What is the Social Innovation Challenge?
The Social Innovation Challenge (SIC) is a grant-funding and support programme that seeks innovative solutions to the most pressing challenges of our times.
We accept applications from anyone with an idea for a social enterprise project that can deliver a tangible, long-lasting, positive impact addressing the theme.
The winner will receive a £50,000 grant and tailored support for the duration of their award to help them kick-start their solution. The other finalists will receive £25,000 each, in addition to signposting or introductions to alternative sources of funding or capacity-building programmes. We have also partnered up with our colleagues at The Ventures Lab to enable applicants to this programme to be considered for their support pathways.
What is the theme?
To fulfil our aim of supporting solutions to the deepest issues currently present in Scotland, we are aligning the programme with the First Minister’s priorities. We will accept eligible applications addressing any one of the following four themes:
- Eradicating child poverty: innovative ideas which help the families of children living in deep poverty increase their long-term wellbeing and economic resilience.
- Growing the economy: projects providing innovative routes to meaningful employment for individuals facing significant barriers (such as disability, stigma or discrimination).
- Tackling the climate emergency: projects proposing innovative 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.
What is the funding for?
The winner can use the funding to help with start-up fees, research and development, salaries and other essential costs, such as rent or buying critical equipment.
Can I apply?
To understand if this opportunity is right for you, please read the full eligibility criteria. You can also find further clarifications in our Frequently Asked Questions section.
If you are eligible and you think you have an idea that fits our current themes, register an Expression of Interest now.
How does it work?
An ‘Expression of Interest’ is a no-commitment step that allows you to access further guidance and to understand more about the process before deciding whether to invest the time in submitting an application. It will also give you access to the application templates, explainer videos and additional resources to help you with your application.
To send us an Expression of Interest, take the following steps:
- Register an account on our Firstport Community portal, or login to your existing account, if you already have one: https://community.firstport.org.uk/s/login
- Next, click on the ‘Apply’ tab. On a computer, laptop or tablet this tab should be on your screen. On a mobile, you can find this tab by clicking on the three horizontal lines in the top right corner of your screen.
- Select ‘Social Innovation Challenge Expression of Interest’ from the drop-down list under ‘Firstport funding’, then click ‘Next’. (Make sure you have selected the correct option from the drop-down list; the ‘Social Innovation Challenge Application’ option is the form for full applications, which will not open until 1 July.)
- Fill in the required information. This shouldn’t take more than 5 minutes of your time. We only need a few details at this stage.
- Submit your Expression of Interest.
For additional guidance on how to sign up to the Firstport Community portal, watch our registration support video.
You will receive an automated email as confirmation that we have received your Expression of Interest. A member of our team will then review your Expression of Interest and add you to the Social Innovation Challenge Forum. Here, you will find all the application templates and guidance, as well as additional resources and explainer videos to help you prepare your application. You will receive another email to let you know once you can access this forum, along with further instructions on how to make best use of this resource.
We will accept Expressions of Interest until the 28 June, and only those who have submitted an EOI within this period will be given access to the full application form.
What are the timelines?
- 13 May – 28 June: Expressions of Interest are open
To be considered for this opportunity, you must send us an Expression of Interest before the end of Saturday 28 June.
- 1 July – 28 August: Application period
The deadline for Social Innovation Challenge applications will be at 1pm on Thursday 28 August. Late applications will not be considered.
- Mid-October: Finalists to be announced
We will notify shortlisted applicants by phone or email. We will also provide feedback in writing to all other full, eligible applications, alongside any relevant signposting where possible.
The three Social Innovation Challenge finalists will receive additional support before they present their solutions to the award panel. This support will consist of a session with the Programme Manager to help them prepare a short pitch and a session with a Business Advisor to address any issues within their cashflow projections.
The pitches to the award panel will take place in early November. The exact dates will be confirmed closer to the time.
6 November: The Challenge winner to be announced
- The winner will receive a £50,000 grant to be spent over 2 years. The other finalists will receive £25,000 each.
Have a question?
If your question isn’t covered by the guidance or our FAQs, please get in touch via our Contact Us page or by phone.
You can also read about previous winners of the Social Innovation Challenge on our Case Studies section.
Spotlight: Previous Winners
The 2023 theme was: innovative solutions addressing the rising cost of living in Scotland.
The winner of the 2023 edition was ApparelXchange. This is how they met the key 2023 criteria:
- Relevance to theme: ApparelXchange C.I.C is a social enterprise dedicated to reusing, repairing and recycling school-aged children’s fashion and footwear. Their clothing system is helping families reduce pressure on their budgets, lowering the risk of falling into debt and allowing them to spend money on other essentials.
- Direct social impact: In addition to helping families, children also benefit from ApparelXchange’s shared wardrobe by having access to a range of clothing appropriate to their needs, supporting their learning in school, participation in sports, and confidence in engaging within their community.
- Element of innovation: ApparelXchange is creating a first-of-its-kind clothing system for the city of Glasgow, with a shared wardrobe that aims to reduce the financial burden on families of clothing purchases and the carbon impact of clothing on the environment.
- Potential for income generation: Income will be generated through the sale of clothing, third-party funding sources, including agreements to provide clothing to families.
- Community-driven solution: ApparelXchange are working in partnership with local authorities, charities and other local social enterprises, to ensure that families can easily access high-quality preloved children’s clothing at affordable prices – or for free if they self-refer or are referred to via partner organisations.
The 2024 theme was: breaking barriers to better health and wellbeing outcomes.
The winner of the 2024 edition was Building Futures Galloway. This is how they met the key 2024 criteria:
- Relevance to theme: By addressing systemic youth unemployment and lack of opportunities in their local rural areas, the project tackles key socio-economic determinants of health. Providing high-quality employment and skills training to disadvantaged young people, they improve economic inclusion as well as promoting better health and wellbeing and fostering community resilience.
- Direct social impact: The organisation provides targeted interventions, including meaningful employment opportunities, which boost confidence, improve mental health, and promote financial independence. Additionally, they also support the young people they employ in their personal development outside of work.
- Element of innovation: The organisation is pushing boundaries by offering training on full-scale heritage buildings, thus enabling the young people they support to experience real-life project management, environmental impacts, timescales and budgets. Furthermore, this model of community-based training offers a solution to Scotland’s national heritage skills crisis.
- Potential for income generation: In addition to the current inflow of income by offering heritage renovation and repair services to the commercial and third sectors, the enterprise plans to generate revenue through paid training courses, the sale of handcrafted products and boat building.
- Community-driven solution: The initiative started in 2021 to address the local post-pandemic crisis in youth unemployment, which had increased by over 450% with the disappearance of hospitality and casual jobs. As such, the solution was designed from the ground up, informed by the voice of the young people it employs from the very beginning.
- Environmental sustainability: As well as providing heritage skill training, Building Futures Galloway train young people in Net Zero retrofit of existing buildings. The pathway they offer pays particular attention to the retrofit of pre-1919 buildings and their relation to climate and best practice to reduce emissions.
