AI and Social Mobility Challenge Prize
Funding and support for ventures expanding opportunities for young people through AI
AI and emerging technologies are rapidly reshaping education, employment, and access to opportunity.
With intentional design, AI offers an opportunity to help address existing inequalities by removing barriers facing young people. The AI and Social Mobility Challenge Prize is a venture support programme that backs startups using AI and emerging technologies to help young people from lower socio-economic backgrounds in the UK access pathways into education, skills, employment, and long-term opportunity.
Delivered by EY Foundation and Social Tech Trust, in partnership with the Social Mobility Commission, and supported by Microsoft, HSF Kramer, EY, Fieldfisher, and LinkedIn.
Applications open: 22 June 2026
By submitting an application, applicants confirm that, if shortlisted, they are willing to participate in any independence, due diligence, or compliance checks required by programme partners.
Application deadline: 20 July 2026.
The Challenge
AI and emerging technologies are already transforming how people learn, work, apply for jobs, access services, and navigate their futures. Yet the opportunities created by technological change are not equally distributed. Today, a growing number of young people are out of education, employment, or training, and the barriers facing those from lower socio-economic backgrounds are widening. At the same time, many emerging technologies are being developed for young people from lower socio-economic backgrounds without sufficient consideration of inclusion, accessibility, or long-term social impact.
The AI and Social Mobility Challenge Prize is looking for early-stage ventures approaching this differently: practical, responsible, and scalable solutions that use AI and emerging technologies to improve outcomes for young people. The programme is primarily focused on AI-driven solutions, while remaining open to other emerging technologies that support social mobility outcomes. The Challenge Prize and its partners are looking for businesses and solutions driving meaningful outcomes for young people in the UK, so they benefit from the way AI is reshaping work and opportunity rather than being left behind by it.
What is a Challenge Prize?
Challenge prizes stimulate innovation around complex social problems by supporting a diverse range of ventures, ideas, and approaches. Rather than prescribing a single solution, they create space for innovators to test, strengthen, and scale new responses to pressing challenges.
The AI and Social Mobility Challenge Prize combines venture support, expert guidance, ecosystem connections, visibility, and grant funding to help ventures strengthen both their impact and their long-term viability.
What We Are Looking For
We are seeking ventures using AI or emerging technology to support young people from lower socio-economic backgrounds in the UK into work, skills, or opportunity. We are particularly interested in ventures working across areas such as EdTech and learning access, the Future of Work and youth employability, workforce inclusion and inclusive recruitment, AI literacy and digital skills, career navigation, mentoring and guidance, and accessibility, wellbeing, and financial capability.
For example, solutions could be AI-powered career navigation and job-matching tools, personalised learning and skills platforms, tech-enabled tools that widen access to apprenticeships and training, inclusive recruitment and screening tools, or mentoring and guidance platforms.
Solutions should demonstrate a meaningful and responsible use of AI or emerging technology, a clear understanding of the target user group, a credible route to sustainable growth, and a measurable approach to impact. We are particularly interested in ventures where measurable impact is embedded into the model itself, rather than treated as an afterthought.
What Selected Ventures Receive
This Challenge Prize is focused on capital readiness, helping early-stage ventures build the evidence, model, and narrative to raise their next funding round and expand their impact.
Ventures join a cohort programme that includes:
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30+ hours of structured learning across the programme, building toward investor and funder readiness
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Expert-led sessions from Microsoft, LinkedIn, EY, Fieldfisher, and HSF Kramer, covering commercial growth, legal and structural foundations, technology, and responsible AI
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Access to up to $5,000 in Microsoft Azure credits (based on Microsoft for Startups' criteria)
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One-to-one mentoring and office hours
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Peer learning within the cohort
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Connections to cross-sector networks, investors, and advisors
The programme will distribute a total of £40,000 in non-dilutive funding. The Challenge Prize winner will receive £10,000 and the runner-up £5,000, awarded by an independent judging panel. In addition, all eight shortlisted ventures will receive a £3,125 non-dilutive grant (£25,000 in total) to support the development of their solutions, ensuring that every venture selected for the programme receives funding to accelerate its impact.
The programme culminates in a public-facing event at Parliament in October 2026, highlighting the cohort's work and the need for cross-sector support of solutions that widen opportunity for young people.
Eligibility
We are looking for ventures that have:
A legally registered organisation behind the solution, or a clear pathway to becoming one. We welcome a range of structures, including social enterprises, nonprofits, and companies limited by shares.
