Enabling Social Innovation Entrepreneurship in Agri-food through Digital Transition: ENACT

Programme(s): Single Market Programme (SMP)

Topic(s): SMP-COSME-2023-SEED-01

Type of action: SMP Grants for Financial Support

Project ID: 101167981

Objective
The ENACT project ambitiously promotes digital transition and entrepreneurship within the agri-food social economy. Through transnational cooperation, it aims to enhance capacities and drive the transformation of the European food system toward sustainability, fostering resilient, just, and solidary territories. ENACT's journey begins with a thorough needs assessment conducted both on a country-by-country basis and through a transnational perspective, to discern the specific requirements for the digital transition of the social economy actors embedded within the agri-food ecosystem. This analysis informs the capacity building activities for an enabling environment to effectively promote innovation, collaboration, and resilience in the sector. The next step of ENACT is thus the deployment of a transnational capacity building programme thatincorporates a training of trainers’ initiative for 30 individuals to empower social economy enabling organisations, as well as virtual and local training sessions directed at min. 200 participants to sustain this multiplier effect. Further, with a transnational dimension, ENACT envisions the establishment of innovative ecosystem networks that transcend borders, promoting collective resilience and mutual support among min. 270 social economy actors. Leveraging on innovative events such as a transnational Hackathon and a Matchathon and disbursing 220.000 EUR direct financial support, the project encourages the co-creation of digital innovative solutions that can shape the future of the agri-food sector. The project provides comprehensive European coverage, engaging a European network in Belgium and social economy enabling organisations from Austria, Lithuania, Portugal, and Spain within the consortium. In addition, stakeholder engagement strategies are carefully considered to support project collaborative networks and amplify the project impact within the agri-food of the social economy.