“Welfare what a business!” competition for social start-ups

Bracco Foundation with Fondazione Italiana Accenture and UBI Banca, with the scientific contribution of Aiccon and the Milan Polytechnic – Tiresia, have promoted the “Welfare what a business!” Ideas competition to reward and support the best community welfare projects that will be incubated by PoliHub and Campus GOEL.The initiative aims to promote community welfare, with new activities and services in local networks. The traditional welfare system cannot keep up with current complexity, and a possible answer is to incentivate and promote social entrepreneurial ideas that spring from the territory, from a local dimension, and so become a vehicle of regeneration.

The competition is aimed at the whole of Italy: the best welfare community projects will receive a cash prize and being debated by PoliHub, the Milan Polytechnic incubator, and by Campus Goel, the incubator of ethical and innovative ideas in Calabria. The main requirements are generating social impact, creating jobs for the disadvantaged and/or vulnerable, using technology and being economically sustainable. There are four areas: social agriculture, social tourism, cultural welfare and personal services.

The contribution of Bracco Foundation focuses on the involvement of Campus Goel, which offers opportunities of training and new ways of tackling the problem of youth unemployment, which in Calabria is little less than 70%. The region is rich in human, cultural and environmental potential but abuses of power strongly limit its expression. In line with Bracco Foundation’s all-round vision in its projects, the competition emphasises the promotion of sustainable entrepreneurism as a lever for growth and development.

Key numbers of “Welfare what a business!”, with the scientific contribution of Aiccon and the Milan Polytechnic – Tiresia: 70 entries from associations, social cooperatives, innovative social start-ups and social businesses; 50 projects in the competition; 32 the average age of participants and 57% female participation. To know more: welfarecheimpresa.ideatre60.it