Forming intersectoral partnerships for social innovation in Portugal

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to describe the process of forming intersectoral partnerships in social innovation initiatives in Portugal. The methodological approach used was the qualitative study of multiple cases through a triangulated analysis of the data. This resulted in a set of interrelated categories explaining the formation process of the partnerships: formation of the partners, means of identification, motivation of the partners to form the partnership, criteria for forming the partnership, determining factors, facilitators, and training process. We discuss the implications of this process and foment some strategies to support the development of intersectoral partnerships for social innovation initiatives.