Vera Egreja Barracho has an advisory role and is responsible for special projects at Portugal Social Innovation Mission Unit, a government initiative aimed at promoting social innovation and stimulating the social investment market in Portugal that mobilizes around EUR 150 million from the European Social Fund. Vera is an international relations professional with 15 years of work experience in Europe and beyond, including several years in Brussels as EU funds project manager working with business incubation, innovation and entrepreneurship; in Brazil as partnerships broker at the United Nations Global Compact supporting the launch of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the SDGs; and as policy and partnership lead at the Aga Khan Foundation Portugal driving community-led social innovation projects including the set-up of one Social Impact Bond. Founder of the Brussels Innovators Lean In Circle, Mentor at the UN movement HeForShe Lisbon and MP at the Health Parliament Portugal. Vera is a social impact enthusiast, foresight learner and globetrotter by accident.

  • Day 3 – Friday 11 June
  • 10.00 – 10.50

Partnering for better social outcomes – Lessons learnt from EU public-private collaboration

In order to strengthen Europe’s social dimension and the funding of various social initiatives at the national level, the European Commission, national governments and private social stakeholders have partnered-up putting the cornerstone of some unique EU success stories. This session will introduce the audience to the European Commission's endeavours in facilitating access to finance for social enterprises. It will point out the hurdles of social economy at the local level through the recent study of Social Business Initiative. The second part of the session aims to showcase some best practices in setting up impactful public-private financial mechanisms which overcame these legal, administrative or regulatory barriers within the EU member states. Watch the session recording