Call for
Social Shifters Global Innovation Challenge

Application Deadline:
31 July 2025
About Organisation
Social Shifters is a global platform dedicated to empowering young change-makers who are tackling some of the world’s most pressing social and environmental challenges. Focused on creating a more inclusive, sustainable future, the organization nurtures youth-led projects by offering knowledge, connections, and opportunities to thrive. Social Shifters helps aspiring entrepreneurs and young leaders access tools to transform innovative ideas into impactful actions. They work closely with global partners and brands to amplify the reach and effectiveness of social ventures, connecting young talent with mentorship, funding, and visibility. Their initiatives align with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), striving to reduce inequalities and promote justice, environmental sustainability, and inclusive economic growth. With an emphasis on youth leadership and innovation, Social Shifters bridges the gap between bold ideas and real-world change. Through initiatives like the Global Innovation Challenge, the organization supports young leaders with the resources they need to scale their impact globally, ensuring that their concepts do not remain just on paper but evolve into fully operational ventures that address critical global issues.
About the Grant
The Social Shifters Global Innovation Challenge 2025 is a global call for young impact-driven leaders aged 18 to 30 who are spearheading social or environmental ventures. This initiative aims to equip young founders with not only financial support but also mentorship, exposure, and access to valuable learning resources. Designed to elevate the efforts of youth-led startups or projects, the challenge supports ideas that tackle challenges aligned with the SDGs—including poverty, climate change, education, and equality. Entrants can receive funding ranging from $3,000 to $15,000 USD, helping them with project development, equipment, communication efforts, team-building, and other related expenses. What sets this grant apart is its comprehensive support system that goes beyond funding. Participants gain peer support, mentorship from industry leaders, and extended access to learning and networking tools. The grant serves as a launchpad for projects with measurable impact and scalable potential. Submissions will be assessed on leadership, innovation, impact, and youth involvement. Successful applicants will join a global cohort of changemakers, receiving continuous encouragement and opportunities to expand their initiatives even after the grant period concludes.
Who can Apply?
The Social Shifters Global Innovation Challenge is open exclusively to young individuals between the ages of 18 and 30 by the submission deadline of 31 July 2025. Applicants must provide valid, government-issued identification to confirm their age. The grant targets individuals who are the primary force behind their project or startup and are deeply involved in leadership and strategic decision-making. Projects must be led by youth, with at least 51% of decision-making power held by people within the eligible age group.
Teams or organizations where young founders are the majority stakeholders and maintain full control of operations are welcome to apply. Subdivisions of larger nonprofits or businesses can also be considered, provided they are youth-led and operate with independent strategic and operational autonomy.
Applicants from all countries are encouraged to apply, with the exception of those from nations currently under UK financial sanctions—namely Russia, Belarus, Syria, North Korea, Iran, Cuba, and Venezuela. To be considered, the project must address a social or environmental issue with clear, measurable outcomes and show potential for scalable, long-term impact. Any submission that fails to meet these requirements or provides inaccurate information will be disqualified from the challenge.
How to Apply?
Interested young leaders must prepare a project proposal showcasing their idea’s innovation, impact, and youth leadership. Applicants should detail how their project addresses global challenges and aligns with the SDGs. Supporting documents, including proof of age and leadership role, are required. Submissions must be completed through the official application platform before the deadline. Shortlisted candidates will be evaluated further based on scalability, originality, and potential for meaningful change.
Application Deadline
All applications must be submitted before the official closing date of 31 July 2025. Late or incomplete submissions will not be considered for evaluation.
Last Date To Apply
The final date to submit your project proposal for the Social Shifters Global Innovation Challenge is 31 July 2025. Ensure all required materials are complete and submitted on time.
Grant Amount
Selected projects will receive funding ranging from $3,000 to $15,000 USD, supporting activities such as equipment purchase, team training, marketing, and other essential project development costs.
Last Date To Apply
For more information, please visit the grant website here.
Explore More Grants
Call for Grant Applications -Bridging Narratives Grant Program

Application Deadline:
20 November 2024
About Organisation
The Contrapuntal is an independent non-profit publication committed to delivering rigorously researched, accessible, and factually accurate journalism from a ground-up perspective. Inspired by Edward Said’s concept of contrapuntal reading, the publication examines the intertwined histories of colonizers and colonized, offering a nuanced approach to complex global issues. With a focus on political economy, migration, ecology, and culture, The Contrapuntal prioritizes people-centric stories, emphasizing voices often silenced and unpacking the structures that perpetuate such silencing. The platform rejects “objective truth” storytelling and false balance, instead aiming to critique oversimplified narratives, particularly those affecting the Global South. By uniting researchers, journalists, activists, artists, and critical thinkers, The Contrapuntal strives to provide diverse perspectives on contemporary global issues.
About the Grant
The Bridging Narratives Grant is an intersectional initiative funded by the International Institute of Social Studies (ISS) at Erasmus University Rotterdam. It aims to foster collaborative projects between independent journalists and social scientists, blending academic research and journalism to produce critical, people-centered narratives. The selected projects will address key global themes such as migration, political economy, ecology, and culture, highlighting their local implications through in-depth reporting. The goal is to create high-quality, participatory content that is disseminated through The Contrapuntal’s digital magazine. In addition to financial support, successful applicants will attend a workshop focused on journalism-research collaborations, culminating in an edited volume reflecting on the challenges and opportunities of merging the two fields.
Who can Apply?
The Bridging Narratives Grant is open to applicants from around the world, including India. This opportunity is available to journalists and researchers from all career stages, including academic staff, independent researchers, PhD students, and early-career scholars. The project encourages applications from those engaged with critical issues related to migration, political economy, ecology, and culture, though other relevant themes are also welcome. Both individual and joint applications are accepted. Individual applicants will be paired with a researcher after pitch submission, while journalist-researcher teams can submit joint proposals. Applicants must be committed to collaborative work that merges academic research with investigative journalism to produce impactful, people-centered stories.
How to Apply?
Application Deadline
The application deadline is 20 November 2024.
Last Date To Apply
For more information, please visit the grant website here.