The Social Business Innovation Lab (SBI-LAB)
presents
the Open Call 2025
Registrations are now open until December 31, 2025! Register your social business or impact-driven startup now!
The Open call has five main goals:
- Pre-selecting impact startups that will participate in the Investment Readiness and Pitching Program (IRPP) free of charge
- Selecting 5 impact startups that participatedstartups that participated in the IRPP to pitch in front of key stakeholders and investors and facilitate their access to financing by giving them visibility at the Social Business Conference (SBC), which will be held on May 21, 2026 in Lugano, Switzerland.
- Identifying high-potential impact startups at local level that may become guests at the SBI-LAB in Lugano
- Engaging local and international stakeholders to expand the Social Business Ecosystem in Canton Ticino and the World through concrete commitments (mentoring, sponsoring one or more desks for impact startups at the SBI-LAB, investing in a impact startup)
- Contributing to the achievement of one or more UN SDGs
Open Call 2025 Timeline
- September 08, 2025. – Open Call 2025 starts
- Social entrepreneurs register using the form on Social Business Earth’s website.
- December 31, 2025 – Registration closed
- January 2026 – Pre-selection of impact startups who will participate in the Investment Readiness Program, starting on Feb. 16.
- February 16 -March 31, 2026 – Investment Readiness and Pitching Program
- April 13-17, 2026 – Selection of high potential startups to pitch at SBC 2026.
- April 20-24, 2026 – Mock Pitching with Mentors
- May 21, 2026 – SBC 2026 and Pitch Day.
Startups Eligibility and Profile
- Startup operates under one or more UN SDGs
- Applicant must be 18 years of age or older
- Startup has been established for at least 6 months and not more than 4 years.
- Startup has evidence of initial traction (at least a basic user/revenue report shown in the pitch deck).
- Submit a pitching video of max. 5 minutes.
- Apply via our registration form.
- Submit a pitching video with the following requirements:
-Video submission in the form of link (from Youtube, Google Drive, etc.)
-Video length: up to 5 minutes
-Make sure the speaker and the slides are visible and the audio is audible
-Pitching and pitch deck should be in English only
Criteria of Impact Startup Pre-selection to Participate in Investment Readiness Program
1.Problem Statement
2.Solution
3.Business Model
How the business model works and generates revenues, type of product/service, capacity to be financially sustainable.
4.Impact (Social, Environmental and Financial) and SDGs
Short, medium and long-term impact of the impact startup and how it contributes to achieving one or more SDGs. Explanation should provide specific SDG indicators.
5.Team
Academic background, expertise, specific competence in the field, role in the startup, previous work experience, why is the person most suitable for the role
6.Feasibility
Technical and legal aspects, timeline, risks, SWOT analysis
7.Scalability and Replicability potential
Is the impact startup scalable or replicable? What is your strategy for scaling up?
8.Innovation and Creativity
The ability of the impact startup to propose new, original and unique solutions to challenges and problems that can translate into benefits and advantages, positively impacting the lives of individuals, communities and the environment.
9.Maturity
Maturity refers to the date in which the principal balance of an investment/loan becomes due and payable. How many years will the impact startup take to pay the investment back? Should provide a maturity plan.
Originality and Intellectual Property
- Participant represents and warrants that the impact startup is and will be the participant’s or participant’s teams own original work and does not and will not infringe the intellectual property or proprietary rights of any third party, including, without limitation, any third-party patents, copyrights or trademarks. Should third parties nonetheless file a claim for the violation of their rights, and should such violation be the result of intentional or grossly negligent conduct of the participant, then the participant shall be liable for any and all damages.
- Entries may be subject to a due diligence review at any time for eligibility and compliance.
- All submissions remain the intellectual property of the individuals or teams that developed them. By registering, consenting to the terms of the Open Call 2025, the participant agrees that all materials (e.g. business plan, financial plan, pitch deck, etc.) of preselected startups will be made available to the organizers and, if selected among the top 8, to potential investors at the SBC 2026
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FAQ - OPEN CALL 2025
We welcome applications from startups that have been established at least 6 months prior to September 2025 and not more than 4 years prior to September 2025. The startups work to contribute to one or more UN SDGs. See our Open Call page for more details on eligibility.
We will contact you via email by the end of January 2026. So be sure to put the right email when applying!
February 16, 2026.
The IRP will build skills and capacity to facilitate access to social finance investments. The program is tailored to each startup and covers different topics such as the main aspects of business planning, impact measurement, pitching techniques, speaking the language of investors and corporates, and more.
Professionals from the Social Business Innovation Lab and its network of partners and stakeholders.
2 months with 1-2 sessions every week.
Central European Time (CET), online via a platform to be confirmed (e.g. Zoom)
The IRPP sessions for the group will be recorded and you will be able to follow them online. The IRPP individual sessions will be organized directly with the social entrepreneur according to his/her availability.
We will contact you via email by April 17, 2026.
You will have a once in a lifetime opportunity to pitch your social startup to a group of potential investors. If you are a local social startup, based in Ticino or Switzerland, you will be entered into a draw to win a workstation at the Social Business Innovation Lab for a year with 10 hours of consulting free of charge. We are working to raise funds for a grant to give to the top three social startups.
You can bring tools/props and such for your presentation as long as they are not dangerous, oversized or causing potential damage to the event property.
Yes, depending on the situation, which will have to be discussed with and assessed by the organizers. If approved, the pitch will have to be live. No previously recorded pitches will be allowed.
Nothing specific, we recommend (business) casual dress code.
Both the IRPP and the Social Business Conference 2026 will be in English. All pitches must be in English.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact info@socialbusinessearth.org specifying in your subject line: Open Call 2025 – Question.