Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship - Social Innovation Awards

Enriched – · Found: 2026-03-13 17:21

Annual awards recognizing leading social entrepreneurs and innovators worldwide in environmental and circular economy fields. Awardees gain multi-year WEF and Schwab network access, visibility, and introductions to potential funders and partners for scaling circular plastic value chains.

Source: https://www.weforum.org/communities/schwab-foundation-for-social-entrepreneurship

Funding Details

Funder

Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship

Funding Goal

Annual recognition and network access for leading social entrepreneurs and social innovators worldwide through the Schwab Foundation Awards. Awardees gain multi-year access to the World Economic Forum (WEF) community, high-level networking, media visibility, and introductions to potential funders, partners, and policymakers. Focus sectors include circular economy, environmental sustainability, and inclusive economic models.

Funding Amount

No direct cash award; value is through multi-year WEF and Schwab Foundation network access, visibility at Davos and WEF events, and connections to investors and donors

Deadline

Annual; typically applications/nominations open mid-year for award announcement the following year (periodic)

How to Apply

Annual application/nomination process through schwabfound.org. Applicants submit through the Foundation's online portal during the open nomination window. Selection involves multi-stage evaluation including self-assessment, peer review, and panel selection.

Target Region

Global

Contact

Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship, World Economic Forum, 91-93 route de la Capite, CH-1223 Cologny/Geneva, Switzerland

Official Page

https://www.schwabfound.org/

Last Checked

2026-05-07 01:47

Application Checklist

Eligibility

• Must demonstrate proven, scalable social innovation with measurable positive impact
• Open to both individual social entrepreneurs and leaders of established impact organizations

Project Scope

• Evidence of replicable model and ethical governance required

Required Documents

• Annual nomination cycle — check schwabfound.org for current application window

Constraints

• Award provides network access and visibility, not direct cash funding
• Highly competitive global selection process

Summary

The Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship recognizes and supports leading social entrepreneurs and social innovators through its annual awards programme, conducted in partnership with the World Economic Forum. The programme is one of the world's most prestigious recognitions for social innovation and system-changing approaches to societal challenges. Awardees receive multi-year access to the WEF community including invitations to the Davos Annual Meeting, industry-specific WEF events, and the Schwab Foundation's thematic summits. This platform provides visibility to heads of state, CEOs, institutional investors, and media at the highest global levels. The Foundation actively facilitates introductions to potential funders, strategic partners, and policymakers who can support scaling of awardees' models. The Schwab Foundation recognizes multiple categories of social innovators including Social Entrepreneurs (individual founders), Social Innovation Leaders (executives in established impact organizations), and Corporate Social Intrapreneurs. All categories require demonstrated impact at scale, evidence of a replicable model, and strong ethical and governance standards. Thematic scope is broad — the Foundation has recognized innovators in environmental sustainability, circular economy, clean energy, education, healthcare, financial inclusion, and food security. Social entrepreneurs working on plastic waste value chains, circular plastic economies, and marine conservation have been recognized in past cycles. There is no direct cash award — the primary value is network access, visibility, and facilitated connections. However, for organizations seeking to raise their international profile and access high-net-worth donors and institutional investors, the WEF affiliation can be transformative. Applications are annual and competitive at global scale.

Historical Context

The Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship was created in 1998 by Klaus and Hilde Schwab, founders of the WEF. Since inception, it has recognized over 400 social entrepreneurs and innovators from 60+ countries across all thematic areas.

Sources

• https://www.weforum.org/communities/schwab-foundation-for-social-entrepreneurship
• https://www.schwabfound.org/apply

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