As the European Social Network (ESN) celebrates its 25th anniversary, this year’s European Social Services Awards (ESSA) hold particular significance. Under the theme 'Social Services: Creating Lasting Change', ESSA 2025 will put the spotlight on initiatives that offer lasting solutions to complex social challenges, from digital transformation to integrated support systems that make services more inclusive and person-centred.
ESSA 2025 expands its award categories to a total of 10 this year, ensuring greater representation of the sector’s diversity and complexity. This year, the awards provide a platform to highlight transformative initiatives in the following categories:
- Social Services Delivery Innovation
- Digital Transformation and Technology in Social Services
- Strengthening Communities and Social Inclusion
- Public Sector Collaboration in Social Services
- Research for Social Services
- Public-Private Partnership in Social Services
- Children, Families, and Youth Support
- Disability and Accessibility in Social Services Award
- Ageing and Long-Term Care Excellence
- Leadership in Social Services
The awards serve as a catalyst for long-term transformation. The experiences of previous winners highlight the enduring benefits of receiving an ESSA accolade, illustrating how the event inspires continued progress and innovation in social services.
ESSA: a catalyst for long-term change
The 2024 awardees exemplify the power of ESSA in driving long-term improvements in social services. The Agency for Sustainable and Operative Social Provision (DOST Agency) in Azerbaijan, winner of the Digital Transformation category for its initiative ensuring web accessibility for persons with disabilities, for example, viewed the award as validation of their efforts. The recognition has motivated them to intensify their work toward inclusive digital access.
Similarly, Bulgaria's Hope and Homes for Children, who won the Collaborative Practice category for its initiative on deinstitutionalisation and reform of the care system for young children, found that the recognition underscored the impact of their innovative approach to family support and institutional cooperation.
"Every good practice, model, or project should be shared. This way, experience is gained, and the development of these initiatives improves across a broad community of organisations and professionals. Awards help make this possible, allowing more people to see and learn from impactful work.” Hope and Homes for Children (Bulgaria)
In 2023, the Public Centre for Social Welfare of Kortrijk, Belgium, was recognised with an ESSA award for its initiative known as ‘The Sharing Factory’, a social and ecological shopping mall providing inclusive job opportunities for vulnerable individuals. The project seamlessly integrates support services, offering tailored guidance and person-centred care while functioning as a social workplace for work experience programs. Additionally, ‘The Sharing Factory’ houses a social restaurant and a social grocer. Developed through years of collaborative effort across teams, this initiative demonstrates how thoughtfully designed social projects can drive long-lasting, transformative change in the lives of people and communities.
Looking back even further to 2022, the influence of the awards was just as profound. For example, the Hungarian Charity Service of the Order of Malta, winner of the Research Project award for its ‘DocRoom’ initiative, was recognised for bringing health services closer to homeless individuals. The programme was found to have significantly improved care continuity, and the recognition of its evidence-based approach stimulated valuable discussions on medical innovation within the social sector in Hungary. The resulting visibility encouraged further efforts to develop long-term, impactful solutions.
Apply now for the 2025 European Social Services Awards
With the introduction of several new categories in this year’s edition, ESSA 2025 provides an even larger platform to recognise the impact of initiatives taking place across Europe. But the awards offer more than recognition — they are a platform for learning, exchange, and connection.
The call for applications is now open and it will close on 30 June 2025. Eligible organisations include public authorities, third-sector organisations, research institutions, and private-sector actors involved in the planning, design, and delivery of social services.
Expert judges will evaluate the projects, and the shortlisted entries will advance to a public vote. Hosted by Madrid City Council from 13–14 November 2025, the awards ceremony will reveal the winners and celebrate their achievements.
For more information on how to apply, please visit the official ESSA 2025 webpage. You can also look back on our 2024 ESSA edition by reading the 2024 Publication or watching the 2024 Event Highlights video.
If your work is creating lasting change and having positive impacts on the lives of people and communities, we want to hear from you!
Click here to apply for the European Social Services Awards.
