New evaluation confirms the EU-wide impact of the Employment and Social Innovation Programme (2014 - 2020)

Without EaSI support, it is unlikely that national schemes would have been able to support social experimentation projects and European networks of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) across participating countries from the EU and beyond. Furthermore, there were no other EU resources available specifically designed for cross-border partnerships, targeted mobility schemes, or the EaSI-supported EU-level job vacancies portal.

EaSI also filled a critical gap in the microfinance and social entrepreneurship markets by lowering the risks for the financial intermediaries who were able to support a greater number of unemployed and disadvantaged people, microenterprises and social enterprises. The number of microloans given to these target groups therefore increased from 32 000 in 2014, delivered through the European Progress Microfinance Facility, to 97 000 in 2020, provided through EaSI.

In the 2021 - 2027 period, EaSI continues to be a key instrument for fostering employment and social innovation in Europe. EaSI is now part of the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+) and continues to enhance social innovation across the participating EU countries and beyond. EaSI is creating new synergies with the ESF+ shared management strand to support the implementation of the European Pillar of Social Rights.