Scaling social innovation requires more than a strong idea—it demands sustainable business models, clear value propositions, and solid evidence of impact. In February 2026, the Innovation Hub of Enabel organized the Innovation Hub Days in Dakar, bringing together grantees supported through the Belgian Wehubit 2.0 programme and three European programmes: DGA, DGI, and RTIA. The event created a platform for social innovators to exchange experiences and reflect on how to ensure the long-term sustainability of their initiatives.
Throughout the week, participants focused on three core themes: sustainable business models, policy dialogue, and value propositions. At the center of the discussions was a fundamental question: how can social innovations remain sustainable and continue delivering impact over time?
One key insight highlighted during the discussions was the importance of aligning solutions with the right stakeholders. Social innovations can benefit different actors in various ways, but the motivations of users are often different from those of funders. Therefore, innovators must identify early who will use the solution and who will pay for it. Financial sustainability is not simply the final goal but an ongoing condition for maintaining impact. A model becomes resilient when each stakeholder sees a clear benefit in adopting the innovation. This requires understanding the incentives that encourage actors to support or finance a solution, supported by evidence and targeted communication.
Several projects supported through the programmes demonstrated this approach in practice. The Asmae project under the RTIA programme shifted its strategy toward private school promoters after facing challenges in integrating with public authorities. By focusing on these actors as key payers and involving provincial sponsors, the project strengthened the institutional foundation of its innovation. Similarly, the EEPA project from the DGA programme responded to the limited financial capacity of small local organizations by exploring partnerships with larger humanitarian actors and experimenting with subscription-based models to refine its approach.
Another important lesson was the need to define a value proposition that speaks directly to stakeholders. Innovators must move beyond describing what their solution does and instead explain why it matters to each actor involved. Understanding stakeholders’ goals, constraints, and existing barriers is critical to convincing them to adopt or support a new innovation. If a solution does not align with the activities and priorities of potential funders or partners, adoption becomes unlikely. Value also extends beyond financial benefits—social, organizational, or data-related value can play an equally important role in motivating stakeholders.
Participants also emphasized the growing relevance of hybrid business models in the social innovation landscape. Many successful initiatives combine multiple funding streams, such as commercial revenues, grants, and other financial mechanisms. Hybrid models reduce dependence on a single source of funding, strengthen the protection of the social mission, and expand operational capacity. However, managing such models requires adaptability, stronger governance, and new internal skills to balance social objectives with commercial sustainability.
Evidence of impact emerged as another critical factor for scaling innovations. Governments, donors, and private-sector partners increasingly expect concrete proof that an innovation delivers measurable change. Demonstrating results that address real problems faced by stakeholders is essential for securing long-term support. Evidence of impact can help organizations persuade ministries and funders, negotiate institutional integration, and diversify funding sources. In this context, impact evidence is becoming a key currency for scaling social innovations.
Finally, discussions highlighted that scaling is rarely driven by a single funding opportunity or a perfect business plan. Instead, it depends on integrating innovations into existing systems, whether institutional, economic, or community-based. Adoption by governments or major organizations requires time, trust, and strong partnerships. When end users cannot afford the full cost of a service, organizations must explore alternatives such as cross-subsidies, monetizing expertise, integrating services into public budgets, or collaborating with partners who can provide financial support.
Successful social innovation initiatives tend to share several characteristics. They diversify their revenue streams, strengthen governance and team capacity, collaborate closely with institutions, and use impact evidence to continuously improve and expand their solutions. The Innovation Hub Days in Dakar highlighted that scaling social innovation is a collective effort that requires combining value creation, evidence of impact, flexibility in business models, and strong partnerships across systems.
