Pexels Karola G

SOSPHERE

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.

0,69m €

Project Budget

80%

of the Budget is funded by ERDF

Layer 1

3

Countries

4

Regions

4

Partners

1

Pilots

Duration

Start date

End date

Project progress

15%

Project partnership

Project partners

Italia (IT)

Lead partner

CENTRAL EUROPEAN INITIATIVE - EXECUTIVE SECRETARIAT

Project Management Office
Address
Via Genova 9
34121 Trieste
Country
Italy (IT)
Web
https://www.cei.int/

Project partner

Innovation and Development Department
Address
Via Borgo Mazzini 48
33100 Treviso
Country
Italy (IT)
Web
www.israa.it
Total partner budget
194,900 €
Address
Mladinska ulica 2
9231 Beltinci
Country
Slovenia (SI)
Web
https://beltinci.si/
Total partner budget
154,560 €
Administrative department for the economy and EU projects
Address
Titov trg 11
52220 Labin
Country
Croatia (HR)
Web
www.labin.hr
Total partner budget
165,200 €

Roadmap

1

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.

2

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.

3

Our Approach

Rather than building new services from scratch, SOSPHERE asks: what's already there, and how do we make it work better? We start by listening to citizens, service providers, and local authorities, and mapping needs and gaps together. By doing so, we co-design "one-stop-shops": simple, welcoming spaces where anyone can get clear guidance on local health and social services.

4

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.

5

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.

6

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.

Events

No events found

Pilot actions

Outputs

Strategy for one-stop-shop development in rural and lagging area

Getting services to the people who need them isn't just an operational challenge - it's a question of design. This strategy brings together local authorities, service providers, and citizens through a co-design process to define what a one-stop-shop should look like in a rural or lagging area. The result is a practical, adaptable framework that policymakers can pick up and use: mapping services, analysing needs, and setting up local stakeholder groups that actually reflect the community they serve.
Type of output: Strategies and action plans

Toolkit for Improved Access to Services in Lagging and Peripheral Areas

What does it really take to make services accessible in a place that's been left behind? This toolkit answers that question: built from the ground up, shaped by the real experiences of the three pilot communities. It lays out a collaborative model where public authorities, service providers, and citizens work together, not in silos. A practical, honest resource for anyone looking to replicate what SOSPHERE has learned.
Type of output: Solutions

SOSPHERE

The project lead partner is responsible for the content of this project website.

Project on social media

Project Contacts

Project Manager

Ana Sinkovic
Phone: +390407786758

Finance Manager

Gabrielle Mingolla
Phone: +390407786763

Communication Manager

Michelle Decock
Phone: +390407786751