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 £30,000 grant and tailored support for the duration of their award to help them kick-start their solution. The other finalists will receive £10,000 each, in addition to signposting or introductions to alternative sources of funding or capacity-building programmes.
What is the theme?
To fulfil our aim of supporting solutions to the deepest issues currently present in Scotland, we are looking for 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.
What is social innovation?
Social innovation is finding new ways to tackle social or environmental problems, including through new products, services, business models, or novel ways of using an existing approach.
Can I apply?
To understand if this is right for you, please read the full eligibility criteria. You can also find further clarifications in our Frequently Asked Questions section.
How to apply
The application process has two stages: an Expression of Interest (EOI) followed by a full application.
Before you begin, please read the Guidance Notes at the bottom of this page. They explain the application process and provide guidance on each question in the application form.
- Click Apply Now at the top of this page.
- If you are new to Firstport, register for an account.
- If you have previously applied for a Firstport grant or loan, log in or select Forgot Password if you need to set a new password and access your existing account.
- Select the Apply tab, choose Social Innovation Challenge Expression of Interest, and complete the EOI form.
- Once submitted, you will receive access to supporting documents, templates, resources, and the support forum, along with further instructions from our team.
- When you are ready to apply, complete the full Social Innovation Challenge application form and upload the required documents.
- Submit your application. You will receive an automated confirmation email and will hear from our team within the published timescales.
What are the timelines?
Monday 20 July – Friday 28 August: Application period
Applications must be submitted by 1.00 pm on 28 August. Expressions of Interest can be submitted at any time during the application period, but we recommend submitting yours as early as possible to allow sufficient time to complete the full application. Late applications will not be considered.
Wednesday 30 September: Finalists announced
We will notify shortlisted applicants by phone or email. We will also provide written feedback to all other eligible applicants, alongside any relevant signposting where possible.
The three SIC 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.
Monday 26 October: Finalists pitch to the award panel
Wednesday 28 October: SIC winner announcement
The winner will receive a £30,000 grant to be spent over two years. The other finalists will receive £10,000 each.
Using AI to support your application
Firstport recognises that AI-enabled tools can support the drafting of application forms and supporting documents, particularly for individuals with accessibility needs. However, AI-generated content can often include inaccurate or incomplete data and may not fully reflect the work of the social enterprise. We therefore strongly encourage you to review and verify any information produced with the help of AI before submission.
We are committed to a person-centred approach across all our funds and programmes. While we may use AI tools to support our processes, we will never use AI to make assessment or funding decisions.
We recommend that all applicants engage with our business support service before completing an application and contact us if they encounter any accessibility issues during the process.
Have a question?
If your question isn’t covered by the guidance or our FAQs, please get in touch via our Contact us page.
You can also read about previous winners of the Social Innovation Challenge on our Case studies section.
Spotlight: previous winners
The 2025 theme aligned with the First Minister’s priorities to eradicate child poverty, grow the economy, tackle the climate emergency, and build sustainable public services.
The winner of the 2025 edition was Thrive East Lothian.
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.
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.
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