The SIMF Social Investment Lab will bring together a carefully selected group of around 30 impact investors, philanthropists, policymakers, entrepreneurs and ecosystem leaders in Lisbon (15–16 October 2026) to explore financing models that bridge the gap between grant funding and impact investment.
While the SIMF Social Investment Lab is an invitation-only event, we want to broaden the conversation and create an opportunity for additional voices to join us.
If you work in social investment, impact investing, philanthropy, public policy, social entrepreneurship, or social innovation, and feel your experience could contribute to the discussions, we encourage you to submit an Expression of Interest.
📍 Lisbon, Portugal 📅 15–16 October 2026
The Social Investment Lab (15 October 9:00 – 16 October 14:00)
The Social Investment Lab explores financing models that support social innovation – specifically the underserved space between grant funding and impact investment finance, where many social innovations struggle to find the capital to scale.
Over two days, 30 people – a deliberately small group of impact investors, philanthropists, policy makers, entrepreneurs and others – will examine models already working elsewhere and stress-test ideas in a European context.
This is the first of three Labs. The goal is a set of financial framework agreements that funders, investors and the European Commission would, in principle, be glad to work through together: a blended capital stack designed to support social innovation.
The RoundTable (16 October, 14:30-19:00)
This roundtable is a high-level European strategic conversation bringing together funders, investors, philanthropic organisations, policymakers, ecosystem actors and social innovation leaders to explore how Europe can strengthen its financing architecture for mission-oriented social innovation. The event will be followed by networking drinks.
Interested? Please submit your Expression of Interest as soon as possible.
As places are limited, participation cannot be guaranteed. Selected applicants will be informed by mid-September whether they have been offered a place.
Reimagining Social Innovation Funding for EU Missions
Join leading funders and investors from across Europe for a convening hosted by the Social Innovation Mission Facility with partners, The Commons Hub and Strategic Design Scenarios – bringing together key actors to explore how private and public capital can be catalytically combined to drive mission-oriented social innovation at scale.
We will have a dynamic panel discussion featuring voices from across Europe, examining:
The trends and emerging models of financing social innovation already shaping the field
How to increase flow of capital into EU Mission-aligned social innovation
How philanthropic, public, and private capital can be combined for greater impact
The role of investors and funders in shaping Europe’s social innovation ecosystem
Our aim is to create a space for honest dialogue, peer-to-peer connection, and forward-looking exchange.
Expect an energising atmosphere, plenty of room for conversation, and the chance to hear perspectives from across the field. Whether you’re already supporting the EU Missions or are curious about the future of social innovation funding, this is a chance to connect and leave with new ideas to take forward.
Speakers
The panel discussion will be moderated by Carly Wickham, EdelGive/SIX.
Amir Rizwan – London Social Ventures (UK)
Amir Rizwan is the outgoing Director of London Social Ventures and an independent impact investment consultant. He works with foundations and investors on strategy, governance, and how capital can be deployed to support early-stage ventures and inclusive economic growth. His work sits at the intersection of social innovation, investment, and ecosystem development, with a focus on how new venture models can address complex societal challenges. He has worked across the UK social investment ecosystem, including roles at Better Society Capital and Comic Relief, where he led the development of its social investment strategy, including the £7.5m Red Shed Fund. Amir holds board and investment committee roles with Social Investment Scotland and The Clothworkers’ Foundation and is a trustee of the Joseph Rowntree Foundation. His work focuses on aligning investment approaches with mission, strengthening venture pathways, and addressing structural inequalities in access to capital.
