SAB Foundation Social Innovation and Disability Empowerment Awards 2026 (up to R1,300,000) – YOA

Deadline: March 16, 2026

Applications are open for the SAB Foundation Social Innovation and Disability Empowerment Awards 2026. The Social Innovation Awards programme is geared toward entrepreneurs and social enterprises whose merchandise, providers or enterprise fashions reply to actual limitations confronted by ladies, youth, folks dwelling in rural areas and individuals with disabilities. They recognise innovators with prototypes or early-stage companies tackling social challenges throughout sectors equivalent to well being, housing, rural livelihoods, vitality, water and monetary inclusion.

The awards supply funding, alongside tailor-made mentorship, technical assist and enterprise growth help to assist strengthen and scale early-stage ventures. Since 2015, the programme has invested over R88 million in funding and enterprise growth assist, backing greater than 200 innovators. These ventures collectively make use of greater than 4,000 folks and assist over 16,000 livelihoods.

Award

• Awards can vary from R300,000 – R1,300,000, together with enterprise growth assist to help with enterprise progress.
• In addition to the prize cash detailed above, the awardees are assessed on a case-by-case foundation and positioned on a tailor-made mentorship programme. This programme is versatile and adjusted to the wants of every awardee, as mutually agreed by each awardee and mentor.

Eligibility

• If you’ve got beforehand obtained help from the SAB Foundation by means of the Tholoana Enterprise Programme, you aren’t eligible to apply.
• The SAB Foundation Social Innovation and Disability Empowerment Awards are open to any innovation resolution that gives a reputable prospect of assembly a demonstrable social and/ or financial want evidenced by the SAB Foundation’s goal low-revenue beneficiary teams (with a selected emphasis on innovation that advantages ladies, youth, individuals with disabilities and folks dwelling in rural areas), in addition to demonstrating potential as sustainable companies.
• Entries are welcomed from South African people, innovators, entrepreneurs, social enterprises and college departments. Entrants might enter as people on their very own, or as members of a crew, wherein case one particular person crew chief shall full the web application type.
• The innovation entered have to be the unique work of the applicant and a real innovation and/ or a big enchancment on an current expertise, product, service, and manufacturing methodology or enterprise mannequin.
• Product innovation covers improvements in each items and providers, which will be divided into new or improved merchandise. A brand new product has completely different traits and supposed makes use of than current merchandise. It might use new applied sciences, data and merchandise or a mixture of those. An improved product is an current product whose efficiency is considerably elevated; when it comes to both elevated output or a discount in price.
• Process innovation is the adaption or creation of improved methods to ship a services or products. It might come from adjustments in data, notion and understanding. For poverty discount, course of improvements can improve the extent of service supply to beneficiaries or allow practitioners to attain beforehand untouched teams or people.
• Applications are open to all South African residents, 18 years or older. All members should submit a licensed copy of their South African identification doc with their on-line purposes.
• The innovation/resolution will need to have progressed previous the “blue-sky” considering stage: there have to be some proof of funding by the applicant. This implies that candidates have to be ready to present proof that prior to making use of, they’ve frolicked and/or cash creating the innovation: planning, creating and testing prototypes, market and trade analysis, creating a marketing strategy.

Judging Criteria

• Originality: How modern is the answer? Is it a considerably new enterprise mannequin, product, service or manufacturing methodology?
• Social influence: Can the innovation remedy a severe social drawback which impacts the SAB Foundation goal teams?
• Viability: To what extent is the innovation/resolution commercially viable, to guarantee its sustainability?
• Applicability to SAB Foundation’s goal teams: Which of SAB Foundation’s goal teams are ready to use this social innovation to convey important improve to their total high quality of life?
• Job creation: Is there potential for the creation of direct and oblique sustainable jobs at present or sooner or later?

Application

Click here to apply

For extra info, go to Social Innovation and Disability Empowerment Awards.