Introduction

Social Challenges Innovation Platform (www.socialchallenges.eu) is an online environment where Public, Private and Third Sector Stakeholders can upload social and environmental challenges to receive innovative solutions from European innovators, start-ups and SMEs. For a selection of 81 solution providers, SocialChallenges.eu offers to each of the Solution Providers 30.000€ grant and a light mentoring scheme.

Objetive

To find innovative and scalable solutions for projects/ideas/initiatives/actions that address one of the following Social Challenges:

- Youth

-Disability

-Aging population

-Education

-Gender/social inclusion

-Unemployment

-Smart cities/mobility

-Refugees/migration

-Environment

-Energy

How does the call work?

The Challenge Owners upload a profile describing the

i) Context;

ii) the Challenge;

iii) the Challenge Owner;

iv) the Commitment of the Owner to achieve the results, together with the Solution Provider.

The profile will be posted on the Social Challenges Innovation Platform. The Solution Providers (SMEs, Start-Ups & Web-developers) will post the solution for those Challenges also on the platform. The solutions that have been proposed for those challenges that have been online for at least 90 days and have received at least 3 solutions will be evaluated.

Call focus

The platform has been designed to address social challenges through innovative solutions with a clear social impact. The focus is therefore Social Innovation, as this initiative aims at untapping the potential European startups and SMEs may have in generating both economic and social impact therefore meeting pressing social needs and creating new collaborations.

Social innovation is therefore characterised by :

-Inclusive processes, inclusive outcomes: As well as meeting social needs, social innovation should improve ‘capabilities and relationships’. This might mean involving target beneficiaries in developing and running initiatives, or in ownership or governance.

-Entrepreneurship and beyond: ‘New solutions’ can come from anywhere. The scope of this specific action is to encourage market uptake of innovative solutions, and stimulate the participation of European entrepreneurs to the definition of solution to social needs and challenges.

-Broad interpretation of ‘social need’: we adopted a multi-level, multi stakeholder and multi sector approach, therefore aiming at attracting challenges coming from different sectors (environment, energy, health, education, smart cities, migration, transport, tourism, etc) and involving different actors (public authorities, private companies, NGOs).

Call Application and Selection process

SocialChallenges.eu will disburse its grant fund of €2.400.000 through an open call for proposals. A grant of EUR 30,000 will be allocated to each of the 81 successful grant applications.

Applications may only be submitted via the Social Challenges Innovation Platform (http://www.socialchallenges.eu).

Please note applications must be submitted in English.

The 1 st cut-off date goes from September 21st 2017 to December 21st 2017. At that time, the solutions that have been proposed for those challenges that have been online for at least 90 days and have received at least 3 solutions will be evaluated.

Eligible actions/activities

Eligible activities under SocialChallenges.eu grants comprise the design, development, testing, deployment and market uptake of the proposed solution in collaboration with the Challenge Owner and relevant stakeholders (where and when needed).