The Fowler Global Social Innovation Challenge (GSIC) is scheduled to return to San Diego from May 1st to 3rd, 2026, for its annual finals event. This global initiative invites student social entrepreneurs to develop and pitch business solutions that tackle pressing social and environmental challenges. Since its inception in 2011, the program has engaged over 3,000 students from more than 25 countries, distributing over $700,000 in funding and in-kind services to support innovative global ventures that prioritize both positive impact and financial sustainability.
Program Overview and Objectives
- Focuses on student social entrepreneurs creating business solutions for social and environmental issues.
- Encourages engagement with one or more of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
- Aims to seed innovative and promising global ventures with positive impact and financial sustainability.
- Provides a platform for trailblazers, dreamers, and doers to address local or global challenges.
- Connects participants with a global network of changemakers and thought leaders.
Eligibility and Team Requirements
- Open to currently enrolled college or university students.
- Teams must consist of 1 to 5 members.
- Non-students are permitted to join a founding team, but students must be the ones to pitch at the Global Finals.
- Ventures must address social or environmental issues and align with the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
- Participants must analyze a social or environmental challenge and propose a validated potential solution.
Application Details and Timeline
- Applications open on November 14, 2025.
- The application deadline is February 6, 2026.
- Applications are reviewed and approved on a rolling basis to accommodate international participants.
- The selection process focuses on ventures beyond the idea stage, specifically those with MVPs or prototypes ready for launch.
- Evaluation criteria include innovation, feasibility, potential impact, team passion, and a clear path toward market returns and scalable, revenue-generating outcomes.
Awards and Global Finals
- The 2026 Global Finals will be hosted at the University of San Diego in San Diego, CA, from May 1-3, 2026.
- Participants compete for a share of over $175,000 in funding and in-kind services.
- The program has a history of awarding over $700,000 to date to support life-changing ideas.
- The competition provides an opportunity to pitch ideas to a global audience for significant seed funding.
The Fowler GSIC continues to build a global community of visionaries dedicated to creating a lasting impact through sustainable business models. By connecting bold innovators with the resources and network needed to scale their solutions, the challenge serves as a vital catalyst for social change. Interested participants are encouraged to prepare their applications for the upcoming cycle to join this international movement of changemakers and bring their life-changing ideas to the world stage.