Project overview
Solutions for Optimal Service Provision and Health Equity in Remote Environments
Residents in peripheral areas often feel isolated and insecure because health and social services are fragmented, hard to access digitally and poorly known. SOSPHERE aims to make support easier to reach and to trust in. Partners co-design one-stop-shops that bring providers together, improve coordination and give citizens a stronger voice, and develop strategies and guidelines to boost digital health literacy. Successful models can then be rolled out in other regions facing similar challenges.
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0,69m €
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Project Budget
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80%
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of the Budget is funded by ERDF
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3
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Countries
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4
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Regions
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4
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Partners
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1
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Pilots
Duration
Start date
End date
Project progress
Project partnership
Project partners
Lead partner
CENTRAL EUROPEAN INITIATIVE - EXECUTIVE SECRETARIAT
Project Management Office
Project partner
Innovation and Development Department
Administrative department for the economy and EU projects
Roadmap
The problem
In rural and peripheral areas across Central Europe, health and social services exist - but people aren't using them. Not because they don't need them, but because they can't find them, don't trust them, or simply don't know where to start.
Who's Affected
Older adults in Labin (Croatia), Beltinci (Slovenia), and Treviso's Santa Bona district (Italy) face depopulation, poor transport links, and a growing gap between the services available and the people who need them most.
What we found
Our partners mapped local services in all three pilot areas. The pattern was the same everywhere, despite the different local set-ups: services exist, but they are hard to find and rarely work together.
- Services are hard to keep going: staff shortages and short-term funding make it difficult for services to plan ahead or adapt to what people need.
- Services are scattered: organisations rarely share information or work closely together, so people feel lost and professionals are left overstretched.
- Needs are changing: people are living longer, families are changing and more people are vulnerable. Services need to become more joined-up, closer to the community and ready to act early.
Read more about our findings here:
Designing it together
In September 2026, local working groups brought together public authorities, care providers, community groups and residents. They agreed on one clear message: don’t duplicate what already exists, make it easier to reach. Together we shaped what each one-stop shop should look like and where it should be. We then wrote shared guidelines, plus a version for each area, so the model is common but fits local life.
Testing it live
Each pilot area brings the one-stop-shop to life in its own way: a digital platform in Labin, a community intergenerational centre in Beltinci, and a neighbourhood support hub in Treviso's Santa Bona district.
Sharing what works
Three pilot communities will test the model, then share a toolkit and strategy that will capture every lesson learned, so other lagging areas across Central Europe can replicate the model without starting from zero.
Lasting impact
Beyond the project, a transnational working group will keep partners connected, sharing updates and innovations. The goal: communities that are more informed, more confident, and better served - long after SOSPHERE ends.
News
Pilot actions
Outputs
Strategy for one-stop-shop development in rural and lagging area
Toolkit for Improved Access to Services in Lagging and Peripheral Areas
Project documents
Newsletters
Deliverables
Brochure
SOSPHERE
Priority 4: Improving governance for cooperation in central Europe
SO 4.1: Strengthening governance for integrated territorial development in central Europe
The project lead partner is solely responsible for all content published on this project website, including, where applicable, content created with the support of AI tools and the appropriate labelling of such content. The views expressed do not necessarily reflect those of the Interreg CENTRAL EUROPE Programme, its programme bodies or the European Union.