StudBizAward 2026 – All-Ukrainian award for social enterprises in educational institutions

StudBizAward 2026 is an award that recognizes the best social enterprises created on the basis of Ukrainian educational institutions. It is part of the international project “Social Student Enterprises to Support Youth in (Post)War Ukraine,” which is implemented in partnership with and supported by international organizations.

The aim of the award is to help existing student social enterprises develop, improve their business processes, and strengthen their social impact, as well as to promote the idea of social entrepreneurship in schools, lyceums, colleges, and vocational education institutions. The award brings together educational institutions, student teams, and their mentors who create products and services with clear social value. 

Registered and operating social enterprises based in educational institutions in Ukraine, which require the presence of a public organization, are eligible to participate in the competition. If the team is only at the idea stage or in the process of setting up a business, the organizer will refer such participants to another competition. The application is completed by a supervisor—an adult (aged 18 or older) who works directly with the student team. The conditions also stipulate that the management of the educational institution supports the enterprise's participation and is prepared to provide a letter of recommendation, and that the social enterprise is registered in the catalog of school enterprises at studbiz.in.ua.

Each of the five winning teams will receive a one-time grant of €2,000 in the form of equipment or materials to support further development of the project and expand its social reach. The grant will not be issued in cash but will be implemented through the provision of the necessary resources.

The award supports social enterprises in educational institutions that sell goods or provide services and create tangible social value. The form asks for a description of the goods/services offered by the enterprise and an explanation of its social impact. The activity can be related to any field, but it must combine an entrepreneurial component with a socially useful mission.

• The deadline for submitting applications is January 6, 2026, at 11:59 p.m.
• After that, all applications will be reviewed by an independent jury.
• The winners will be announced during an online award ceremony on January 20, 2026.

The application process consists of several steps:

• review the key information about the award and the selection criteria; 
• go through the form in full and prepare all required materials (activity description, contact details, links, recommendation letter, video, etc.); 
• ensure that the enterprise meets the requirements: an operating social enterprise based in an educational institution, presence of a youth NGO, a business model and social component, registration in the studbiz.in.ua catalogue, support from the institution’s management and readiness to record a video; 
• complete the online #StudBizAward 2026 application form, providing all requested information and links; 
• after filling in the form, click “Submit” to send the application for the jury’s consideration.

• Implementation – realism of the business model, availability of resources to implement it or a clear understanding of how to obtain them.
• Social value (impact) – relevance of the chosen problem for the target audience and the significance of the enterprise’s contribution to community and society.
• Team and development – involvement of students in the enterprise’s work and the motivation of the team to grow.
  Additional emphasis is placed on the effectiveness of business processes, scale of operations and overall social impact.

In the course of filling in the form, participants are required to provide or attach:

• a recommendation letter from the management of the educational institution (as an uploaded file or a link to the document);
• a link to a video about the enterprise (up to 120 seconds), in which the enterprise’s work is presented and questions about the business idea, product, target audience, business model, social value and strategy are addressed;
• a link to the enterprise’s page in the school enterprises catalogue at studbiz.in.ua;
• where available, links to social media pages or the enterprise’s website.

The project plans to hold three annual awards ceremonies, and in 2026, the presentation of projects and the awards ceremony will take place online for safety reasons. The exact date of the online awards ceremony will be announced separately.

Participants must confirm the accuracy of all submitted data and consent to its further processing. If selected, the social enterprise will be provided with a legal entity — its own or a partner public organization whose charter allows it to engage in entrepreneurial activities, including receiving grant funds. In addition, by submitting a competition video, participants automatically agree to the possibility of its public use.

The participation conditions state that, in the event of winning, the enterprise will be provided with a legal entity in the form of its own or a partner NGO, whose statute explicitly allows entrepreneurial activity, including the receipt of grant funds under the project. Participants also confirm the accuracy of the information provided, consent to the processing of their personal data and agree to the public use of the submitted enterprise video.