• The Finnova Foundation successfully concludes the “Sembrando Iniciativa” workshop, promoting social entrepreneurship and equality from Valencia.
• The event provided tools and resources to launch socially impactful ventures and strengthen public-private cooperation within the framework of the NextGenerationEU funds.
Valencia, 16 July 2025. The Finnova Foundation held yesterday, Tuesday 15 July, in Valencia the workshop “Sembrando Iniciativa: Workshop on Entrepreneurship and Social Economy”, a hybrid event that brought together women entrepreneurs, institutional representatives, and experts in social and sustainable entrepreneurship. The meeting took place at the Banco Sabadell Business Hub as part of the Sembrando Iniciativa project, funded by the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan through the European NextGenerationEU funds, within the framework of the Strategic Project for Economic Recovery and Transformation (PERTE) for the Social Economy and Care, and promoted by the Spanish Ministry of Labour and Social Economy.
If you would like to participate in the project, you can register using the following form.
Sembrando Iniciativa Workshop: Innovation and Social Entrepreneurship
The day began with an institutional address by Asunción Quinzá Alegre, Regional Secretary for Equality and Diversity of the Generalitat Valenciana, who emphasized the key role of inclusive and sustainable policies in building a more equitable society. Attending alongside Davinia Bono, General Director for Equality and of the Institute for Women, Quinzá expressed her gratitude to the organizers, Finnova Foundation and Banco Sabadell for “creating a space for reflection, training and connection that allows second chances to grow.”
She reaffirmed the Generalitat Valenciana’s commitment to an economy of the common good that puts people, especially those historically excluded, such as women, migrants, youth, the unemployed and vulnerable groups at the center of public policy.
Quinzá supported her remarks with striking data: “Social economy currently employs over two million people in Spain. Women hold 48% of contracts and 58.1% of leadership roles in the sector. This is no coincidence, it reflects a different approach to economic development, grounded in social justice and shared responsibility.”
In the Valencian Community, women’s entrepreneurship is gaining strength: 84.3% of women in leadership roles had to start their own ventures to reach those positions, compared to only 15.7% who did so through employment. Women now hold 36.3% of executive positions in the region. In 2024, the Chamber of Commerce of Castellón launched the “Emprendedoras” programme, supporting 302 women and helping to create 59 new women-led businesses. According to the Startups Observatory, the Valencian Community ranks as the third-largest startup ecosystem in Spain, with 127 startups led by women, just behind Catalonia and Madrid.
From the Regional Secretariat, public policies have been implemented to promote both women’s employment and STEAM careers, through open calls to social and private entities. The Directorate General for Equality, led by Davinia Bono, is spearheading specific initiatives to close the gender pay gap, including the creation of a research group to identify root causes and propose structural solutions. The project Forma’t en Igualtat has also been launched to train not only teachers and students, but society at large in gender equality. Additionally, support for local authorities and third-sector entities has been strengthened to promote work-life balance, shared responsibility, and women’s associations. One key measure this term has been the introduction of free education for children aged 0 to 3, a concrete step to ease the burden of care responsibilities.
One of the most significant milestones is the establishment of a dedicated Commissioner with the rank of General Director to combat violence against women. This new structure, driven by the government of President Carlos Mazón, has led to a substantial increase in the budget allocated to fighting all forms of violence. The Generalitat has developed a network of 24-hour support centres, a permanent helpline, and comprehensive resources for victims, including psychological support, legal advice, and safe housing. Collaboration has also been activated with entities such as Fundación Integra, Adecco, Cáritas and ECCA Social, to support the training and labour reintegration of survivors. Meanwhile, the Directorate General for Diversity continues to strengthen support for LGTBI groups, migrants, the Roma community, and ethnic and cultural minorities, highlighting the added value that diversity brings to Valencian society.
Block I continued with the intervention of Juanma Revuelta, CEO of Finnova Foundation, who presented the objectives of the Sembrando Iniciativa project, focused on social innovation, youth entrepreneurship, and sustainable development at local and European levels. He highlighted how NextGenerationEU funds, within the framework of the PERTE for Social Economy and Care promoted by the Ministry of Labour and Social Economy, enable the design of innovative solutions for challenges such as labor insertion, social housing, and equal opportunities. Building on this, Juanma emphasized the importance of establishing partnerships and synergies and encouraged any entity to collaborate in future actions both within Sembrando Iniciativa and in cooperation programs such as Interreg Spain–Portugal (POCTEP), the EU’s largest cross-border cooperation program with a total budget of €475 million (of which €356 million comes from the European Regional Development Fund, ERDF), and ERASMUS+, funded by the 2021–2027 Multiannual Financial Framework and NextGenerationEU. With a budget of €26.2 billion, ERASMUS+ promotes mobility, cooperation, and innovation in education, training, youth, and sport across Europe. He also highlighted the key role of public-private collaboration and strategic training as drivers of change, especially for vulnerable groups.
