In a joint effort to promote social innovation and evidence-based policies, the European Commission, together with the Polish Presidency is bringing together over 160 policy-makers, NGOs and experts to look at how to set up more effective responses to social needs at times of crisis.

The conference 'Innovative responses to the social impact of the crisis' will take place in Wroclaw on 26 September and will showcase

a number of social policy experiments from different Member States. The projects test innovative solutions, assess their impact in a scientific way and in some cases, manage to develop them on a larger scale. They are a powerful way to help countries facilitate change and carry out the best and most cost-effective measures and reforms.

Social experiments will be presented from Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Sweden and the United Kingdom. They cover education, employment, homelessness and minimum income benefits and youth.

The European Platform against poverty and social exclusion – one of the flagship initiatives of the Europe 2020 Strategy – promotes social innovation and social experimentation and increased support for this area is planned for the EU's future budget and financial framework period post-2013.