Centre for Challenge Prizes

EU Social Innovation Competition – the launch

Marco Zappalorto - 10.10.2012

Last week we were at the Gulbenkian Foundation in Lisbon for the launch of the EU Social Innovation Prize Competition in memory of Diogo Vasconcelos. Diogo was described as a person of outstanding energy and charisma. He never stopped thinking ahead, developing and connecting ideas and engaging with new people.

He always had one main objective in mind: to work for a better future for everyone. He was passionately committed to promote new ways of tackling societal challenges; such as climate change, unemployment and an ageing population.

'Unlocking potential, creating new work' is the headline of this competition. It will offer a prize to a social innovation that has a real impact on helping disadvantaged people move towards or into new types of work.

These could include radical ideas that find new opportunities in current social challenges that unlock or tap people's talent; create or shape new markets; enable people to start and grow successful new businesses. 

The competition was officially launched by President Barroso with a tweet. While launching the competition, President Barroso gave his personal tribute to Diogo Vasconcelos: 'Diogo used to say that people have to be empowered and not just be passive users of today's new technologies. Each of us is like a small pixel and once connected with the other pixels we can play a big role. This competition's aim is exactly that: to connect pixels so that they can form a beautiful picture together'. 

In the afternoon I was part of a panel discussing the benefits of challenge prizes for both funders and winners. The value of a staged approach and support for the most promising social innovation ideas was highlighted by the panelists. The EU Commission adopted this approach: they will implement a mentoring component for shortlisted entries. You are maybe wondering what the prize will be? Well, eventually the three best proposals will each be awarded with a prize of 20,000 euros in May 2013. 

The Centre for Challenge Prizes is advising the EU Commission on the design and the social innovation content of this competition. We are really excited about being part of this project and we do believe that it's fantastic that the EU Commission is running a prize with the objective of tackling such a social pain in Europe like lack of employment. 

Deadline for applications is 21 December 2012. For info on the competition click here.