Headquarters or operations in the UK, or a clear commitment and pathway to operating in the UK.
A solution that uses AI or emerging technology at its core, where technology is central to how the venture works rather than added as a surface feature. (Emerging technology means new and rapidly developing technologies shaping how people learn, work, and access opportunities.)
A solution that directly addresses one or more of the following areas:
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Learning and education access
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Re-engaging young people not in education, employment, or training
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AI literacy and digital skills
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Digital access and inclusion
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Future of Work and youth employability
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Inclusive recruitment and hiring
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Careers guidance and mentoring
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Wellbeing and essential support
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A working prototype or minimum viable product, at a stage from pre-seed up to raising a seed round.
Meaningful customer or business validation (this can include revenue, successful pilots, user numbers, and/or strategic partnerships).
An impact measurement tool or instrument that is being used to track social impact and social mobility outcomes.
A founder or C-suite member able to participate in all programme activities between August and October 2026.
How to Apply
Applications open on 22 June 2026 and close on 20 July 2026.
The application process includes completing the online form, sharing information about your venture, technology, team, and impact, and explaining how your solution supports young people from lower socio-economic backgrounds. Applications take approximately 60 to 90 minutes to complete. Shortlisted ventures will be invited to interview as part of final cohort selection.
By submitting an application, applicants confirm that, if shortlisted, they are willing to participate in any independence, due diligence, or compliance checks required by programme partners.
AI and Social Mobility Challenge Prize
The AI and Social Mobility Challenge Prize is a collaborative programme focused on how AI and emerging technologies can improve social mobility for young people from lower socio-economic backgrounds.
Delivered by EY Foundation and Social Tech Trust in partnership with the Social Mobility Commission and supported by Microsoft, HSF Kramer, EY, Fieldfisher, and LinkedIn, the programme uses a challenge prize model to identify and support innovative ventures.
Through competition, collaboration, and cross-sector engagement, the Challenge Prize aims to inspire new, practical approaches to supporting young people in education, employment, and skills development.
The programme is also supported by a panel of Expert Advisors and Young People Advisors, including individuals with lived experience of the barriers to social mobility. By bringing together lived experience, technical expertise, and sector knowledge, these advisors help ensure the Challenge Prize remains relevant, inclusive, and focused on the needs of young people.
Who Should Apply
We welcome applications from ventures at pre-seed or seed stages, whatever their structure, including startups, social enterprises, nonprofits, and interdisciplinary teams. What matters is the strength of the venture and its impact on young people from lower socio-economic backgrounds.
We value diverse teams and welcome participants with lived experience of the challenges their venture addresses. We recognise that meaningful innovation often emerges from outside traditional technology ecosystems.
Programme Timeline
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June 2026: Applications open
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July 2026: Applications close and initial screening begins
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July to August 2026: Interviews and final cohort selection
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August 2026: Cohort onboarding begins
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September to October 2026: Expert-led sessions, mentoring, and venture support
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October 2026: Programme culminates in a public-facing event at Parliament
How the Selection Process Works
The Challenge Prize uses a multi-stage selection process designed to be rigorous, fair, and transparent. Applications are assessed across four core dimensions: Challenge Fit, Commercial Viability, Scalability, and Impact. Impact carries particular weight, reflecting the programme's focus on meaningful outcomes for young people from lower socio-economic backgrounds.
The process runs in three stages: initial application screening, venture interviews, and final cohort selection. Applications are reviewed by Social Tech Trust alongside Advisors and Steering Group members from partner organisations.
FAQs
The Challenge Prize is open to ventures using AI or emerging technology to support young people from lower socio-economic backgrounds in the UK.
We are looking for ventures from pre-seed up to seed round, with at least a working prototype or minimum viable product and early signs of traction. Traction can take many forms, from trials and conversations with potential customers through to paying customers and revenue.
Yes. AI or emerging technology should be core to the solution, not simply added as a superficial feature.
Yes. We welcome ventures across a range of structures, provided they meet the eligibility criteria.
We are interested in measurable improvements in opportunity, outcomes, or access for young people from lower socio-economic backgrounds.
Applications open: 22 June 2026
By submitting an application, applicants confirm that, if shortlisted, they are willing to participate in any independence, due diligence, or compliance checks required by programme partners.
Application deadline: 20 July 2026.
Privacy and Data Protection
Applicant data will be processed in accordance with Social Tech Trust’s Privacy Policy. Application data may be reviewed by Social Tech Trust, EY Foundation, Steering Group organisations, Advisors, and judging representatives involved in programme delivery and selection.