Tag Archives: entrepreneurship

ALLIANZ MOVENOW SOCIAL INNOVATION CHALLENGE

Application Deadline: December 18, 2026

LOCATION: USA

The MoveNow Social Innovation Challenge supports a global ecosystem of young impact founders, enabling youth-led solutions for and from underserved communities to take root and thrive.

ELIGIBILITY:

The MoveNow Social Innovation Challenge will support youth-led startups, ventures, and projects that align with any one of the following three award categories:

Financial Confidence in the Digital Economy Backing young innovators who strengthen local economies by enabling entrepreneurs and SMEs to start, grow, and sustain businesses with financial confidence—through the digital tools, skills, and financial knowledge needed to thrive in an evolving economy.

Closing the Health Gap: Equality in Health Ecosystems Supporting young innovators in creating health solutions that address systemic gaps, particularly the underrepresentation of women and marginalized groups in health research, health services, and diagnostics, using community-led and technology-enabled approaches.

Community-Led Climate Resilience: From Early Warning to Resilient LivelihoodsBacking young innovators who help vulnerable communities, rural and urban, prepare for and thrive despite the impacts of climate change, through locally-rooted solutions that combine technology with community knowledge to build lasting resilience.

Applicants are highly encouraged to leverage AI and emerging technologies while demonstrating responsible and ethical use of technology and personal data. All solutions should demonstrate inclusive design principles and consider digital accessibility for diverse users. Solutions both for and from underserved communities will be prioritized.

The Allianz MoveNow Social Innovation Challenge is designed to give young impact founders a platform; providing grant funding awards, unique leadership learning, and exclusive exposure through one of the worlds biggest brands.

To be eligible for this program your social startup must be:

YOUTH-LED – Founders leading the startup or project must be between 18 and 30 years old and have clear decision making authority.

IMPACT FOCUSED – Startups and projects must address a clearly defined social or environmental issue and have measurable social outputs and impact.

BENEFIT:

Grant Funding Awards: Multiple awards of $5,000 and $10,000 USD will be allocated, totaling $30,000 in each of our three main award categories (see above).

Free Founder & Startup Support: They’ll help founders to develop strong submissions and provide access to exclusive learning materials and an Allianz business mentor to support all finalist founders.

Global Opportunities Network: All eligible applicants gain exclusive access to all-year-round opportunities, grant funding awards, and paid work and training with Social Shifters!

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HEALTH INNOVATION HUB PITCH PERFECT AFRICA 2026

Application Deadline: September 29, 2026

LOCATION: Canada

Applications are now open for Pitch Perfect Africa 2026! Now in its second year, Pitch Perfect Africa celebrates and supports entrepreneurs developing health-focused innovations across Africa. Six H2i Level 2 ventures will be selected to pitch their innovations to a panel of expert judges.

Pitch Perfect was created to provide early-stage H2i ventures with funding and pitch opportunities. It also helps ventures strengthen their investment readiness through a competitive pitch experience. The program expanded to H2i’s African venture community in 2025.

ELIGIBILITY:

Applicants must:

Be a current H2i Level 2 HENT venture onboarded by their lead mentor by August 31, 2026. No exceptions. H2i Level 2 ventures are in the Discovery stage of H2i’s four-level venture development model.

Have not previously won Pitch Perfect Africa. Past finalists who did not win are welcome to reapply.

Not part of the H2i community yet? They encourage interested ventures to join the H2i community as a client company to access mentorship, programs, and future opportunities.

To apply for the Pitch Perfect Africa 2026, complete the application form on the programme website.

They recommend drafting and saving your responses in a separate document before submitting the application.

Questions? Email h2i.international@utoronto.ca.

This program is designed and implemented by Health Innovation Hub (H2i) under the Africa Health Collaborative in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation.

Key Dates:

Applications Open: Tuesday, September 8, 2026

Application Deadline: Tuesday, September 29, 2026, at 11:59pm (Eastern Time)

Building a Winning Pitch Masterclass: Friday, October 9, 2026

Pitch Competition (Virtual): Monday, November 16, 2026

BENEFIT:

Three ventures will each receive a CAD $5,000 Innovation Fellowship to support the continued development of their work.

Please note: Fellowship payments may take three to four months to be processed following the competition.

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