Connecting ideas, knowledge, twin transition and communities to create practical solutions.
The Slovenian Competence Center for Social Innovation (SCCSI) is organizing the first edition of the Social Innovation Festival 2026, dedicated to social economy and social innovation. The event will take place on 14 October 2026 in Ljubljana, Slovenia, offering a valuable opportunity to exchange experiences, discover good practices and build new connections.
The festival will bring together representatives of national institutions, local authorities, cooperatives, social economy enterprises, businesses and other organisations with a social impact (including associations and foundations), research and educational institutions, support organisations, and international organisations.
The Social Innovation Festival 2026 aims to showcase inspiring practices, encourage dialogue and collaboration, and create new opportunities for the development of the social economy. By connecting stakeholders from different sectors, the festival will provide a space for sharing knowledge, experiences and ideas, while fostering new partnerships and initiatives.
A particular focus of the festival will be placed on social innovation as a driver of new approaches, models and partnerships for addressing societal challenges more effectively. Social innovation can play an important role in developing new services, products and organisational models that improve people’s quality of life, strengthen social cohesion and generate sustainable economic benefits.
Programme highlights
- Expert keynote presentations by distinguished speakers in the fields of the social economy and social innovation.
- A showcase of inspiring social innovation good practices with different scaling levels and addressing of various areas.
- Interactive consultation groups exploring effective ways of addressing local community challenges through the social economy.
- Networking and fundraising opportunities to support collaborative responses to social and economic challenges.
- Presentation of funding opportunities and financial mechanisms for the development and scaling of social innovations.
Registration
Registration for the Social Innovation Festival 2026 will open on 1 September 2026 and will be available through the Slovenian NCC platform.
