top of page

Looking to turn your social impact idea into reality?

The Aspire program breaks down barriers to entry, helps you strengthen your core skills and cross-functional knowledge needed to take the next step on the road to social entrepreneurship.

[APPLICATIONS ARE NOW CLOSED]

Two women sit at a table. In the foreground, a woman holds a model of a wind turbine as she laughs.
Asset 1_3x.png

Aspire Incubation program

Asset 1_3x.png

Aspire is an incubation program to support you in the development of your social impact business idea.
Throughout 8 weeks, together with other change makers, you will improve your entrepreneurial and digital skills and strengthen your impact capabilities. You will have the opportunity to consolidate your idea and prepare to launch it.

The course modality is fully online, with weekly live workshops with expert trainers in the ecosystem, assignments and group activities. Aspire is an intensive course that requires about 5-7 hours of involvement from you each week, but with immense value for your idea and its future.  If you complete the program you will have access to a grant of up to 10,000 euros to test your idea and launch your social enterprise.

1

Onboarding and introduction to social entrepreneurship

The first week will welcome the participants to the program’s elements and organization, the main topic to be covered will be on the key concepts of social entrepreneurship.

3

Designing innovative solutions by putting people at the center

How to collaboratively design innovative services and products so that they respond to people's real problems, adopting a customer centric approach? How to create a distinctive social value propositions?

5

From idea to organization: economic sustainability and legal forms

How to prototype my solution with limited resources? How to test it with users in a collaborative way to validate my idea?

7

Pitching

How to make an effective pitch to convince different actors of the validity of my idea?

2

From problems to "business" models for the social economy

How to define the problem that drives the development of impact ideas? What business model to adopt to reconcile impact and economic sustainability, within the wider context of SDG's?

4

Impact prototyping and testing

How to prototype my solution with limited resources? How to test it with users in a collaborative way to validate my idea?

6

Digital tools for communication and management

How can digital tools help me implement an effective communication strategy and manage activities within the team?

8

Experimentation and fundraising 

How to start experimenting with my service or product? How to seek funding to support my organization financially in the initial stages?

Selection Criteria:

  • Motivation: We’re looking for applicants who recognise their own potential; individuals who see their previous educational, professional or personal experience as part of their ongoing social entrepreneurship journey.

  • Ambition: Social Tides applicants should be able to clearly articulate their idea and vision, why it is relevant and how it will help bring about positive change to an urgent societal problem.

  • Feasibility: Your proposal should be realistic in its scope and approach. We are looking for promising projects which are well-defined, to be able to benefit most from our program.

  • Proximity: Your application should include your personal connection to the challenge you’re working to solve. We’re looking for individuals who are working with, and on behalf of, their communities.

Administrative Criteria:

  • You are 18+ years of age

  • You have the legal ability to work and register a company in your home country

  • You can provide a national ID, proof of residence and vetted bank account details for reception of the cash grant

  • At this stage, applications are open to individuals based in France, Germany, Greece Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Slovenia and Spain

  • Your idea needs to target at least one European country

  • You are available to participate in an intensive online program for 8 weeks, with live sessions within working hours (approx. 3 hours per live session) and weekly individual and group assignments.

Meet the participants and the trainers of past cohorts and get inspired!

Program Phases

1

Applications Open

All interested social entrepreneurs are invited to submit their ideas and solutions.

2

Selection

The applications that best meet the criteria will reviewed

by the jury.

3

Results Announcement

About a month after the applications' dealdine.

4

Program begins

Finalists join the 8-week program.

bottom of page