Europe Office receives €1m funding for social innovation project

Glasgow Caledonian University (GCU) is leading a major European project aimed at growing social innovation within Europe’s local communities.

Commencing in 2018 and running over 36 months, the project, Social Innovation for Knowledge Exchange (SIKE), will receive a grant of €1m euros through the Erasmus+ Knowledge Alliances Programme to tap into the potential of universities to use knowledge for social change.

The Europe Office at GCU, in partnership with the Yunus Centre for Social Business and Health, will coordinate a consortium of universities and leading social innovators from five European countries.

In Scotland, GCU will be partnered by the Social Innovation incubator, The Melting Pot, from Edinburgh and the project will also be supported by the global social innovation platform, Social Innovation Exchange (SIX).

Mark Anderson, Director of the Europe Office, said: “We are delighted to secure this funding as only a select few, around one in ten proposals, submitted have received Erasmus+ support.

“Having this support allows us to help academics plan and enact projects, identify and bolster partnerships across Europe and develop and deliver projects to benefit local communities.

“This builds on similar projects we have coordinated in the past to offer support within the university aimed at helping social innovation grow.

“All these projects reflect the ideal of working for the Common Good.”