Matching Social Challenges to Entrepreneurial Innovation

Social Challenges was developed originally by META with EBN and Impact Hub with the funding from the European Union to test the concept of an Innovation Platform.
The EU provided start-ups with a grant worth €30,000 to develop their idea in combination with the six months’ mentoring provided by a pool of experts from META and EBN and Impact Hub networks’ members.
This European project closed in 2019, but if you want to learn about the Social Challenges Innovation Platform initiative, watch our video below.

Socialchallenges.eu is a platform aiming at creating a marketplace where actual social challenges can meet powerful and innovative solutions. A space where the work among different players make the European Social Ecosystem vibrant and collaborative. Where a challenge is transformed into a new business opportunity.

The Platform supports committed Public Authorities, Private Companies, Third Sector Organisations in defining, prioritising social and environmental challenges, and uploading them onto the platform.

It encourages the participation of social innovators, startups and SMEs to identify, fund, co-develop and test concrete solutions to these needs.

Discover the local ecosystems available online and get involved!

Questions? Check out our FAQ


Are you a Challenge Owner?

Maybe you’re a City Government trying to improve public transport efficiency. Or a company with a problem you’d like someone to turn into an opportunity. Perhaps you’re an NGO looking for new ways to help disadvantaged kids at school? This platform is for you.

  • We are looking for concrete challenges that could be solved by entrepreneurs and social innovators
  • We are looking for challenges targeting a clear issue in a local environment.
  • We are looking for challenges that could be replicable and scalable all over Europe.

Develop your challenge and reach entrepreneurs and social innovators to attract relevant solutions. Get in touch with us at info@meta-group.com for more.

#sochange: Catch your opportunity to make a change!


More: FAQ: How does this Platform help Cities, Regions and Large Companies?

Are You a solution provider?

Make your innovative product an agent for change! If you have innovative solutions to pressing social problems, this acceleration platform is the place to be!

This European marketplace can bridge you with hundreds of possible clients around Europe. Increase your network of stakeholders, find your “place” and gain visibility in the ecosystem you want to work with and for. Get inspired by all the open challenges and expand your horizons!

At the moment, the Social Challenges programme has come to an end. But stay updated on future challenge-based innovation programmes by signing up to our newsletter for entrepreneurs, and we will tell you as soon as new opportunities arise.

#sochange: Catch your opportunity to make a change!


More: FAQ: How does this Platform help Entrepreneurs and Social Innovators?

What is Social Innovation?

Social innovation is a constantly growing movement of grassroots initiatives, recognized by policy makers on different levels in Europe as an important way to tackle the increasingly-complex social and environmental challenges faced by our societies. However, the potential for social innovation to transform the way we respond to Europe's challenges still remains largely untapped.

Societies across Europe have faced severe challenges over the past decade, from a financial crisis breeding economic instability and political volatility to an ever-increasing pace of technological change that threatens to disrupt the social order. The introduction of digital technology with its deepening of existing inequalities is a good example of such disruption.

Meeting such challenges demands new ideas, new approaches and new perspectives. This has led to the mainstreaming of social innovation as a problem-solving methodology in the last decade. Never before have we been so well-equipped to harness the collective power of civil society to solve problems faced in communities across Europe every day. Increasingly we are seeing national, regional and local governments embracing social innovation principles and approaches as a way to better tackle priority public challenges.

More: FAQ: All Frequently Asked Questions