The Social Innovation Challenge 2026 seeks innovative solutions to the most pressing challenges of our times. It offers a £30,000 grant, along with hands-on support to help launch and implement the winning idea. There are also two runner-up prizes up for grabs of £10,000 each.
This year’s Challenge seeks innovative solutions aligned with the following four themes:
- Eradicating child poverty: ideas which help the families of children living in deep poverty increase their long-term wellbeing and economic resilience.
- Growing the economy: projects providing novel routes to meaningful employment for individuals facing barriers such as disability, stigma, or discrimination.
- Tackling the climate emergency: projects proposing new ways of reducing reliance on fossil fuels or delivering regenerative environmental solutions such as increasing biodiversity, improving soil health or addressing water pollution.
- Ensuring high-quality and sustainable public services: ideas that alleviate pressure on essential services by offering support to those who need it most, through innovative means.
Established social enterprises, unincorporated groups, community associations, or individuals with a new idea can apply if they can evidence the following:
- A strong team with relevant experience/expertise
- Long-lasting, direct social impact
- Potential for income generation
- Innovation – a new product, service, business
- model, or a novel way of using an
- existing approach.
- Lived experience or community involvement
- Environmental sustainability
- Potential for scale or replication
- Funding need
The deadline for applications is Friday, 28 August 2026.
For more information visit www.firstport.org.uk/funding/social-innovation-challenge.
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