From 2018 to 2022, the Social Innovation Action Plan 1.0 fostered a friendly social innovation ecosystem, aligning with U.N. Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and elevating many unique features and models of social innovation in Taiwan. The plan registered over 841 social innovation organizations and 184 social innovation-supporting industry partners.
Now, the government is continuing this initiative with the Social Innovation Action Plan 2.0, updated to strengthen public-private-people partnerships and respond to the challenges of global climate change and a post-pandemic world. The upgraded plan will allocate an estimated budget of over NT$11.1 billion (US$357.7 million) from 2023 to 2026. The plan will build more public-private-people partnerships, bolster the autonomous operation and development of social innovation organizations, seek suitable solutions to social and environmental problems, and boost Taiwan's global influence on sustainability issues.
Four main strategies
■ Realize social values: Strengthen awareness campaigns and promote civic participation. Facilitate exchanges between diverse social networks as bases for collaboration across different fields. Promote social innovation courses and training for all ages and sectors of society.
■ Accelerate the pace of innovation: Encourage every social innovation organization to register with an official database to facilitate appropriate government guidance. Combine the forces of the public and private sectors through the "Buying Power" program that rewards groups for purchasing from social innovation organizations, thus helping the organizations acquire resources and new market opportunities. Promote the "Buying Power" label on products made by companies committed to responsible sustainable development, so as to establish a brand reputation and broaden market recognition and support.
■ Link different resources: Apply social design to improve the general public's quality of life. Facilitate collaborations between businesses and social innovation organizations to stimulate dynamic growth. Adjust existing legislation to remove restrictions and obstacles to social innovation, creating a better environment for entrepreneurial experimentation.
■ Expand global influence: Seek participation in social innovation activities worldwide to increase Taiwan's international visibility and collaboration opportunities. Organize events such as the Presidential Hackathon to inspire international cooperation, and the Asia Pacific Social Innovation Summit to share Taiwanese experiences.