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UBS Social Innovators will select high-potential social enterprises that address some of society’s most pressing challenges and, over the course of a year, support them to scale up their operations and impact.
UBS yesterday launched UBS Social Innovators, UBS’s signature global program to select high-potential social enterprises that are delivering innovative solutions to society’s most pressing challenges. The “UBS Social Innovators” will join an Accelerator program in 2017 to help them grow their organizations and achieve greater social impact. This tailored package of support will include access to UBS’s unique network and know-how, global exposure and expert coaching. UBS Social Innovators is being launched with support from Ashoka, global pioneers in the field of social entrepreneurship since 1980.
Eligible social enterprises can be working in any field and tackling a social or environmental issue at any scale from local to international. They must have developed their solutions beyond proof of concept and already be up and running and potentially looking to grow through social investment. Up to 12 shortlisted social enterprises in each participating region will be invited to a two-day Regional Bootcamp, during which they will pitch for a spot in their Regional Final. One social enterprise from each region will earn the title of UBS Social Innovator. They will enter a tailored year-long Accelerator program focused on scaling up their impact and receive a USD 40,000 grant.
UBS Social Innovators is an initiative of UBS and Society, UBS’s cross-divisional platform covering all of UBS’s activities in sustainable investing and philanthropy, environmental and social policies, including supply chain management, and community investment. UBS Social Innovators will build on UBS’s existing support for social entrepreneurs delivered through its programs in Community Affairs, Philanthropy and the Optimus Foundation.
“At UBS, we believe our clients can do well by doing good – that social investments can be profitable investments. But there is a gap: many social enterprises have difficulty growing large enough to become truly investable. We hope to identify innovative social enterprises that are at that difficult point and help them to scale.”
