Periodic Reporting for period 1 - SERIGO (Social Economy for Resilience, Inclusion and Good life in Rural areas)
Reporting period: 2024-01-01 to 2025-06-30
European rural areas face societal, demographic, economic and environmental challenges due to global transformations and crises. Uneven development affects people's livelihoods and overall well-being, hitting individuals in vulnerable situations the hardest. SERIGO project project runs for 48 months, starting from January 2024, and it brings together 17 partner organizations from 11 different countries to enhance resilience, social inclusion, and wellbeing of vulnerable groups in rural areas. This is achieved by socially innovative solutions developed by or involving actors from the social economy.
To achieve its goals, SERIGO is conducting community-based participatory research, drawing on case studies from across Europe and pilots testing in five EU Member States. Alongside research and pilot testing, the project fosters ongoing dialogue and collaboration among diverse stakeholders, as well as providing policymakers with recommendations for policy development around social inclusion in rural areas.
In its research, SERIGO explores vulnerability through an intersectional lens, looking at how different factors overlap and affect people’s lives. It combines this with critical systems thinking and community-based participatory research to better understand the complex situations faced by rural communities. With a focused approach to addressing the challenges faced by rural communities, SERIGO is committed to harnessing the capabilities of social economy actors to drive inclusive development initiatives and support vulnerable groups in rural areas.
To achieve its goals, SERIGO is conducting community-based participatory research, drawing on case studies from across Europe and pilots testing in five EU Member States. Alongside research and pilot testing, the project fosters ongoing dialogue and collaboration among diverse stakeholders, as well as providing policymakers with recommendations for policy development around social inclusion in rural areas.
In its research, SERIGO explores vulnerability through an intersectional lens, looking at how different factors overlap and affect people’s lives. It combines this with critical systems thinking and community-based participatory research to better understand the complex situations faced by rural communities. With a focused approach to addressing the challenges faced by rural communities, SERIGO is committed to harnessing the capabilities of social economy actors to drive inclusive development initiatives and support vulnerable groups in rural areas.
Soon after the SERIGO project began, the research phase kicked off with the development of an Initial Integrated Conceptual Framework. This framework provides a structured way to understand the complex and connected factors that drive vulnerability and social exclusion in different rural settings. It also helps explore how the social and solidarity economy (SSE) can support resilience, social inclusion, and a good life in these areas.
SERIGO has started to implement 24 case studies in rural regions across 12 countries (Austria, Estonia, Spain, Finland, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Sweden, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Türkiye). These case studies examine concluded or mature projects, exploring structural and agency-related factors that shape conditions of exclusion, as well as the drivers, barriers, and risks influencing the impact of SSE and social entrepreneurship on vulnerable groups.
In parallel, preparations have begun for five experimental pilot actions to be co-created with local actors in five countries. Each pilot focuses on a specific target group: refugee women in Austria, women in rural Finland, Roma communities in Slovakia, older adults in Estonia, and disadvantaged populations—including youth and the unemployed—in Slovenia. These actions aim to generate situated knowledge about vulnerabilities and capabilities, foster local empowerment through co-creation laboratories, and explore the potential of social enterprises as enablers of long-term social inclusion.
To connect the project’s above-mentioned theoretical/conceptual work and the empirical and action research, SERIGO has also developed an Integrated Analytical Framework. Its aim is to provide a clear structure for unpacking complex issues found in the case studies and pilot actions. By breaking down these challenges into definable, manageable parts, the framework allows for a deeper understanding of the underlying dynamics.
SERIGO has started to implement 24 case studies in rural regions across 12 countries (Austria, Estonia, Spain, Finland, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Sweden, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Türkiye). These case studies examine concluded or mature projects, exploring structural and agency-related factors that shape conditions of exclusion, as well as the drivers, barriers, and risks influencing the impact of SSE and social entrepreneurship on vulnerable groups.
In parallel, preparations have begun for five experimental pilot actions to be co-created with local actors in five countries. Each pilot focuses on a specific target group: refugee women in Austria, women in rural Finland, Roma communities in Slovakia, older adults in Estonia, and disadvantaged populations—including youth and the unemployed—in Slovenia. These actions aim to generate situated knowledge about vulnerabilities and capabilities, foster local empowerment through co-creation laboratories, and explore the potential of social enterprises as enablers of long-term social inclusion.
To connect the project’s above-mentioned theoretical/conceptual work and the empirical and action research, SERIGO has also developed an Integrated Analytical Framework. Its aim is to provide a clear structure for unpacking complex issues found in the case studies and pilot actions. By breaking down these challenges into definable, manageable parts, the framework allows for a deeper understanding of the underlying dynamics.
SERIGO project has established a Community of Practice (CoP) as a key platform for sharing early results. Its CoP brings together nearly 100 participants, including scientific and professional experts, practitioners, and policymakers. Within the first 18 months of the project, three major CoP events have already been organized. An inventory and analysis of 180 SE/SI initiatives, which has been produced as part of this phase has been made available to end-users through the production of a Practice Abstract. Moreover, another PA has been produced on the topic of deployment and potentials of intersectionality and systems thinking in rural research projects.