with circular economy) and the Social Economy Unit of the Walloon Public Service (managing the Social Economy Ecosystem)

Education and Capacity Building

Formal and informal education programs that support social innovation exist in the following forms in The Walloon Region (Belgium):

University-level courses or degrees:“ Social innovation, social entrepreneurship, or impact-driven business programs are offered as courses, degrees, or research tracks in universities or technical institutions

Examples:

There is a Master degree in Social Economy (ULiÃ¨ge and UCLouvain) https://www.hec.uliege.be/cms/c_8487215/fr/hec-master-de-specialisation-en-economie-sociale and an Inter-University Certificate in Social Enterprise Management https://www.programmes.uliege.be/cocoon/20242025/formations/bref/GYMEES90.html
ESCAP: Escap is a collective project that brings together academic and field experts to share and co-create knowledge and tools in support of the development of the social economy. https://escap.be/

Coordinating Bodies

A centralized body responsible for coordinating social innovation efforts across sectors does not exist in The Walloon Region (Belgium).

Details:

ConcertES is the consultation platform for representative organizations of the social economy in French-speaking Belgium : https://concertes.be/

Ecosystem Communication

The level of communication and coordination among key actors in The Walloon Region (Belgium)’s social innovation ecosystem is currently Extensive:“ strong collaboration with regular communication and joint initiatives.

Support Mechanisms for Policy and Finance

Policy Incentives and Support Mechanisms

To support social innovation, The Walloon Region (Belgium) has implemented the following incentives and mechanisms:

Government-backed funding programs (e.g., grants, subsidies, social impact funds)

Further information:

Pilot projects (2 million) and cooperative grants (1 million)

Financing Mechanisms

Social innovation in The Walloon Region (Belgium) is financed through a variety of mechanisms including:

International funding (e.g., EU/bilateral/multilateral funds)
Public subsidy and grants

Impact

Flagship Programs and Achievements

Notable achievements and flagship programs in social innovation in The Walloon Region (Belgium) include:

Pilot projects in Wallonia : https://economie.wallonie.be/home/creer-mon-entreprise/demarrer-une-activite-d-economie-sociale/projets-pilotes-en-economie-sociale.html
iES!, social economy incubator : https://www.bing.com/search?q=incubateur+ies&qs=n&form=QBRE&sp=-1&lq=0&pq=incubateur+ies&sc=12-14&sk=&cvid=B4896F7B5355423DA92B0D69C284FCD7&ghsh=0&ghacc=0&ghpl=
Territoire de rÃ©paration par l’Ã©conomie sociale (territories of repair through social economy) : https://economie.wallonie.be/home/actualites/actualites/territoir'es-l'economie-sociale-un-moteur-d'inclusion-au-service-des-besoins-locaux.html#

International Collaborations

The Walloon Region (Belgium) is involved in international collaborations on social innovation through the following initiatives:

Technical Support Instrument from the European Commission on developing a national and regional strategy for Social Economy, together with France, Croatia, Portugal and Greece. https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/qanda_25_925 https://alternativeswallonia.be/

Tech for Good Innovations

Impact Measurement Frameworks

The Walloon Region (Belgium) does not have a formal framework or methodology for measuring social innovation impact.

Economic Contribution of Social Innovation

Social innovation contributes to The Walloon Region (Belgium)’s economy through:

‍https://escap.be/

Reports on Social Impact

Social Economy Observatory https://observatoire-es.be/publications/

Policy Momentum

Momentum for social innovation as a public policy issue in The Walloon Region (Belgium) is currently rated as:

Significant Momentum: Social innovation is actively supported through policies, funding, or initiatives, with clear government engagement and implementation.

Barriers to Growth

The following barriers are currently hindering the growth of social innovation in The Walloon Region (Belgium):

Difficulty in measuring and demonstrating impact
Lack of money

Collaborative Ideas