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European Innovation Council
©European Commission, 2023
The European Social Innovation Competition

The Competition acts as a beacon for social innovators across Europe, incentivising & rewarding early-stage ideas, shaping our society for the better.

2023 edition

On 14 November 2023, the three winners were revealed during the European Social Innovation Competition Awards ceremony in San Sebastian, Spain, and rewarded with EUR 50 000 each. The winners are all social innovation projects with ambitious and impactful tools to tackle this year’s challenge: “fighting energy poverty”. The European Social Innovation Competition 2023 supports proposed solutions coming from social innovators to fight energy poverty in the broadest sense. Check them on the EUSIC 2023 winners webpage.

The European Social Innovation Competition (EUSIC) 2023 winners, Fighting energy poverty: ECODES, City of Eeklo, EmpowerMed #diogochallenge

About

The competition supports innovators to develop their ideas into working solutions, and facilitates a network of radical innovators shaping our society. This prize acknowledges the social innovation as a potent approach for responding to societal challenges.

Launched in 2013 in memory of social innovation pioneer Diogo Vasconcelos, the European Social Innovation Competition (EUSIC) awards three prizes for the best socially innovative projects for a more inclusive, just, and sustainable Europe. 

Learn more about  the history of the competition.

The 2023 challenge

This year’s the European Social Innovation Competition 2023 focused on ‘Fighting energy poverty’ – Repower EU.

Proposed solutions could focus for example on aspects related to monitoring, awareness raising, specific target groups, pricing models, production, consumption and energy savings, renovations, energy community and joint investments, or investments among others. In this context, social innovations could result in a new or adapted service or business model or technologic development.

Funding opportunities

The call for proposals is closed. The deadline for submission was 30 May 2023.

You can consult the EIC Work Programme 2023 featuring the full EUSIC call text.

6 DECEMBER 2022
EIC Work Programme 2023 - amended 11 August 2023
English
(1.42 MB - PDF)
Download
21 APRIL 2023
Factsheet - EUSIC 2023
English
(532.12 KB - PDF)
Download

Who can apply

Any natural person or legal entity can apply to the category, as long as they:

  • are located in an EU Member State or an Associated Country to Horizon Europe
  • The proposed solutions or activities contained in the application must have taken place in a Member State (including overseas countries and territories, OCTs) or in an Associated Country to Horizon Europe.

How to apply

Please consult the following document before submitting your application through the link above.

Previous editions

  1. 2022
    Innovation for affordable & sustainable housing districts
  2. 2021
    Skills for tomorrow - Shaping a green and digital future
  3. 2020
    Reimagine Fashion
  4. 2019
    Challenging Plastic Waste
  5. 2018
    Re:think Local
  6. 2017
    Equality Rebooted
  7. 2016
    Integrated Futures
  8. 2015
    New Ways to Grow
  9. 2014
    The Job Challenge
  10. 2013
    New forms of work

Contact us

For more information please contact us at EISMEA-EUSICatec [dot] europa [dot] eu (EISMEA-EUSIC[at]ec[dot]europa[dot]eu).

Please check this webpage for updates, and follow us @EUeic (#EUSIC, #diogochallenge) or subscribe to our newsletter.

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