Welcome to the Canadian Forum for Social Innovation!

A joint-venture of the Canadian Science Policy Centre and The/La Collaborative, the Canadian Forum for Social Innovation aims to bolster talent and knowledge mobilisation and build capacity for innovation and social systems change. The Forum convenes multi-stakeholders cross-sectoral dialogues that benefit from the input of social sector organisation leaders, social innovation practitioners, decision- and policy-makers, research and higher education policy stakeholders and social and human sciences researchers. Participants engage around deliberative dialogue workshops to create alignment on education, policies and practices and deliver concerted action plans.

The Social Innovation Ideas and Action Lab is the Forum’s “Think Tank“. A partnered initiative led from McMaster University it conducts research on innovation-driving practices and theories to accelerate the integration across the social innovation ecosystem.

The Social Innovation Ideas and Action Lab seeks to:

  • Establish a shared Canadian vision and evidence-based narrative for inclusive social innovation strategy and policy
  • Inform policy and decision-making
  • Empower social innovation actors and enablers through research and talent
  • Build capacity for inclusive social innovation in universities, the social sector, governments and industry through experiential learning

Your voice and vision inform the national dialogue and the concerted roadmap for Canada’s social innovation ecosystem. Workshops are structured to give participants the opportunity to define their own role, and to position their organisation at the heart of the concerted research and action plan for Canada’s social innovation strategy.

Connect with like-minded innovation leaders, decision-makers and enablers from across the innovation ecosystem and increase the connectivity of your organisation. Benefit from both formal and informal opportunities, in a space dedicated to fostering connections, mutual impact and collective action.

Partners are engaged at every step of the process, from setting the agenda to participating in catalyst round-tables before and during the Forum, to providing insight on the concerted research and action plan. Bring your perspectives. Challenge the status quo. Push boundaries and drive meaningful impact.

Roadmap for Canada’s Social Innovation Ecosystem
The Canadian Forum for Social Innovation is leading a national dialogue that will leverage co-design and backcasting methodologies to generate a Roadmap for Canada’s Innovation …
Innovation by Design
The McMaster University Innovation by Design Roundtables are part of 13 consultations hosted at universities across Canada between December 2023 and February 2024. They are …
The/La Collaborative
A multi-institutions network led from McMaster University dedicated to enhancing social sciences, humanities and arts’ contribution to innovation through campus to community partnerships. discover the/la …
Canadian Forum for Social Innovation. Consensus Report.
As we move beyond the linear economic model of economic growth into a circular economy paradigm informed by Sustainable Development Goals and requiring high capacity …
What to Expect at Forum 2024
The second national convening of the Canadian Forum for Social Innovation will be hosted by the Université de Montréal, 11-12 June 2024.
CSPC 14 November 2023. BUILDING A CANADIAN SUPPORT SYSTEM FOR SOCIAL INNOVATION
The panel built on emerging alignment and concertation efforts around the Canadian Forum for Social Innovation to inform discussion on strategy and policy from the …
Discussion Paper. Canada’s Social Innovation Ecosystem
While social innovation is not a new concept, as a field of practice it has matured. Social innovation approaches are designed to address complex challenges, …
Discussion Paper. Skills for Inclusive and Collaborative Innovation
What Skills and Knowledge do scientists require to promote an ideal of scientific integrity that is compatible with increased trust and social acceptance of science? …