In May 2025, the project PROSECO (“Procurement for (a) Social Economy – Implementation of social procurement for a sustainable transition”) was officially launched. Co-financed by the Interreg Europe Programme, the initiative brings together 11 partners from 9 countries, including Torino Social Impact and the City of Turin.

The project aims to strengthen the role of social procurement in public policies and business practices, promoting an innovative approach to public and private purchasing—one that looks not only at costs, but also at the social value generated. Its objective is to create new employment opportunities for those furthest from the labor market and to promote more inclusive and sustainable economic models.

PROSECO is part of Torino Social Impact’s broader commitment to social procurement development.

Activities in the First Semester

The project was inaugurated with a kick-off meeting held on May 21–22, 2025, in Leuven (Belgium) and hosted by the lead partner, the Province of Flemish Brabant.

The meeting was an important opportunity for the European partners to exchange views, align on shared goals, and lay the foundations for developing social procurement practices across the participating regions.

In the following months, Torino Social Impact and the City of Turin jointly implemented the first local actions, including:

• A documentary analysis of the national and local regulatory framework and existing practices, to identify barriers and enabling factors for the development of social procurement;

• A field study, conducted through a survey and a focus group involving key local stakeholders (public institutions, organizations subject to public procurement regulations, and representatives of both social and traditional enterprises).

These activities provided an overview of the current state of social procurement practices at the local level and helped gather insights from diverse stakeholders.

At the same time, all partner regions established a Regional Stakeholder Group (RSG)—a network of local actors who will accompany the entire project process, helping to shape a shared vision and concrete actions.

The local stakeholder group met for the first time in July 2025, during the focus group organized to discuss preliminary findings on the implementation of social procurement in both the public and private sectors in the Piedmont and Turin areas.
The meeting also provided an opportunity to share reflections on challenges and enabling factors and to formulate useful recommendations on the topic.

The event gathered 11 participants, representing: City of Turin, Metropolitan City of Turin, Turin Chamber of Commerce, University of Turin, Polytechnic University of Turin, Turismo Torino e Provincia, Legacoop Piemonte, AGCI Piemonte, and the Turin Industrial Union.

Next Steps

In the coming months, PROSECO will continue with a new phase of activities that will build upon the work carried out so far.

First, a comparative report will be published, summarizing the findings from each region’s analysis of existing social procurement policies and practices.

Next, a thematic seminar in Amsterdam will take place, focusing on purchasing from social enterprises and reserved contracts, with the participation of project partners and their stakeholders.

An analysis of the main challenges hindering the adoption of inclusive procurement practices will also be conducted, while the engagement of local stakeholders will continue to ensure knowledge sharing, strengthen collaboration, and promote more responsible and sustainable procurement systems.

The ultimate goal is to mainstream social procurement at both the public and private levels.

To stay updated and follow the project’s next developments, visit the official website and its LinkedIn, Facebook, and X channels.