WE WOULD LIKE TO INFORM YOU that at the end of January 2022, we have completed work on the CERUSI project.
The main goal of the CERUSI project was to support innovators and social entrepreneurs in developing social innovations in rural areas and urban peripheries.
To strengthen the potential of residents and local entities to implement innovative solutions, project activities focused on leveraging the methods, knowledge, and tools developed within international projects previously undertaken by CERUSI project partners ( Social(i)Makers , SENTINEL , and LiveRuR ). By combining local social capital with transnational knowledge resources, the project aimed to facilitate the effective implementation of solutions that address local challenges.
Tools
The CERUSI project has created various tools enabling local entities to develop and implement social innovations:
The RSI Toolbox is a collection of methods and tools enabling various stakeholders of social innovation to increase knowledge and its practical application in the creation and implementation of innovations in rural areas.
Through the RSI Academy available on the Skyrocket platform, project recipients could acquire the necessary knowledge and then jointly identify social challenges and discuss possible solutions in an international group.
The Platform itself is a space dedicated to public entities looking for an alternative to traditional social services and investors investing capital in social impact investments.
The Transnational RSI Caravan Cookbook is a set of guidelines for developing and implementing RSI_Lab Caravans workshops. This comprehensive set of methods and tools allows for the replication and gradual rollout of RSI Lab Caravans in other regions.
Virtual Training
The RSI: Innovation Academy (RSI_Academy) has been launched on the Skyrocket platform, created as part of the Social(i)Makers project. It's a resource of knowledge and useful tools for innovators, social entrepreneurs, and others interested in social innovation. Five training modules are available, covering topics such as social entrepreneurship, the circular economy, the process of creating social innovations, and impact management. The Academy has been translated into seven languages.
Pilot activities
Pilot activities were implemented in the form of RSI_Caravans . These meetings with the local community were intended to identify challenges faced by local communities, and then, within the framework of RSI_Lab Modules, to seek optimal solutions. The RSI_Lab Modules were intended to foster the generation of ideas and prototypes, connecting originators and potential users of innovations to develop solutions that meet previously identified needs.
Strategies and action plans
The Transnational Rural Social Innovation Development Strategy summarizes the experience of the two-year project, guides us through the development phases of social innovation in rural areas, and formulates recommendations that can strengthen the potential of peripheral areas to implement new solutions. These recommendations are addressed to decision-makers at the international, national, and local levels. To continue this shared vision of disseminating innovation in rural areas, the Partnership for Social Innovation in Rural Areas was established – a network connecting project partners and also inviting new organizations to collaborate. For more information, please visit the website .
The project also developed seven local action plans (RSI_Action Plans). These propose leveraging the products developed within CERUSI, such as the Skyrocket Platform and its online course, for new activities aimed at creating conditions for the development of innovation in rural areas and empowering local leaders and change agents.
