The First Meeting of the Forum for the Social & Solidarity Economy (SSE) and Social Innovation was successfully held, which has been appointed by decision of the Governor of Crete Stavros Arnaoutakis, marking the start of an organized and institutionally coordinated effort to further strengthen the SSE ecosystem in Crete.

The meeting was held under the coordination of Antonis Papaderakis, with the participation of Forum members from the Regional Observatory for Social Inclusion, PANETAIK S.A., the Regional Development Fund of Crete, the Special Management Service of the “Crete” Program, the JD for Development Programming, development agencies, the Local Government, the Academic community, the Chambers of Commerce, the Association of SSE Institutions of Crete, and representatives of postgraduate programs in the K.A.L.O., forming a stable framework for dialogue and policy co-formation at the regional level.

During the meeting, the updated data of the Registry of SSE Institutions of Crete were presented, which reflect the stable development course of the sector, its spatial and sectoral dimension, as well as its contribution to employment and intra-regional cohesion. Particular reference was made to the results of the Action “Strengthening Social Enterprises” of the “Crete 2021–2027” Program, through which 87 SSE institutions were included in funding, with a total public expenditure of 5.7 million euros. At the same time, the priority axes with a medium-term and long-term implementation horizon were presented, the proposed actions for 2026, as well as the Regional Support Mechanism of the Regional Rural Development Fund, which is implemented with the support of PANETAIK S.A.

In the context of the dialogue, specific actions with an immediate implementation horizon within 2026 were discussed, such as cooperation with the Local Government to address rural de-desertification and strengthen local resilience through the Regional Rural Development Fund and social innovation, the implementation of educational programs for the organization and operation of social cooperative enterprises, networking and cooperation actions of the Regional Rural Development Fund bodies, the strategic upgrade of the Regional Mechanism’s web portal, the utilization of social contracts, as well as the activation of local communities in issues of social economy and social innovation. The Forum aspires to become a permanent regional infrastructure for cooperation and strategic planning, enhancing the social impact and sustainable development of Crete.

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