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May opportunities for social enterprise
This month’s opportunities, from grants to fellowships, accelerators and awards, will fuel your next breakthrough. Explore now and find the spark to amplify your impact.
Travel4Impact
Deadline: 4 May 2025
A global social innovation programme that empowers impact-driven entrepreneurs from the travel and tourism industry and helps them amplify the social and environmental impact of their business. Includes training by IE University, expert support from Amadeus and access to a global peer network.
CirculaRise Accelerator
Deadline: 5 May 2025
A fully funded 6-month programme designed to support social businesses in Germany working on circular economy solutions. Through personalised coaching, interactive training, peer exchange and strategic support, participating businesses will refine their circular strategies, improve customer readiness and build a pathway to achieve systemic impact. The programme runs from June to December 2025 and includes an additional 6 months of on-demand support to guide participants through their implementation journey.
SEWF25 Bursary Programme
Deadline: 5 May 2025
The Scottish Government, through International Social Enterprise Observatory (ISEO), is funding 12 bursaries for people to attend SEWF25 in Taiwan. This bursary is available to all social or environmental impact-led entrepreneurs in Scotland. It includes tickets to the SEWF25 hybrid event, a study tour and £1,000 contribution to costs including travel and accommodation An additional bursary is available for 4 eligible participants to attend the Rural Social Enterprise Gathering, which will be hosted by Sabah Creative Economy and Innovation Centre (SCENIC) in partnership with Social Enterprise World Forum (SEWF), in Sabah, Malaysia, from 31 October to 4 November.
Register for SEWF events
Impact Hub London – Assets: Assisting Social Enterprises to Succeed
Deadline: 11 May 2025
Supports UK-based VCSEs or values-aligned SMEs in the construction sector in scaling their operations nationally and securing larger contracts and leading the low-carbon heating revolution. Offers resources, guidance and support to help you build a skilled workforce and expand your business into the booming green economy.
Eisner Prize Fellowship 2025–2026
Deadline: 16 May 2025
The Eisner Prize Fellowship supports leaders pioneering innovations in intergenerational connection. Open to anyone in the United States working to innovate in the area of intergenerational connection – whether that be through research, programs, technology, or other efforts advancing the field. Awards for 3-5 leaders in the intergenerational space and each Fellow will receive a total of USD 50,000: a USD 10,000 stipend and USD 40,000 to be used toward their particular intergenerational initiative.
D-Prize 2025
Deadline: 18 May 2025
Focused on proven poverty-alleviation interventions, D-Prize offers start-up grants (up to USD 20,000) to entrepreneurs launching new organisations.
UK Social Enterprise ‘top 100’ 2025
Deadline: 25 May 2025
Nominations are now open. The awards recognise social ventures and mission-driven enterprises that are leading by example in their quest to build brilliant businesses that provide solutions for some of the biggest social and environmental challenges. There are seven awards categories, covering diversity, climate, social investment, impact management and leadership, as well as an award for the top social business and the ‘pioneering newcomer’.
UNDP Youth4Climate Call for Solutions 2025
Deadline: 26 May 2025
A global innovation challenge for youth and youth-led climate organisations working on climate action focused projects. Winners receive up to USD 30,000 per project, plus capacity-building workshops, one-to-one mentorship and entry into a global policy and technical support network. Open youth aged 18 to 29 and youth-led organisations from 159 countries and territories covered by UNDP.
Halcyon Climate Fellowship (LAC) 2025
Deadline: 30 May 2025
This fellowship empowers entrepreneurs across Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) addressing climate mitigation, adaptation and resilience. Founders gain expert training, critical resources to accelerate their ventures and two one-week, in-person residencies in the region to accelerate their venture, a USD 5,000 per venture equity-free stipend to use toward travel expenses to attend the residencies and USD 10,000 in Amazon Web Services, Inc. (AWS) Cloud credits.
Deadline: 31 May 2025
A global initiative supporting emerging low-carbon technologies, CarbonX 2.0 invites applications from universities, research institutes and early-stage startups. The programme focuses on carbon capture, carbon removal and long-duration energy storage. Successful applicants will gain access to catalytic funding, expert mentorship and partnerships with industrial leaders. With a total funding pool in the tens of millions of USD, several million can be secured for each pilot project. The programme also offers scenario-based tools and technical support to help bring breakthrough climate solutions to life in real-world settings.
BeChangeMaker 2025
Deadline: 31 May 2025
A nine-week online start-up accelerator designed to equip aspiring young (18 – 35 years old) social entrepreneurs with the skills, tools and network to turn their ideas into impactful solutions. They’ll work through interactive modules on business modelling, storytelling and impact measurement, receive one-to-one mentoring and connect with a peer cohort to refine your social venture.
European Social Economy Awards
Deadline: 16 June 2025
Applications for the European Social Economy Awards 2025 are now open for outstanding initiatives in Housing, Clean Energy, Social Economy Training and Education, or Social Integration Innovation. Since 2021, the awards have recognised remarkable Social Economy initiatives, giving them visibility to key social economic actors and institutional representatives.
Watson Institute Flagship Fellowship 2025
Deadline: 22 June 2025 (rolling thereafter)
Elevate your impact-driven venture through intensive training, dedicated mentorship from industry leaders and connections to a powerful global network. This is a fully funded 16-week programme featuring an in-person Immersive in Boulder, Colorado, interactive virtual workshops. Fellows join a global peer cohort, receive intensive mentorship and emerge ready to scale proven social innovations.
Cartier Women’s Initiative Regional Awards 2025
Deadline: 24 June 2025
An annual programme empowering women-owned or -led social impact-driven businesses. Finalists compete for regional prizes of USD 100,000, USD 60,000 and USD 30,000, along with leadership communications and media training workshops, INSEAD Women’s Impact Entrepreneurship Program, tailored mentoring, media visibility and access to an international alumni community. Entrepreneurs across all sectors and geographies are encouraged to apply.
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Also read:
👉 Social enterprises leading crisis response: Stories of resilience and innovation from Lebanon
👉 We need leadership that prioritises people and the planet, not the wealthy and influential – Peter Holbrook
👉 Women to women: What advice would you share with others in social enterprise?
