Open Call 2026: training and funding for social startups

Context

TL;DR

• Applications open until 15 January 2027
• 20.000 francs up for grabs for five selected startups
• Social Business Conference 2027 in Lugano on 19 May
• Training, networking and personalized mentoring

Key facts

• What → Social Business Earth’s Open Call 2026
• Organizer → Social Business Earth
• Deadline → January 15, 2027
• Prize → 20.000 francs for five enterprises
• Event → Social Business Conference 2027
• Date and location → May 19, Lugano
• Target audience → early-stage social and environmental startups
• Requirements → at least six months old, no more than four years old, and initial traction

Startups with social and environmental impact can apply to Social Business Earth’s Open Call 2026 until January 15, 2027. The initiative offers them a support program, opportunities to expand their network of contacts, and the possibility of participating in the Sapiens Natura Prize.

The Open Call is Social Business Earth’s gateway to its support program. The organization promotes social entrepreneurship and the spread of sustainable business models aimed at producing positive effects on society and the environment. The 2026–2027 edition of the program will be carried out with the support of the Drosos Foundation in Zurich.

From the program to the presentation

The selected enterprises will enter a training program focused on three areas: strengthening the business model, developing the business strategy, and measuring the impact generated. The program is therefore not limited to the initial presentation of the project, but supports the admitted ventures in defining their activities and evaluating the results produced.

The program will culminate in the Social Business Conference 2027, scheduled for May 19 in Lugano. There, the startups will be able to present their projects with a pitch in front of potential investors and key stakeholders.

The Sapiens Natura Prize will also be awarded during the conference. The total prize pool is 20.000 francs and will be distributed among five enterprises: 10.000 francs to the first-place finisher, 5.000 to the second, 3.000 to the third, and 1.000 francs each to the fourth and fifth. In addition to the financial award, all five winning enterprises will be able to access a personalized mentoring program, with international experts tasked with addressing the specific challenges of the individual ventures and strengthening their growth prospects.

Operational details

A multi-level prize

The structure of the initiative combines two distinct but connected elements: a support programme for the selected businesses and a prize awarded at the end of the programme. The training covers the business model, strategy and impact measurement; the financial award, on the other hand, is presented during the Social Business Conference 2027 in Lugano, after the projects have been presented through a pitch.

The distribution of the 20.000 francs

The amounts indicated for the five positions show precisely how the overall prize pool is distributed.

The calculation shows that the first three positions collectively receive 18.000 francs, that is, 90% of the total. The remaining share, amounting to 2.000 francs, is divided equally between fourth and fifth place. The percentages derive exclusively from the amounts stated for the prize and the total of 20.000 francs.

The financial allocation is not the full extent of the support provided. The text also provides personalized mentoring to the five winning businesses, without differentiating the benefit according to the position achieved. The international experts will have to address the specific challenges of each business and help strengthen its growth prospects.

The sequence described therefore distinguishes between access to the programme, the training activities and the final presentation and award phase. The Open Call constitutes the first step; support and training then follow for the selected businesses, while the prize and mentoring concern the five winning businesses identified by the initiative.

Key points

Who the Open Call is for

The scope of the application is defined by the impact that the startup intends to create. Entrepreneurial ventures that contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations 2030 Agenda may participate.

Social impact and environmental sustainability

The source identifies two main directions. The first concerns improving people's quality of life, with particular attention to those in disadvantaged situations. The second concerns the development of innovative solutions for environmental sustainability. The thematic requirement is therefore not linked to a single sector: the text links eligibility to the contribution to the Sustainable Development Goals and to the nature of the impact pursued.

The Open Call is intended in particular for early-stage startups. At least six months of operations and an establishment date no more than four years ago are required. Companies must also have already demonstrated initial traction, measurable in terms of users, customers or revenue. These three indicators are the ones explicitly identified to describe the initial response generated by the activity.

The available material does not specify the number of startups that will enter the program, the selection schedule or the criteria according to which applications will be evaluated. Nor does it provide a list of eligible sectors beyond the two areas of social and environmental impact described. The required stage of development, the minimum duration of operations and the need for initial traction are, however, clear.

To access the Open Call 2026, applications must be submitted by 15 January 2027 via the form available on the official Social Business Earth website. The program reserved for selected ventures is linked to the Social Business Conference 2027, scheduled for 19 May in Lugano, where the projects will be presented and the Sapiens Natura Prize awarded.

Source: cdt.ch