The final conference of the 3P4SSE project, held on 24 March 2026, brought together project partners, regional authorities, EU representatives, and social economy practitioners from across Central Europe. It concluded the three-year initiative to strengthen the Social and Solidarity Economy (SSE) through improved governance, cooperation models, and cross-border exchange, while outlining future perspectives.
Opening the event, Gregorio Vichi from the Interreg CENTRAL EUROPE Joint Secretariat noted that more than 700 stakeholders contributed to the project, sharing their views on the value of cooperation to support Europe’s transformation and cohesion. He outlined the project’s focus on testing public–private partnerships (PPP), implementing pilot actions, ensuring long-term sustainability, and presenting upcoming programme opportunities. Building on this introduction, Luca Scolfaro of the LINKS Foundation highlighted that SSE systems are shaped by institutional frameworks, historical welfare models, and evolving European policies, including the Social Economy Action Plan and EU enlargement. Within this context, the project developed a methodology to harmonise definitions, map social actors, and translate findings into Local Action Plans. Social procurement emerged as a key tool for embedding social impact into public contracts. This strategic framing paved the way for presenting the concrete territorial solutions developed across the participating countries.
The first example, from the Autonomous Province of Trento and the Trentino Federation for Cooperation, focused on mapping the local potential of the solidarity economy. By combining a 30-year review of PPP experiences with participatory mapping, dialogue platforms, and co-management tools, the initiative strengthened collaboration among institutions, civil society, and citizens.
A similarly structured approach was illustrated by the Croatian pilot led by the National Foundation for Civil Society Development. The process began with policy assessment, ecosystem mapping, and co-design workshops. It then progressed to capacity-building activities, the creation of a digital platform for social enterprises, and the integration of SSE priorities into regional policies. The activation phase translated these efforts into practice through a call supporting 12 initiatives, youth engagement in schools, and mentoring schemes for emerging entrepreneurs. Finally, the establishment of a knowledge platform and the institutional recognition of SSE marked a transition towards long-term consolidation.
While Croatia followed a phased approach, Slovenia presented two complementary solutions for distinct territorial contexts. In urban Maribor, the ZDRAVKA platform unified 80 previously fragmented social programmes into a coordinated, digitally supported network embedded in the regional Welfare Strategy, with plans to expand across the Podravje region. In parallel, the rural initiative Živo Gnezdo applied a “Community Spiral” methodology to stabilise local innovation, bringing together 34 providers under a shared framework and strengthening PPP collaboration.
The Hungarian pilot tackled structural challenges, including fragmentation, limited funding, and low visibility of SSE actors. Formalising cooperation through a Memorandum of Understanding and integrating the platform into the Szombathely 2030 Strategy marked key steps toward institutionalisation.
In Poland, ARLEG implemented a structured roadmap combining regional analysis, capacity-building, and promotional activities. Emphasis was placed on socially responsible public procurement, supported by the “Buy Socially” campaign and a Social Purchase Mark. A Letter of Intent formalised stakeholder commitment, with expected outcomes including enhanced competencies, greater visibility of SSE actors, and durable public-private partnerships.
Following the territorial presentations, the SSE Network was introduced to sustain results and foster cross-border cooperation, with Trento-based governance, a three-year membership, and a digital platform offering resources and networking tools. Capacity building remained central, with FAB’s joint curriculum, developed through assessments, training, workshops, and feedback, strengthening SSE competencies in sustainability, communication, social innovation, and stakeholder engagement beyond the project’s duration. Complementing these achievements, Gianluca Salvatori of EURICSE highlighted that SSE credibility relies on aligned governance, evidence-based approaches, and strong local ownership, demonstrating the value of a flexible “family of solutions” while identifying opportunities to strengthen monitoring, stabilise funding, and sustain long-term momentum.
At the European policy level, Commission representatives highlighted initiatives like 3P4SSE in supporting small projects and addressing brain drain, inequality, and care-service gaps. Katarina Ivankovic-Knezevic, Director for Social Rights and Inclusion at the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs, and Inclusion, introduced the forthcoming “Care Deal” on long-term care, childcare, and informal carers, stressing continuity beyond project funding, while the policy officer Baptiste Mandouze noted the sector’s 4.3 million organisations and ESF+ funding opportunities. Sara Casillo, Permanent manager – ESF Planning and Implementation Sector at Tecnostruttura, highlighted the role of Italian regions, noting that while ESF+ remains central, emerging EU priorities call for maintaining a strong Cohesion Fund in future frameworks.
The conference concluded with Social Economy Europe stressing democratic governance, active participation, regional involvement in Cohesion Fund processes, and social cohesion. Overall, 3P4SSE delivered territorial solutions, a shared framework, and a cross-border network, underscoring that long-term governance, evidence-based planning, and local ownership are key to consolidating SSE in Central Europe.