Social Innovation programme replaces Progress

The EU PROGRESS programme supports and disseminates comparative analytical information in the field of employment, facilitates information sharing and dialogue, provides policy makers and implementers with financial support, to test social and labour market policy reforms. It also supports the implementation of the EU legislation in the field of employment, social policy and working conditions. For the period 2014-2020, Progress will continue its current activities (analysis, mutual learning and grants) and will have a specific budget for social innovation and experimentation, i.e. testing of innovative policies on a small scale, with the aim that the most successful ones can be up-scaled, including with ESF support. Out of the EUR 574 million proposed for Progress, in the 2014-2020 period, EUR 97 million will be allocated to experimental projects.

EU Programme for Employment and Social Innovation (EaSI)

The Programme for Employment and Social Innovation (EaSI) is a financing instrument at EU level to promote a high level of quality and sustainable employment, guaranteeing adequate and decent social protection, combating social exclusion and poverty and improving working conditions.

EaSI is managed directly by the European Commission. It brings together three EU programmes managed separately between 2007 and 2013: PROGRESS, EURES AND Progress Microfinance.

As of January 2014, these programmes form the three axes of EaSI. They support:

• the modernisation of employment and social policies with the PROGRESS Axis (61% of the total budget);
• job mobility with the EURES Axis (18% of the total budget);
• access to micro-finance and social entrepreneurship with the Microfinance and Social Entrepreneurship Axis  (21% of the total budget).

The total budget for 2014-2020 is EUR 919,469,000 in 2013 prices.

The PROGRESS Axis of EaSI

The PROGRESS axis of EaSI helps the EU and its countries to improve policies in three thematic sections:

• employment, in particular to fight youth unemployment;
• social protection, social inclusion and the reduction and prevention of poverty;
• working conditions.