European Commission offers €150,000 in social innovation competition
Howard Lake | 28 February 2017 | News
A €150,000 challenge prize is on offer to Europeans who come up with the best ideas to spread the benefits of technological change in Europe under the theme of ‘Equality Rebooted’. The European Commission will award three €50,000 prizes.
The European Social Innovation Competition, launched today in Athens, aims “to ‘reboot’ equality and shape our future society by inspiring Europeans to provide fresh, energetic approaches to digital inclusion, collaborative economy, connectivity and skills development.”
The Commission is looking for innovations in tools, service and models to equip all members of society with the skills they need to be able to integrate and compete in a changing economy.
The agenda for today's #diogochallenge launch event is filled with #socinn and discussions on #inequality and #digitalinclusion pic.twitter.com/LbzfdCQnuF
— European Social Innovation Competition (@EUSocialInnov) February 28, 2017
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Diogo Vasconcelos
The European Social Innovation Competition was founded in 2012 in memory of Portuguese politician and social innovator Diogo Vasconcelos. It has a different theme each year.
This year’s launch event at the Benaki Museum in Athens heard from social innovators working in Greece and beyond including OpenLab Athens, Ondula, OuiShare, Fairmondo, as well as Impact Hub Athens and Nesta.
Amalia Zepou, Vice Mayor of Athens, said:
“Rising income inequality, a shifting labour market and digitalisation have brought significant change that is taking place across Europe, and we have also seen this first hand here in Greece. However, it’s now more clear than ever that social innovation has the power to catalyse positive change and new approaches around Europe.”
The 2017 #diogochallenge seeks ideas to ensure everyone benefits from opportunities created by technological change https://t.co/dIPbrri1ga pic.twitter.com/fPIBghKgSR
— European Social Innovation Competition (@EUSocialInnov) February 28, 2017
What kind of ideas?
The Commission has suggested the following ideas, but adds that these shouldn’t limit what entrants propose:
• New technologies and business models that make the digital economy more inclusive or use collaborative solutions to reduce inequality;
• Innovations that empower disadvantaged people to participate fully in the digital economy and gain revenue from employment or entrepreneurship;
• Initiatives that equip those at risk of being shut out of the labour market with the appropriate skills to shape the knowledge economy, such as creativity, communication or problem-solving;
• Solutions to protect and support low wage/skilled workers in the evolving labour market.
"The politics of design"@vasilisvla @OpenLab_Ncl on their work with #socinn & grassroot movements in ATHENS @EUSocialInnov #diogochallenge pic.twitter.com/esPjiMcoQI
— Impact Hub Athens (@ImpactHubAthens) February 28, 2017
Who can enter?
The competition is open to entrepreneurs, social innovators, students, designers, makers, tech enthusiasts, educators, individuals, groups and organisations from throughout the European Union and in countries participating in the European Horizon 2020 programme.
Thirty of the most promising applications will be chosen as semi-finalists and will be invited to a social innovation mentoring academy in Madrid in July to take their ideas further.
The three winning projects will be announced and receive their prizes of €50,000 at an awards ceremony in October 2017 in Brussels.
Applications to the European Social Innovation Competition close at midday on 7 April 2017 (Brussels time).
The competition is supported by Nesta, Kennisland, Shipyard, Impact Hub and Matter&Co.
You can find out about previous competitions and the winning projects for 2016, 2015, 2014, and 2013.
The 2017 @EUSocialInnov competition launches today in Athens – find out more https://t.co/dUNu7VzKWi & join the convo using #diogochallenge
— Nesta (@nesta_uk) February 28, 2017
About Howard Lake
Howard Lake is consultant editor of UK Fundraising. He founded the site in 1994 and successfully sold it in 2022. As director of Giving X Ltd he is exploring growing giving on a massive scale.
He is the founder of Fundraising Camp and co-founder of GoodJobs.