In a context where social inequalities are accentuated and vulnerable groups need effective responses, social innovation is presented as a transformative tool. This is precisely what Unada, Aigües de Barcelona's social project accelerator, aims to do, having opened a new path to address the most urgent social challenges in the Barcelona metropolitan area.
Unada —a name that evokes union and wave, from the Catalan onada— is born with a clear vocation: to become a pole of attraction for innovative and high-impact solutions generated by local social entities. These entities become the best ally to address social challenges and improve the quality of life of those who need it most thanks to their proximity to the environment, knowledge of the territory, and the fieldwork they carry out.
Five challenges, one same mission
The first edition of the Unada program has focused onfive key challengesthat respond to real and urgent needs of the territory: thelabor insertion of womenlong-term unemployed with family responsibilities; training ingreen and digital economy for youthwho have suffered early school leaving; theemployability for those over 45years with problems derived from mental health; theaccess to drinking waterfor homeless people in times of drought and heatwaves, and thepromotion of tap water consumptionas a health habit in highly vulnerable environments."For two months we were receiving applications. The process was rigorous: we conducted interviews to understand exactly what the value proposition of each of the programs was," explains Nerea Plaza, Head of Social Action at Aigües de Barcelona. From that initial call in 2025, five projects were selected for the pre-acceleration phase, an expert support process to validate their ideas and design solid projects.
Finally, after an exhaustive selection process by a specialized committee, two projects, ConnectaDona and Itineraris amb Futur, have reached the acceleration stage, receiving financial support of up to 80,000 euros each and 40 hours of specialized mentoring to develop their innovative solutions.
ConnectaDona, or AI aimed at women in vulnerable situations
"Working together with another entity is always enriching. We believe that networking and getting to know other entities is fundamental," assures Laura Baqués from Formació i Treball.New things are always learned: new ways of working and facing the challenges that arise, as well as the possibility of reaching a consensus with the other entity," she adds.This is precisely the case of ConnectaDona, promoted by Factoría F5 and Formació i Treball. The project aims to develop a web platform with conversational artificial intelligence aimed at women in vulnerable situations.
"Working together with another entity is always enriching. We believe that networking and getting to know other entities is fundamental," (Laura Baqués)During the acceleration process, they have worked with agroup of 20 womenparticipants and technical teams from social entities to validate the platform. "Unada's commitment to collaborating from the beginning with an embryonic idea and making this whole process of acceleration and accompaniment possible, which has allowed us to transform the idea into the tool we are now developing, is very brave," he adds.Jesús Rivera from Factoría F5.
Itineraries born from the neighborhood
The second selected project,Itineraris amb Futur, promoted by Àgora and the La Verneda Neighborhood Association,bets on community and business revitalization in the neighborhoods of Sant Martí de Provençals and La Verneda i la Pau. "The two entities already knew each other, but we had never collaborated. Unada has allowed us to discover the possibilities each one has: one from the experience in adult education and the other with knowledge of the business and community fabric of the neighborhood. Furthermore, it has opened the door to future collaborations," he assuresCarla Jarque from the Àgora Association.The project is aimed at young people who have dropped out of school, women with family responsibilities, people over 45 years old, and migrants with administrative difficulties. "The tools that Unada has provided us, such as design thinking and creative research, have allowed us to create a closer, more creative structure, more focused on people's emotions and involving all participating individuals," explains Narda Rey from the La Verneda Neighborhood Association.
Proximity and innovation, keys to success
With Unada, the company not only wants to promote innovative projects, but alsofoster inter-cooperation between entities and involve other agentsas research centers, public administrations, and private companies.Through projects such as ConnectaDona and Itineraris amb Futur, Unada demonstrates that innovation, proximity, and social action are key tools to advance towards a more equitable and inclusive society.
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