Lithuania – Checklist of achievements
The Lithuanian Government Champions for Social Innovation and Impact (GCSII) Working Group aims to consolidate efforts and expedite the expansion of the global social innovation sector, emphasizing the active involvement of the government.
National Strategy
In the new EU investment programming period, Lithuania does not have a unified strategy for the development of social innovation, which is addressed in a fragmented way in documents such as the Lithuania 2030 Progress Strategy, the 2021–2030 National Progress Plan and sectoral development programmes.
The current Lithuanian Progress Strategy “Lithuania 2030” has been approved by the Resolution of the Parliament of the Republic of Lithuania (15 May 2012, No. XI-2015). The implementing document for the Strategy is the National Progress Plan 2021-2030, which does not directly identify SI. An analysis of the horizontal principles of sustainable development, innovation (creativity) and equal opportunities for all identified in the above-mentioned plan suggests that it reflects the content of the SI and obliges public institutions to include the SI in their actions and to ensure funding, but it does not express the clear will of the policy maker.
The Strategy does not set goals and targets for individual sectors of the country’s economy but emphasises the need for a fundamental change in the values prevailing in society. In terms of the SI, the strategy is intended to encourage the state and society to act in a way that ensures that their objectives and measures are socially oriented, in particular towards the human being as a service user and the continuous improvement of the service and the involvement of citizens in the state’s decisionmaking processes. The strategy includes the promotion of social entrepreneurship as a specific element. The strategy thus lays the foundations for society to behave in a socially innovative way.
The implementing document for the strategy is the National Progress Plan 2021-2030 (further – the plan). The plan does not explicitly identify the SI, but it should be noted that it identifies horizontal principles: 1) sustainable development, 2) innovation/creativity and 3) equal opportunities for all. These three principles reflect the content of the SI and essentially reflect the intention of the State, in this case the GRL, to develop the State’s economy and its development over the next decade in a socially responsive and innovative manner. It is assumed that the plan provides the basis for the development of the SI in other strategic planning documents. Also, the horizontal principles contained in the plan essentially oblige public authorities to incorporate SI in their actions.
The analysis of strategic documents and legislation conducted 2023, it is noted that the legal framework in Lithuania lacks coherence and clarity in identifying the institution or institutions responsible for the SI and in identifying the sources of funding and the specific funds allocated not only for the development and implementation of the SI, but also to ensure a sustainable process for their development and implementation and for the subsequent monitoring of the SI and the activities of the institutions responsible for the SI. The Law on Technology and Innovation, which enshrines the need for innovative progress, does not define SI and their relevance.
For more information, please see: Research report „Evaluation of Public Support for Social Innovation. Recommendations for Improving Public Policy Decisions on Social Innovation and its Effectiveness“ (2023).
Specific Funding
The 6th priority axis “Innovative solutions” of the ESF+ programme for Lithuania to support the development of SI. Funding streams are currently under development in responsible institution.
Regulatory Framework
Ecosystem Catalysers (national or regional)
Leading Ministries
The Ministry of the Economy and Innovation of the Republic of Lithuania
The Ministry of Education, Science and Sport of the Republic of Lithuania
The Ministry of Health of the Republic of Lithuania
Gov. Representatives in Charge
Flagship Programmes/ achievements
In 2021 – 2023 ESFA, together with the partners, the ESF Managing Authorities from Belgium, the Czech Republic and Finland, implemented a project “Pan European Social Innovation Lab” (PEnCIL), funded by the European Commission. The result of this project is the newly created National Competence Centre for Social Innovations. The new Competence Centre for Social Innovation provide information and advice to those interested in the development of social innovation, provide training for different target groups, and strengthen international cooperation, networking, and competences of stakeholders in the field.
The Ministry of Social Security and Labour of the Republic of Lithuania, together with the ESFA, has developed and published a on-going ESF support provision mechanism – the Alternative Investment Detector (AID). The aim of the project was to increase the chances of socially vulnerable, socially at-risk and excluded people to participate actively in the labour market and in the community through the development of social integration services. For projects’ ideas funding was foreseen up to EUR 2,600,000.00 and the application period ran from 2020 to 2023.
Sector Size
N/A
Network organisations
Please see chapter Ecosystem
Ecosystem
According to the Stakeholders Analysis Map of the National Competence Centre for Social Innovation Strategy, prepared by ESFA in 2023, four segments of stakeholder groups were distinguished: stakeholders with high influence and high interest, low influence and high interest, high influence and low interest, low influence and low interest.
Biggest societal challenges
During the research of the Social Innovation ecosystem in Lithuania conducted in 2023, was identified that although social innovation activities have been developed in Lithuania for more than a decade, there is still a lack of attention to this area, both at the state level and at the level of the organisations developing SI. The main problems identified during the study were:
- lack of a unified concept of SI – still no clearly defined and anchored SI concepts in the legislation;
- lack of a clear SI development strategy – the field is only fragmentarily discussed in different legislation;
- lack of cooperation between institutions involved in implementing SI;
- the SI created are not always sustainable;
- SIs are in most cases adapted/scalled up from other countries or fields;
- SIs are not always “recognised” as social innovations;
- lack of a unified database of good practices in SI;
- poor and uncoordinated dissemination of SI, firstly, there is no accessibility to information where everyone could learn about SI and/or it’s usage, and also assess their capacity to develop innovative solutions.
- lack of sustainable funding, does not ensure that individuals and organisations are empowered to create, test, adopt and develop innovative solutions;
- lack of political attention and a policy and regulatory environment that promotes SI, and the absence of sharing of best practices, leads to the non-use of innovative and impactful instruments.
For more information please see: Research report “Social Innovation Ecosystem in Lithuania“ (2023).