Open Solutions for Stronger Social Innovation Ecosystems

The RESIST project has developed a comprehensive set of practical solutions to support policymakers, innovation support organisations, social innovators, regional development agencies, universities, clusters, and other ecosystem actors. Together, these resources provide guidance for building stronger social innovation ecosystems, designing mission-driven policies, measuring social impact, and strengthening the organisations that support social innovators.

Whether you are just beginning to integrate social innovation into your work or looking to further develop your regional ecosystem, these solutions offer practical methods, tools, and proven approaches that can be adapted to your own context.

Our Solutions

Cluster for Social and Ecological Innovation (CSEI) Guide

The CSEI Guide provides a practical framework for establishing and strengthening social and ecological innovation clusters. It explores suitable governance and financing models, coordination structures, membership approaches, and operational elements required to build sustainable innovation ecosystems. The guide also offers recommendations for knowledge management, networking, matchmaking, physical and digital collaboration spaces, and ecosystem services that foster long-term cooperation between public authorities, businesses, academia, civil society, and social innovators.

• Cluster for Social and Ecological Innovation (CSEI) Guide 

Mission-Oriented Innovation Policy (MOIP) Guide

The MOIP Guide is a practical step-by-step resource for developing and implementing mission-oriented innovation policies that address complex societal and environmental challenges. It supports users throughout the entire mission process—from identifying challenges and building shared visions to engaging stakeholders, testing solutions, and enabling long-term systemic change. Rather than prescribing a fixed methodology, the guide promotes flexible, participatory, and cross-sector collaboration tailored to regional needs.

• Mission-Oriented Innovation Policy (MOIP) Guide

How to Make Innovation Social

This practical guide helps innovation support organisations integrate social innovation into their existing services and programmes. It introduces the fundamentals of social innovation and social entrepreneurship, includes a self-assessment tool to evaluate current support capacities, and provides practical exercises that can be used individually or in workshop settings. The guide also connects users with additional resources and tools to help organisations strengthen their support for social innovators.

• How to make innovation social 

Train-the-Trainers Course Concept

Designed for incubators, business development agencies, universities, NGOs, and regional support organisations, this programme strengthens the capacity of trainers, facilitators, mentors, and advisors working with social innovators. Instead of focusing solely on entrepreneurs, it equips intermediary organisations with practical knowledge, methods, and teaching materials that create multiplier effects and contribute to stronger regional social innovation ecosystems.

• Train the Trainers Module

Social Innovation Impact Measurement Framework

The framework helps organisations understand, measure, and improve the social impact they create. It includes an entry-level practical guide for small social enterprises, NGOs, and social innovators, as well as a comprehensive strategy guide with worksheets and a workbook for more advanced organisations, support actors, clusters, and policymakers. Together, these resources support users in identifying meaningful social change, developing impact strategies, and continuously improving their activities.

• Social Innovation Impact Measurement Framework

Free to Use and Share

All RESIST solutions have been developed to support the wider social innovation community beyond the lifetime of the project. We encourage organisations, policymakers, educators, innovation support actors, and practitioners to explore, adapt, share, and apply these resources in their own regional and organisational contexts.

The materials are freely available for use under the applicable copyright licence. When reusing or adapting the content, we kindly ask that you provide appropriate attribution to the RESIST project and retain the original copyright notice. By sharing these resources, you help strengthen social innovation ecosystems and increase their impact across Europe and beyond.

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