Grant funding & free support for young impact founders!
Supercharging young social entrepreneurs globally.
Young leaders, innovators and entrepreneurs everywhere are rising up to take action on the social and environmental issues that matter to them most.
If you’re a young founder (aged 18-30 years) leading a project or startup already delivering social impact on the ground – the Global Innovation Challenge 2026 is for you.
Submissions are currently closed
WHAT’S IN IT FOR YOU?
1) GRANT FUNDING AWARDS
Multiple awards of up to $15,000 USD for genuinely youth-led, up-and-running projects and startups.
2) FREE Founder Support
We help you build a strong application before you submit. Free learning resources are available from the moment you register, alongside connection to a global community of young social leaders like you.
3) YOUR OPPORTUNITIES GATEWAY
Your journey with us doesn’t end with the competition. As you progress, you’ll unlock incremental access to opportunities including paid work, fellowships, networking and learning experiences!
The Sustainable
Development Goals
To enter the Social Shifters Global Innovation Challenge your idea must contribute to at least one of the United Nations’s Sustainable Development Goals.
2026 Registration Open Now!
Optimise your chances of success – register today to gain access to our live launch event in which you’ll learn best practices from previous grant award winners.
MEET OUR
PREVIOUS WINNERS.
“GROWING UP IN A COMMUNITY WITH NO ACCESS TO ELECTRICITY WAS A CHALLENGING EXPERIENCE FOR ME. THESE EXPERIENCES, COMBINED WITH MY PASSION FOR BUILDING TECH PROJECTS, LED ME TO BECOME A SOCIAL ENTREPRENEUR. THE KEY TRIGGER FOR ME WAS MY DESIRE TO ENSURE THAT NO OTHER CHILD HAD TO GO THROUGH WHAT I DID.”
Stanley Anignogu | 23 | Nigeria
LightEd is a social enterprise that repurposes electronic and plastic waste to build sustainable energy solutions - bringing power and light into refugee communities.
“I WANT BIOMEC TO BECOME THE WORLD’S REFERENCE POINT FOR PRACTICAL,HIGH QUALITY AND ECOLOGICAL PROSTHETICS, ENABLING PEOPLE TO EXPERIENCELIFE WITHOUT LIMITATIONS.”
Marta Vânia Uetela , 27, Mozambique
Marta is a Co Founder of social enterprise ‘BIOMEC’ that collects abandoned fishing nets and plastic waste from the ocean and transforms these harmful plastics into affordable 3-D printed prosthetic limbs for people with disabilities.
“I DECIDED TO START CONEDUCACIÓN BECAUSE EDUCATION CHANGED MY LIFE. AS A FIRST-GENERATION STUDENT BORN IN A LOW-INCOME NEIGHBOURHOOD IN MEDELLÍN, IT WAS EDUCATION THAT OPENED THE DOORS TO A FUTURE I WOULD OTHERWISE HAVE NOT DREAMT OF.”
Yuliana Palacio, 24, Colombia
The ConEducación Foundation is a non-profit entity that aims to close gaps in academic performance and promote access to high-quality education for less advantaged students in Colombia. Anchored in the values of social responsibility , equity , community , support and empathy.
“I BELIEVE BUILDING INFRASTRUCTURE THAT ENABLES PEOPLE TO GET ACCESS TO ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES THROUGH EITHER JOBS OR BUSINESSES IS THE SUREST WAY OF IGNITING SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT IN COMMUNITIES LIKE MINE.”
Charles Oyamo | 29 | Kenya
ReThread Africa is a project developed in Kenya that enables smallholder farmers to turn their agricultural waste into a new revenue stream that could subsidise smallholder agriculture and be the missing link to elevate farmers from the poverty bracket.
“MY WORK IS IMPORTANT TO ME BECAUSE I KNOW IT CAN IMPROVE PEOPLE’S LIVES. IF I CAN INSPIRE CHILDREN AND ADULTS TO DISCOVER THE WONDERS OF NATURE, TO GO OUT MORE, TO LEARN TO COOK AND EAT HEALTHY OR TO DISCOVER A HOBBY THAT WILL GIVE THEM COMFORT ON A STRESSFUL DAY – THEN I WILL TRY TO DO THAT. IF I CAN GET JUST ONE CHILD TO MAKE A HAPPY MEMORY, IT’S ALL WORTH THE EFFORT.”
Elena Höge, 30, Germany
Yaldi Games enrich their players' lives by offering engaging gameplay that enhances their skills and wellbeing. Their debut title is called Out and About, a foraging life simulator that connects you to nature with real plants and recipes!
7 IN 10 BABIES DIE ARE PREMATURE BABIES DUE TO THE INSUFFICIENT FACILITIES ON GROUND [...] MOST MOTHERS THEN OPT FOR KANGAROO SKIN TO SKIN CARE BUT MOST OF THE MOTHERS USE UNSTERILE AND LIGHT CLOTHING TO DO THIS EVEN PREDISPOSING THESE BABIES TO MORE INFECTIONS LEADING TO DEATH. IT IS WITH THIS BACKGROUND THAT I AND MY COLLEAGUES DECIDED TO COME UP WITH A SIMPLER AND MORE AFFORDABLE SOLUTION.
Comfort Peace Ayikoru | 26 | Uganda
KangaCare is a low-cost, locally made, alternative to neonatal incubators used to support the life of premature babies. A knitted double-layered carrier that embraces the Kangaroo-inspired ‘skin-to-skin’ mother care technique and is fitted with vital reading sensors, and microprocessors for infant vital sign monitoring.
Your 2026 Challenge Journey
FROM 18th MAY
Register Early and Access our Launch Event!
1ST JUNE
Submissions Open!
JULY
Get your submissions in!
AUG 31ST
Submission Deadline 5pm UTC.
SEPT
Submission Scoring Begins
OCT
Submission Scoring Ends
OCT
2026 Finalist Founders Announcement
OCT
Finalist Pitch Coaching Begins
NOV
FINALS! Pitching Begins
DEC
Grant Award Winning Founders Announced
AM I ELIGIBLE?
Social Shifters Global Innovation Challenge 2026 is designed to give young impact founders a platform; providing grant funding awards, connection to a global community high performing young leaders, and exclusive exposure through some of the worlds biggest brands.
To be eligible to apply your social startup must be:
100% YOUTH-LED – Founders leading the startup or project must be between 18 and 30 years old at the time of submission and have clear decision making authority.
IMPACT FOCUSED – Startups and projects must address a clearly defined social or environmental issue and must already be delivering some measurable social outputs and impact.
Our incredible
Partners
Social Shifters is supported by some of the worlds leading businesses. Thanks to all of the forward thinking organizations that help us to supercharge the work of young impact founders.
ABOUT SOCIAL SHIFTERS
We exist to support the next generation of leaders, innovators and entrepreneurs – young people everywhere taking action on the social and environmental issues that matter to them most.
We operate on a non-profit basis to provide unique learning experiences, guidance and grant funding for young impact founders.
Learn more about Social Shifters.
