Global Impact Report

2025

Young people are not passive observers of decline. They are actively working to reclaim their future.

In 15+ years of Social Impact Award, we have never seen the narrative of progress give way to fear, nostalgia, and resignation quite like in 2025. And yet, young people are showing time and time again they are willing and able to reverse the trend. When given the opportunity, they turn ideas into action and action into solutions that change lives, communities, and systems.

Social Impact Award is fueling the movement for a more just, sustainable and prosperous society by empowering young people through impact-driven entrepreneurial journeys in our international community.

In 2025, we made great steps towards achieving our ambition 2030. Our Global Impact Report illustrates the power of the SIA community, showing founders transforming personal experience into systemic solutions, participants growing in confidence, as well as mentors, partners, and alumni working together to make youth-led change stronger, more visible, and more resilient.

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Our partnership with Social Impact Award reflects our belief that business should be a driving force for good in the world. Since 2021, we have worked closely with them to strengthen local social entrepreneurship ecosystems across 12 countries and give youth a platform to transform their intentions for impact into action. 2025 was another standout year in this collaboration, with record participation numbers and impressive impact ventures. SIA's genuine commitment to empowering young people and the quality of their offerings has made them a valuable, long-lasting partner. We are looking forward to another successful year highlighting the power of young people worldwide.

Hemang Desai

Global Head of Corporate Social Responsibility at SAP

Key Outputs

Our 4 areas of activity, driving our vision for a better world.

Fueling Ventures

Building Skills

Shaping Community

Shifting mindsets

Key Outcome

Fueling Ventures

We support up-and-coming social innovators in building impact-driven ventures that transform society for the better.

Our incubation transforms innovative ideas into viable social enterprises through personalised mentorship, capacity building workshops, and peer-to-peer support. The most promising ventures receive the Social Impact Award, providing them with the pre-seed funding necessary to cover initial costs.

Solving the Problem

94,5%

of venture teams have a deep understanding of how their product/service can address the challenge they are working to solve.

Awarded Funding

€92.546

Success Story

The story of MyProtectify, a digital support service for victims of domestic violence, in the words of their founder Sogol Kordi.

"The idea for MyProtectify came from my own life. I experienced domestic violence myself, along with all the unclear information, closed doors, and lack of empathy that comes when looking for a way out. I wanted to create something that supported victims and truly empowered them. I never imagined that there were entire programs dedicated to bringing social impact ideas like mine into the world.
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When I applied to SIA, our organization had only existed for a few weeks. Today, we have a functional product, a team, and received major speaking opportunities. Building myProtectify has given me a strong sense of agency and responsibility. Every day, it feels meaningful to actively contribute to supporting people affected by domestic violence, who often remain unseen.”

Sogol Kordi

Founder & Head of Partnerships - MyProtectify

Key Outcome

Building Skills

Our participants acquire the competencies and agency necessary to build a better future for themselves and others.

Our journeys put participants in the driver's seat, allowing them to develop the confidence and skills needed to imagine and shape a more just and sustainable future. Participants get access to mentors and experts from relevant fields with extensive experience in solving challenges unique to early-stage impact venture founders.

Getting Started

81,8%

of Discovery Journey participants learned how to develop and implement a social enterprise idea.

Mentor Support

87%

of venture teams felt their mentor had the right professional experience to support them.

Discovery Journey Launch

The story of Kirsten Wünsche, participant in the first edition of the Discovery Journey.

An idea had been circulating in my head for a while, but it was very early stage. A friend told me about SIA and after seeing that the Discovery Journey was for people just starting out, I applied. The diversity of the community and the international nature of the program really helped broaden my perspectives. I became more confident to pursue my idea, prototype, fundraise, and attend other programs. I don’t know if I would have started, if it weren’t for the Discovery Journey.

Kirsten Wünsche

Discovery Journey Participant

Key Outcome

Shifting Mindsets

Our in-person activities and digital content guide young people towards discovering their potential for impact.

Our video and audio content guides people towards careers with purpose, highlighting inspirational career paths and sharing concrete tips for action. Our in-person activities create the environment needed for young people to understand their motivations and build the confidence to pursue innovative ideas.

The Purpose Revolution Podcast

A love letter to solving society’s toughest challenges and why it’s the best job in the world.

5.600.000

views across Social Media

5000

hours of consumed content

Key Outcome

Shaping Community

SIA is a safe, supportive, international community of changemakers fueling the movement for a just and sustainable society.

From international gatherings to national meetups, our community welcomes people from all backgrounds. Partners, alumni, participants, mentors, and team members all play a role in keeping the spirit of SIA alive.

SIA Summit 2025

Our once-a-year global gathering, celebrating the incredible work of the SIA community, landed for the first time in Slovenia. Winners from 16 SIA countries, alumni, team members, and experts from the public, private, and civil society sector gathered for 3 days of connection, skill-building workshops, and thought-provoking discussions in Ljubljana.

Safe, Diverse, and International

87.3%

of participants felt SIA was a safe space where they could be themselves without judgment

1554

alumni ventures from 25+ countries

Network Development

Shifting towards a multi-node, decentralized network.

From launching our Youth Council to expanding to new countries, our network grows bigger, stronger, and more resilient.

2025 saw us launch our very own Youth Council, enabling alumni to advise us on key areas such as program design, strategy, and network growth. SIA expanded to Bulgaria for the first time in history, and launched a new co-hosting framework, enabling SIA hosts to bring international gatherings to their countries.