Applications are now open for the AI and Social Mobility Challenge Prize, a new UK initiative supporting ventures that use AI and emerging technologies to improve social mobility outcomes 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 will back practical, responsible, and scalable solutions across areas including education, employability, digital skills, mentoring, inclusive recruitment, and career navigation.

Selected ventures will receive expert-led workshops and mentoring, investor and funder readiness support, ecosystem connections, Microsoft Azure credits, and access to non-dilutive grant funding.

Applications are open from 22 June to 20 July 2026. Learn more and apply via the programme page.

The Challenge Prize builds on a year of research and stakeholder engagement. In 2025, we convened young people, educators, policymakers, researchers, employers, and technology founders to explore how innovation could help address barriers to social mobility. The findings informed the design of the programme and identified key opportunities for technology to support more equitable pathways into education, skills development, and employment.

Read our scoping paper, From Insight to Action: Launching a Challenge Prize for AI & Social Mobility, to learn more about the research and insights that shaped the programme.

Download the scoping paper here.