The European Social Services Awards brings people from across Europe together to celebrate achievements in social services and the passion and dedication of those who work in the delivery of social services to make a difference for the most vulnerable in our societies. Join us in November 2026 in the city of Rome for the next edition of the European Social Services Awards (ESSA).
WE WOULD LIKE TO THANK THE FOLLOWING ORGANISATIONS FOR THEIR SUPPORT WITH ESSA 2026
Institutional Partners
The Lazio Region is the governing body of the Lazio territory, the administrative and cultural heart of Italy, with over 5.7 million inhabitants. As a strategic partner and Board Council member of the European Social Network (ESN), the Region promotes a welfare model based on social inclusion, innovation in public services, and the integration of social and health care.
With its prestigious capital, Rome, and an invaluable historical heritage, Lazio combines a solid tradition of hospitality—recently renewed by the celebration of the Jubilee year just concluded—with cutting-edge policies to support families and vulnerable groups. By hosting the prestigious European Social Services Awards 2026, the Lazio Region reaffirms its role as a European leader in designing sustainable, high-quality social solutions capable of generating a lasting impact on both local and international communities
The Lazio Region is the governing body of the Lazio territory, the administrative and cultural heart of Italy, with over 5.7 million inhabitants. As a strategic partner and Board Council member of the European Social Network (ESN), the Region promotes a welfare model based on social inclusion, innovation in public services, and the integration of social and health care.
The National Council of Social Workers is a national public administration based in Rome, Italy. It's main goal is to monitor and enhance the quality of social workers' professional practice to ensure high quality social services for the citizens.
Private Partners
Gold Partners
EY helps to create long-term value for clients, people and society and build trust in the capital markets. Enabled by data and technology, diverse EY teams in over 150 countries provide trust through assurance and help clients grow, transform and operate. Working across assurance, consulting, law, strategy, tax and transactions, EY teams ask better questions to find new answers for the complex issues facing our world today.
Edenred designs and delivers innovative solutions to assist public authorities in the implementation of their social policies. Edenred provides public entities with efficient means of distributing social benefits, respecting policy’s objectives and beneficiaries’ needs. These solutions are based on a wide range of technological options, from chip cards to biometrics tools and fully digital programmes.
Magic Notes, developed by Beam, is transforming the way social care organisations capture and report information. Used by over 100 organisations, it enables frontline teams to create accurate case notes and reports in seconds ,reducing administrative burden and freeing more time for person-centred care.
Accessible through any web browser on mobile or desktop, Magic Notes records audio from in-person, online, or hybrid meetings. Users can review, edit, and finalise outputs directly within the tool before populating case management systems.
Proven in demanding frontline environments, the tool delivers exceptional accuracy, even in noisy settings or with strong regional accents. Each deployment is customised to the partner’s workflow, ensuring outputs meet their unique reporting and compliance needs.
Teams can also upload documents for AI-driven summarisation and report drafting, with outputs matching the tone, structure, and fields required by the organisation. The Magic Notes team works closely with every partner to tailor templates, optimise workflows, and ensure seamless integration. By combining cutting-edge AI with deep sector expertise, Magic Notes enables partners to enhance efficiency, improve quality, and empower frontline staff to focus on delivering effective, person-centred support.
Intellera Consulting is an Italian strategic consulting firm that provides professional services to organizations and businesses in both the public and private sectors. Founded in 2021, since May 2024, it has been part of the Accenture Group. It has over 1,300 professionals distributed across various locations throughout Italy, with major offices in Milan, Rome, Salerno, and Palermo.
Intellera's consulting services are aimed at Central and Local Public Administration, Healthcare, Water, Energy, Waste Management, and Industry. The company positions itself as a strategic partner for organizations looking to optimize their operations, adopt new technologies, and tackle market challenges with a strong focus on innovation, digital transformation, and environmental and social sustainability.
Clariane is the leading European community in social, health and hospital assistance and care for people in vulnerable situations, thanks to the work of its 67,000 professionals, present in more than 700 locations in 6 European countries. Clariane's objective in Spain is to develop quality services focused on vulnerable people and their families, to integrate a corporate culture under the umbrella of a company with purpose, to consolidate our team of professionals and to contribute to the environment through sustainable projects in order to leave a positive footprint for future generations.
Silver Partners
Cooperativa Sociale "Saturno" ONLUS S.C.A.R.L., established in 2003 in Benevento (Italy), is a second-level social enterprise operating in accordance with the core values of social cooperation, inclusion, and community solidarity. Registered in the Italian National Single Register of the Third Sector (RUNTS) and ISO 9001:2015 certified, the organization focuses on enhancing the well-being of the local community by partnering with public and private stakeholders to design sustainable territorial welfare models.
As a second-level entity, Saturno Onlus strengthens and supports a network of social cooperatives and associations by providing the necessary tools and frameworks to deliver high-quality, impactful services. Furthermore, functioning as a Type-B social cooperative, it carries out economic activities specifically designed to foster the social and labor integration of disadvantaged individuals, including people with physical or mental disabilities, youth at risk, and vulnerable families. The primary operational areas and services include:
- Children and Early Childhood: management of nurseries, play centers, home-based educational support, and specialized school integration for students with disabilities.
- Disability and Elderly Care: home care services (including integrated social-sanitary assistance and National Home Care Premium programs), management of day-care centers, mobility support, and telecare/teleassistance.
- Family Support and Social Inclusion: Family Center initiatives, parenting support, Anti-Violence Centers, Social Secretariat guidance, and tailored socio-occupational reintegration programs for individuals under judicial measures.
- Labor Integration & Facility Management (Type B): public green area maintenance, cleaning services for municipal buildings, cemetery management, and maintenance of cultural facilities.
