What can we change in the relationship between public administrations, the third sector, and citizens to ensure that social policies respond more effectively to real needs? How can we make it easier for new models, services, and tools to be tested, evaluated, and put at the service of people?

In Catalonia, the new Law 6/2026 of 28 May opens up new opportunities to strengthen collaboration between public administrations and the social third sector in the provision of publicly funded services. Now that the law has been approved, the challenge is to translate these principles into practical mechanisms.

In this Innobreak, we will explore two European experiences that demonstrate how to advance in these two directions: shared governance and the promotion of social innovation.

• New Shared Administration Model of the Emilia-Romagna Region (Italy): This model places the relationship between public administrations and the third sector within a framework of co-constructing service delivery, moving beyond the traditional tendering and procurement model. Collaborative work, carried out through stable spaces for dialogue and governance, makes it possible to incorporate the third sector’s first-hand knowledge into the identification of needs and the design of solutions. The model therefore seeks to build shared responses that are tailored to the realities of both the territory and its people.
• AMI: Social Innovation Programme with the Third Sector in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine Region (France): AMI is a regional programme that supports the experimentation of socially innovative projects. It combines public funding with a shared methodology based on 12 social innovation indicators and a network of expert partners from different fields who select projects and support them throughout the various stages of the process. The model makes it possible to identify innovative initiatives emerging from the territory, assess their potential, and support their experimentation, evaluation, and dissemination.

PONENTS:

Alberto Alberani, spokesperson of the Third Sector Forum of the Emilia-Romagna Region

Heykel Bouazza, Head of Social and Solidarity Economy and Social Innovation for the Nouvelle-Aquitaine Region