2020 Playbook for (aspiring) Social Innovators

Perhaps you’re looking for ways to introduce your idea to more people. Maybe you’ve identified a problem that is in desperate need of fixing and think you could be the one to come up with (part of) a solution. Good news – your guide to spark, develop and grow your social innovation idea is here – the Social Innovation Playbook.

The playbook has been written by Kennisland, as part of the team behind the European Social Innovation Competition++The CompetitionThe European Social Innovation Competition is an initiative of DG Growth of the European Commission, and is organised by Nesta, Kennisland, Ashoka, ENoLL and Scholz & Friends. The competition promotes and supports social innovation in Europe and provides a platform for leading European innovators, supports new initiatives, helps them develop and grow and organises peer to peer learning. and benefits from the experience of working with a diverse spectrum of social innovators over 8 cycles of the Competition. We are delighted to now release the 2020 edition. At the heart of the playbook is the concept of the social innovation spiral – a journey upon which all projects will, at some point, embark.

Each chapter ofEach chapter of the playbook deals with a different stage of the development of a social innovation project. the playbook deals with a different stage of the development of a social innovation project, from “Exploring Opportunities” to “Systems Change”. Real life examples of social innovations also provide tangible lessons that can help turn any idea into a success and the accompanying short exercises will help the reader gain a clearer picture of how to achieve their goals.

The structure of the playbook means it can be used as a guidebook for social innovators at any stage of their journey and, like any good guide, can be read in whatever order suits the reader. You might want to jump forward or backward, skip steps you already mastered, or revisit past exercises.

Over the last few years, the European Social Innovation Competition++KL and the CompetitionRead more about the Competition and Kennisland’s involvement here. has mobilised thousands of EuropeansThe playbook aims to support social innovators, those who are on a quest to create social change. in an effort to create more economic, social and environmental value in our communities. At its core, social innovation is about coming up with new responses to societal needs and problems. The playbook aims to support social innovators, those who are on a quest to create social change, for example by starting up a social venture.

For all the latest from the Competition, you can find us on Twitter: @EUSocialInnov,  LinkedIn and via email: info@socialinnovationprize.eu. You can sign up on the Social Innovation Competition newsletter here.