"Social innovation is the development and implementation of new ideas (products, services, and models) to meet social needs and create new social relationships or collaborations. It represents new responses to pressing social demands, which affect the process of social interactions."
— Murray, Caulier-Grice, & Mulgan, "The Open Book of Social Innovation"

Social innovation is a community-driven approach to solving social challenges by co-designing and co-creating solutions that empower individuals and groups. It focuses on involving stakeholders directly in the development process, ensuring their voices shape the outcomes and that the solutions address real, on-the-ground needs. By fostering collaboration and shared ownership, social innovation not only produces more effective interventions but also builds the capacity of participants to drive change in their communities. This method is applied to create lasting, systemic transformation that benefits society as a whole.

SOCIAL INNOVATION

Promote Social Inclusion and Equity: Social innovation seeks to address inequality by actively engaging marginalised or underserved groups in the design and implementation of solutions. The goal is to create opportunities that reduce social disparities and foster a more inclusive society.
Collaborative Problem-Solving: It emphasises collective action and the involvement of multiple stakeholders—communities, public institutions, and private sectors—to co-create solutions that tackle pressing social challenges, ensuring that a wide range of perspectives is integrated.
Systemic Change: Social innovation focuses on transforming existing systems by introducing new policies, structures, or processes that create long-term improvements in areas like healthcare, education, and the environment, addressing root causes of social issues.
Sustainable Impact: Unlike traditional innovations that may prioritise profit or efficiency, social innovation prioritises sustainable solutions that balance social, environmental, and economic outcomes, creating lasting benefits for communities.
Empowerment and Capacity Building: Social innovation aims to empower individuals and communities by providing them with tools, resources, and opportunities to actively participate in shaping the solutions that affect their lives, fostering self-reliance and long-term resilience.