Portfolio of Solutions shaping migration across Europe

In 2015, Austria became a key transit country for hundreds of thousands of refugees, with over 90,000 asylum applications. In response, thousands of changemakers mobilized to provide immediate support and have since focused on building long-term integration solutions. 

In 2016, Ashoka Austria launched IDEEGRATION, a national acceleration platform to identify and scale impactful initiatives. Built through partnerships between Ashoka, Accenture, the Red Cross, UNHCR, corporate foundations, and 30+ organizations, the platform fosters co-creation across sectors. It brings together a strong network of actors from civil society and business to public institutions, engages social intrapreneurs to scale solutions and inform policy, facilitates matchmaking between initiatives and supporters, and amplifies civil society through a strong focus on visibility, collaboration, and solutions-driven narratives.

In 2018, we partnered with Accenture and the American Embassy of Belgium to launch the Hello Europe edition of the Impact Programme, supporting 10 social entrepreneurial organizations working on integration and employment. 

Beyond individual support, we foster a strong network of purpose-driven actors, enabling peer learning, cross-sector collaboration, and a broader international perspective. This approach continues to drive the growth of participating initiatives, including The Good Lobby, which became an Ashoka Fellow in 2019.

We co-created HEY! EUROPE together with the Ashoka Germany teams to support young migrants contributing to their communities by addressing social challenges. The accelerator connects young changemakers to a strong network of peers and experts, while amplifying their stories to a broader audience.

By identifying and supporting young migrant changemakers, we enable them to take on active roles within their communities, showcase their capabilities, and contribute to reshaping narratives, positioning people on the move as drivers of change in more inclusive societies.

In 2018, we engaged with civil society actors and local authorities across Greece to better understand the evolving context. These exchanges revealed a shift from transit to long-term destination, alongside a growing need for stronger collaboration, knowledge exchange, and connections to international initiatives.

Building on these insights, we launched the Hello Europe programme in Greece in 2019 to support initiatives that empower newcomers and host communities to co-create solutions. Through an Impact Scaling Accelerator, international collaborations, and a series of events, we bring together organisations, funders, policymakers, and communities to strengthen co-creation and drive systemic change.

In 2019, we launched Hello Europe in Italy with a national event in Turin, bringing together 250 participants from across sectors. Following a national mapping of over 100 organisations, we identified 15 of the most innovative social entrepreneurs working in migration, spanning employment, entrepreneurship, inclusion, skills recognition, and community building.

Building on this, we supported eight initiatives through an acceleration journey, providing mentorship and strategic support to scale their impact. These solutions demonstrate that effective responses to migration build on the agency, skills, and leadership of people on the move, driving more inclusive and innovative societies.

We launched the Hello Nordics Accelerator in 2018 together with the Ashoka Nordics team, the Hello Europe network, and private sector partners, bringing together nearly 200 participants from across sectors to address key regional challenges.

We designed the programme to support the scaling of solutions tackling migrant unemployment, income inequality, and gaps in education. Through trainings, mentoring, and workshops in Stockholm and Oslo, we connected social entrepreneurs with experts and stakeholders to strengthen their strategies and enable cross-country collaboration.

We lead the Hello Europe Accelerator Program in Poland in partnership with Citi Foundation and the Leopold Kronenberg Foundation, strengthening migrant-led social entrepreneurship. The programme supports individuals in transforming their ideas into impactful and sustainable initiatives that contribute to social inclusion and economic prosperity. Through a three-month acceleration journey, we provide tailored support including business model development, communication strategies, and connections to partners and investors.

We launched Hello Portugal as part of the broader Hello Europe platform through a multi-stakeholder collaboration, bringing together partners across the public, private, and social sectors. The initiative came to life through the Hello Portugal Festival in Lisbon, convening over 150 participants to explore solutions in migration and integration.

We created a space for collaboration and exchange, connecting some of the most effective and scalable initiatives from Portugal and beyond. Through storytelling, solution showcases, and working sessions, we explored how proven innovations can be adapted and replicated within the local context.

Through Hello Spain, we bring together social entrepreneurs, policymakers, journalists, and communities to co-create strategies for scaling impactful solutions. In 2019, we convened over 120 participants at the Hello Spain Festival in Madrid, showcasing leading initiatives and creating space for collaboration across sectors.

By connecting local and global solutions and fostering dialogue, we strengthen the conditions for replication and scaling while promoting more inclusive, evidence-based narratives that recognize people on the move as contributors and changemakers.

We launched engagement in Turkey through the Innovative Solutions for Refugees Conference, the first gathering of its kind in the country bringing together international social entrepreneurs and local stakeholders.

We created a space to highlight the role of social entrepreneurship in addressing migration challenges, while equipping local actors with new tools, approaches, and perspectives. The conference aimed to inspire action, strengthen local capacity, and shift the narrative toward solutions and collaboration.at recognize people on the move as contributors and changemakers.