Guided by the fundamental principles of equality, impartiality, continuity, confidentiality, and operational efficiency, Saturno Onlus possesses extensive experience in implementing complex social innovation projects supported by National Ministries, Regional Authorities, Local Health Units, and EU/NRRP funds (such as Home Care Premium, PIPPI, G.I.P.S., and STEM for Inclusion). The organization's ultimate mission is to remove social and economic barriers, ensuring equal dignity, independence, and improved quality of life for all citizens.
La Meridiana Onlus Social Cooperative, founded in 1996 with registered headquarters in Naples and administrative offices in Benevento, is a leading organization specializing in the design and delivery of social, health, and educational services. Certified under ISO 9001 standards, the cooperative operates extensively across the Campania Region (serving more than 250 municipalities) and adjacent territories, partnering with Public Authorities, Local Health Agencies, and European funds to meet local social needs.
La Meridiana’s operational framework covers four key areas:
- Children and Youth: management of nurseries, early childhood centers, playrooms, home educational assistance (SADE), and specialized school integration support for students with disabilities.
- Elderly and Dependent Care: home care services (SAD, ADI) and implementation of major national programs such as INPS's Home Care Premium, aimed at preventing institutionalization, promoting independent living, and supporting family caregivers.
- Disability Services: home care, day-care socio-educational centers, specialized transportation, and tailored programs for social and workplace inclusion.
- Families and Social Inclusion: Family Support Centers, parenting guidance, and socio-occupational reintegration pathways for former inmates or individuals under alternative judicial measures.
A hallmark of the organization is its expertise in Telecare and Telecare-Emergency services. A pioneer in Italy since 1996, La Meridiana runs 24/7 operational centers serving thousands of users, incorporating advanced home-automation sensors, GSM devices, and remote physiological monitoring. Furthermore, it manages mobile medical units equipped with telemedicine technology to provide diagnostic and specialist health care directly to rural or underserved communities.
Backed by a multidisciplinary team (social workers, educators, psychologists, healthcare operators, and sociologists) and vast experience in managing complex projects funded by Ministries, Regional Authorities, and the EU (PNRR), La Meridiana is dedicated to protecting human dignity, fostering inclusion, and improving the quality of life for vulnerable populations.
Accessible through any web browser on mobile or desktop, Magic Notes records audio from in-person, online, or hybrid meetings. Users can review, edit, and finalise outputs directly within the tool before populating case management systems.
Proven in demanding frontline environments, the tool delivers exceptional accuracy, even in noisy settings or with strong regional accents. Each deployment is customised to the partner’s workflow, ensuring outputs meet their unique reporting and compliance needs.
Teams can also upload documents for AI-driven summarisation and report drafting, with outputs matching the tone, structure, and fields required by the organisation. The Magic Notes team works closely with every partner to tailor templates, optimise workflows, and ensure seamless integration. By combining cutting-edge AI with deep sector expertise, Magic Notes enables partners to enhance efficiency, improve quality, and empower frontline staff to focus on delivering effective, person-centred support.
Founded on 28 July 1972, ANCI Lazio today represents almost all of the 378 municipalities in the Lazio Region. The Association works to protect and promote the constitutionally recognised autonomy of local authorities, advocating for the interests of its member organisations and supporting municipalities in processes of administrative modernisation, digital transition and public service innovation.
Over the years, ANCI Lazio has strengthened its role as the Lazio Region’s key institutional interlocutor for the municipal system, participating in the main policy planning forums on social policies, employment, training and innovation. The Association is also involved in consultation and coordination bodies dedicated to the programming of European funds (ESF+, ERDF and EAFRD) and the implementation of the National Strategy for Inner Areas (SNAI), working with the relevant regional departments to promote effective and coordinated territorial development.
To support local authorities, ANCI Lazio provides a comprehensive range of technical and administrative services, assistance with European and national project development, support with reporting and financial management activities, and training programmes for elected representatives, managers and municipal staff.
Among its most significant initiatives is the Regional Plan for Civic and Linguistic Training (PRILS Lazio), now in its sixth edition, as well as its ongoing support to municipalities in managing the Universal Civil Service. The Association has also gained significant experience in participating in European programmes, developing transnational partnerships in the fields of local governance, social inclusion, citizen-centred service innovation and international cooperation.
In this context, ANCI Lazio also manages the Lazio Development Observatory, a civic monitoring and support tool for the Region in implementing territorial strategies.
Particular attention is devoted to reception and integration policies, through the coordination of Lazio municipalities involved in the Reception and Integration System (SAI) and the strengthening of local networks of social services.
Thanks to its well-established expertise, institutional relationships and project development capacity, ANCI Lazio serves as a key point of reference for municipalities across the region, promoting a public administration that is increasingly innovative, inclusive and efficient, and capable of responding to the challenges of local development and the needs of communities.
Bronze Partners
The National Institute for the Analysis of Public Policies (INAPP) is a public research body of national importance, under the authority of the Ministry of Labour and Social Policies, which is responsible for the study, research, monitoring and evaluation of public policies in the fields of labour, education and training, social protection, active and passive labour market policies, the third sector, social inclusion, and policies that have an impact on the labour market. Translated with DeepL.com (free version)
Media Partners
“The European Correspondent” is an English-speaking, community-funded online medium that tells the stories of Europe. Every day, our readers receive a newsletter about all stories of the continent that matter to citizens. The European Correspondent covers the whole of Europe and produces for a community of citizens who want to look beyond their own national borders. The European Correspondent authentically tells the stories that make up this continent and influence the lives of hundreds of millions of people. Our journalists, deliver unique perspectives - directly to our readers’ email inboxes.