During his speech, Dr. Zahoor Ahmed, Ambassador of Pakistan to Spain and Andorra, highlighted international cooperation as a bridge between cultures and the importance of fostering mutual understanding in an interconnected world. He emphasized that cultural diversity enriches society and represents a strategic opportunity for economic development and innovation. He stressed entrepreneurship as a key tool to integrate migrant communities, promote intercultural dialogue, and create sustainable synergies between locals and new residents. Additionally, he shared examples of successful collaboration between Spanish and Pakistani institutions, reaffirming his embassy’s commitment to inclusion, mutual development, and citizen diplomacy.
Block II of the event, focused on Current Challenges, Women in Vulnerable Situations, and Cultural Diversity, centered on analyzing the difficulties faced by migrant women today and highlighting the value of cultural diversity within social entrepreneurship. Dr. Malik Hammad Ahmad delivered a speech emphasizing human rights protection and education for peace, stressing the need to create safe and empowering environments for migrant women. He highlighted the importance of guaranteeing equitable access to education, training, and employment, presenting entrepreneurship as an effective path for their active inclusion and participation in the economic and social life of host communities.
Additionally, Juanma Revuelta, CEO of Finnova Foundation, shared his insights on ‘Vulnerable Groups and the Challenge of the Housing Crisis’ within the framework of the PERTE for social housing industrialization. He emphasized how construction industrialization, combined with social innovation strategies, can accelerate affordable housing creation while generating quality employment for women, especially those in vulnerable or migrant situations. Revuelta also referenced his prior experience supporting female entrepreneurship and the social economy through projects like “Sembrando Iniciativa,” funded by Next Generation EU, highlighting the need for strategic training, promotion of female leadership, and public-private collaboration to build more inclusive and sustainable communities.
During the coffee break, networking spaces were set up to foster synergy among participants, encouraging collaboration between public entities, private companies, and the third sector. The second part of the day focused on practical tools for entrepreneurship with a social and gender perspective. In Block III, Lola Bordás, Marketing Director of Fundación Finnova, gave a presentation on digital marketing strategies applied to women’s entrepreneurship, highlighting their importance in driving projects within the social economy and offering practical tools and resources. Next, Salvador Ibáñez, a lawyer specializing in second chance, emphasized the legal options available to women entrepreneurs facing over-indebtedness, underlining the usefulness of this mechanism as a path to economic recovery. Following him, Pilar de Llamas, an expert in circular economy, highlighted the importance of sustainable entrepreneurship in the textile sector, presenting Fundación Finnova’s “Next Textile” initiative aimed at promoting sustainable and inclusive production models in the textile industry. Finally, Juan Carlos Sanchis, president of Keiretsu Forum in the Valencian Community and Murcia, led a financial mentoring workshop for social economy entrepreneurship, providing key tools on investments and strategies for effective networking to help women entrepreneurs achieve their self-employment and business goals.
In Block IV, focused on social solutions and closing remarks, between 1:30 PM and 1:40 PM, participants from the team The Leaders of Tomorrow presented “Klowly”, an innovative app designed to improve the emotional health of children with chronic illnesses. These two students, winners of the Finnova Challenges in the natural disasters category within Technovation Girls CV 2025, explained how their project addresses social challenges through technology and innovation.
Angélica Gomez presented Womanation, a movement committed to the visibility, empowerment, and connection of women leaders across various sectors of society. She was followed by Pablo de la Cuadra, who introduced the Generación Digital Directivos Programme, an executive training initiative aimed at SME leaders seeking to transform their businesses through AI tools, automation, and tailored digital strategies.
The session also featured a connection between Valencia European Green Capital and Colombia to present the challenges of the Ibagué Startup Europe Awards, with an intervention by Milton Restrepo, CEO of Ibagué Limpia.
Later, Paula Llobet, Councillor for Tourism, Innovation and Investment Attraction at the Valencia City Council, launched the “Valencia Tourism Accelerathon”, a challenge-based innovation initiative that fosters technology transfer and public innovation to promote sustainable and decentralized tourism, with a special focus on underrepresented neighborhoods of Valencia.
The event concluded with a closing session led by Paula Llobet and Juanma Revuelta, who emphasized the importance of collaboration and social innovation in addressing today’s challenges.
Sowing Initiative: Innovation, Equality and Women’s Entrepreneurship to Transform the Economy
Sembrando Iniciativa is an initiative by the Finnova Foundation, running from October 2023 to December 2025, with a budget of €65,400. Its main goal is to promote female entrepreneurship within the framework of the social economy, with special focus on young women and those in socially, economically or geographically vulnerable situations. Through training activities, mentoring spaces, and the promotion of best practices, the project aims to strengthen the role of women as agents of change in the transition towards a fairer, more inclusive and sustainable economy.
If you wish to be part of Sembrando Iniciativa, you can register using the following form.
About the Finnova Foundation
The Finnova Foundation is a Brussels-based European foundation dedicated to promoting innovation, entrepreneurship, and EU funding as key tools to address major social, environmental, and economic challenges. Through its work, Finnova supports public and private entities in accessing European programmes such asHorizon Europe, LIFE, Interreg and Erasmus+, helping to build consortia, develop projects, and transfer best practices.
With broad experience in EU project communication, startup acceleration, and training on EU funds, Finnova acts as a bridge between innovative ideas and EU funding opportunities. For more information, visit www.finnova.eu.