Codesign Toscana is a cultural association established in 2017 that promotes socio-cultural innovation through the application of design and co-design methods. CdT aims to foster the creation of changing communities around design horizons, i.e. stimulating the individual and collective ability and responsibility to be actively involved in devising creative solutions to complex social challenges. Codesign Toscana’s activities over the last two years in particular have developed around design challenges mainly aimed at imagining resilient and inclusive urban futures. As designers, researchers and citizens, we are united by an awareness of the fluidity and complexity of contemporary society in which designing together ultimately means creating favourable conditions for [the emergence of social forms]’ (Manzini 2018). Designing which, from this point of view, becomes a necessary ‘act of care’ (see Puig de la Bellacasa 2017).

Open Impact is an innovative start-up and accredited spin- off of the University of Milano-Bicocca that provides services and develops digital products for the measurement, enhancement and management of impacts in a perspective of integrated sustainability. Open Impact was founded in 2019 thanks to the meeting of a mix of experiences and skills coming from the world of academic research, social innovation and digital development. By combining social impact and digital skills, Open Impact enables new forms of shared value creation. Open Impact strongly believes in turning research into action with the ultimate goal of using impact information to change what is defined as value – no longer only economic but also social and environmental. By collecting and systematising a huge amount of internationally validated open-source impact assessments, Open Impact has managed to create the first database in Italy for impact benchmarking. The Open Impact Database is designed to support organisations in identifying the impact they generate, linking it to the 17 United Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and other sustainability taxonomies, such as BES and ESG. 

Business and Cultural Development Centre (KEPA) is a non-profit private legal entity, founded in 1991 by the Federation of Industries of Northern Greece (FING) and the Greek International Business Association (SEVE), with the aim of implementing and managing European and national programmes or parts thereof for the benefit of private initiative. Since 1993, KEPA is the oldest Intermediate Managing Authority for National and Regional programmes for the establishment and the modernisation of SMEs. Since its establishment, KEPA has successfully implemented over 100 programmes/actions and managed more than 30.000 projects/business plans, with a total budget of above 3 billion euros. In 2011, KEPA decided to expand its activity by developing an internal European Projects Department, in order to incorporate all the knowledge and expertise raised out of the organisation’s participation in EU funded projects. KEPA’s focus is targeted in 3 main pillars: Design Thinking, Microfinance and Social Economy. Through its participation in several projects so far, KEPA has gained significant experience and know-how in the specific sectors, while it also participates as an active member to several European Networks (EMN, MFC, BEDA). Up-to-date, KEPA has successfully participated in 30 EU funded projects, with a total budget of around 21 million euros. In 2017, KEPA started the initiative of Hellenic Design Centre (HDC), the first and most experienced organisation in Greece that provides integrated Design support services to private and public sector organisations, to assist them in problem solving and in driving innovation into services and processes by putting people in the centre. Since its establishment, HDC has been offering training and support services to a number of SMEs, public authorities and civil society organisations. Moreover, it has been promoting Design as a driver of growth and competitiveness of SMEs and in the economy in general.