Do you have a strong insight into a social or environmental problem? Do you have an idea or a solution for that problem? Are you ambitious, entrepreneurial, and passionate about social change?
Ideas Academy
Supporting budding social entrepreneurs to move from idea to action
Applications are open from 7th April to 1st May (deadline extended).
Overview
This three-month programme provides you with the knowledge and tools you need to help you to deepen your understanding of the problem and kick-start your idea to get testing and piloting.
Participants on the Ideas Academy are supported to clearly articulate, refine and progress their solution, to build skills and accelerate learning in core areas of importance to social entrepreneurship, and to move from idea to piloting.
The programme is mostly delivered online with 5 in-person events and workshops (as detailed in the applicant guide).
Training & Support
The Ideas Academy is designed to help participants clearly articulate, refine, and progress their solutions to social challenges. The programme provides structured training and support to build essential skills, accelerate learning, and move from idea to action.
Over twelve weeks, participants engage in a mix of in-person and online sessions, including:
- Core learning workshops to refine problem understanding, validate solutions, develop an action plan, and practice storytelling and pitching
- Group discussions for deeper exploration of learnings and peer feedback and support
- Networking opportunities with fellow social entrepreneurs and sector experts
The programme includes 5 in-person events: a selection workshop, a launch, two mid-programme events, and a graduation ceremony. Participants also have access to ongoing support from SEI and a wider community of changemakers.
Time-commitment
The programme requires a commitment of 3-6 hours per week, which includes your attendance at workshops and group discussions, as well as work you will action outside of these sessions.
Participants must attend all core learning workshops to successfully complete the programme.
Funding Available
At the end of the programme all participants have the opportunity to apply to pitch for a portion of €20,000 seed funding to further pilot their idea.
Who is eligible?
- You must have a strong insight into or a strong understanding of a social or environmental problem
- You must have identified a social or environmental problem and have a solution with high potential to tackle it.
- You, and your solution partner (if applying as partnership), must be aged 18 years or over at the time of applying for the programme.
- You must be the person/people leading on this idea/solution – the main driver(s) and decision maker(s).
- The primary focus of the impact of your solution must be in Ireland.
- You must be willing to commit to full attendance for all of the core workshops sessions on the Ideas Academy. You are willing and able to commit to the following:
- attending mandatory Selection Process and key Programme events (such as the launch) outlined in the programme guide.
- engaging with the programme for the equivalent of 3- 6 hours per week during the months of September – November
Note: Social Entrepreneurs Ireland does not support research projects, party-political projects, or projects with an explicit religious or faith-based agenda – as opposed to projects that are driven by a personal belief system but are open to all the community.
We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds and we are committed to providing equal opportunities regardless of gender identity, marital status, family status, age, disability, sexual orientation, race, ethnicity or religion. (The Equal Status Acts 2000-2018)