Anne Snick – Club of Rome (EU Chapter)
Anne Snick is a systems thinker, philosopher, and independent researcher whose work sits at the intersection of sustainable finance, social innovation, and regenerative economics. She holds a PhD in Philosophy of Education, with a focus on ethics and epistemology, and has spent her career alternating between academic research and applied work in health, gender equality, social economy, and social innovation. Anne is a full member and Board member of the Club of Rome’s EU Chapter, and serves as an Ethics Expert in Research and Innovation for the European Commission. Her current work focuses on how finance and education — as two of the most powerful systemic drivers in society — can be redirected towards ecological and social sustainability. Anne brings a distinctive systems-level lens to questions of social innovation finance, arguing that social and environmental sustainability are fundamentally inseparable, and that meaningful change requires paradigm-level shifts in how we understand the purpose of money and capital.
Luisa Bernardes – Portugal Social Innovation
Luísa Bernardes is the Centro Region Representative and International Projects Manager at Portugal Social Innovation, with five years in the technical financing team and a background in the Simplification and Interconnection Unit of the Portuguese Agency for Cohesion and Development, where she served as Portugal’s EaSI National Contact Point and contributed to establishing National Competence Centres for Social Innovation. She draws on nearly two decades of experience in European and international partnerships – 13 years leading the Cooperation and International Relations Department at the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Portugal’s Centro Region – and has been a longstanding member of the Enterprise Europe Network. She is also the founder of Mulheres Incomuns, a community dedicated to celebrating women’s success.
Pieter-Jan Van de Velde – Trividend
Pieter-Jan Van de Velde is a key figure in Belgium’s impact investing ecosystem, specializing in early-stage financing for social economy enterprises. As Investment and Fund Manager at Trividend, he transformed it into the leading early-stage investor in impact ventures in Flanders, managing over 50 direct investments, including subordinated and convertible loans as well as equity participations. He is also founding partner of the European Catalytic Impact Investing Fund ECIIF II. Pieter-Jan is committed to building impact financing ecosystems that offer an adequate financing mix to each impact venture to achieve its full potential. His expertise spans investment strategy, financial structuring, governance models and scaling mission-driven enterprises.
Event details
Date: 11 May, 2026 Time: 17.30 – 20.30 Location: Brussels near Central Station (Exact location available once registered)
Arrival from 17.30 Talk/discussion begins at 18.00
Register Your Interest
Whether you are a philanthropist, impact investor, or public funder, this is an opportunity to connect, collaborate, and help shape the next chapter of social innovation in Europe.
Places are limited and will be confirmed directly. We encourage early registration, here: https://luma.com/hudbvsbh
The EU Missions are tackling urgent challenges like climate change, biodiversity loss, and ocean pollution, driving systemic change toward sustainability. But achieving their goals requires more than technology—it demands social innovation to address societal needs in new ways. 𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐬𝐨𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐢𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐛𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐞𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐲 𝐦𝐨𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐚𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐌𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬?
Based on an analysis of 280 Mission-funded projects, we’ll share key insights on how social innovation is currently addressed across the five Missions. The session includes an expert panel and group discussions to 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐥𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐝 𝐬𝐨𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐢𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐧 𝐌𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐟𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐨𝐬. Together, we’ll co-develop actionable starting points to strengthen its integration.
🗓️ Tuesday, 12 May 2026 12:30 – 16:00 CEST
📍 Brussels
For:
▪️ Policy actors shaping and implementing the EU Missions;
▪️ Researchers and practitioners advising on or contributing to Mission implementation.
This is an invitation-based workshop, with a number of places available for eligible participants. To participate, please register via this link: https://forms.gle/5vkVnk4q89sFjQ7F6
https://staging.simissionfacility.eu/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/WS_12052026_website.png500616Leonie Dworskyhttps://staging.simissionfacility.eu/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/SIMF-BASICS-LOGO-V1-RGB_SIMF-BASICS-LOGO-V1-POS-RGB.svgLeonie Dworsky2026-03-12 15:53:422026-04-24 10:39:55Upcoming Workshop: “Embedding Social Innovation in EU Missions”
To provide the best experiences, we use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. Consenting to these technologies will allow us to process data such as browsing behavior or unique IDs on this site. Not consenting or withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions.
Functional
Always active
The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
Preferences
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
Statistics
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes.The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
Marketing
The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
