Fifteen finalists selected to fight energy poverty

On 31 August 2023 the European Commission revealed the 15 projects shortlisted for the 2023 European Social Innovation Competition. This edition asked social innovators across the European Union and countries associated to Horizon Europe to propose new ways to tackle energy poverty in its broadest sense. The finalists include community initiatives, technology-enabled detection systems, financing models and local production approaches. The prize is managed by the European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency, known as EISMEA, and is supported under the Horizon Europe framework.

What the shortlist contains

The confirmed finalists represent a diverse array of approaches. The Commission noted finalist solutions focus on monitoring, pricing models, production and local supply, consumption and energy savings, renovation and retrofit, and on energy community or pooled investment models. That mix is typical for energy poverty initiatives where technical, social and financial elements must combine to produce durable outcomes.

The finalists

Below are the 15 shortlisted proposals presented in alphabetical order by project title. The original announcement lists project title, legal name and country. No further project technical details were provided in the Commission release.

How entries were judged

A jury of independent experts evaluated applications against four core criteria. These criteria are standard for EUSIC and mirror common grant assessment frameworks used across EU innovation programmes. They balance novelty, practical effect, financial and environmental realism and the capacity for a solution to grow beyond a single locality.

Next steps and prize details

Finalists were invited to attend the Social Innovation Academia in Brussels on 31 January and 1 February 2024. The three winners will be revealed on 14 November 2023 at the European Social Innovation Competition Awards ceremony in San Sebastian, Spain. According to the Commission each of the three winners will receive a prize of €50,000.

Context and analysis

The European Social Innovation Competition is one strand of EU efforts to mobilise ideas and communities around social and systemic challenges. This 11th edition runs under the European Innovation Council banner and Horizon Europe. EUSIC is intended to surface early stage ideas and to connect innovators to coaching and visibility that can help them take the next steps.

Energy poverty sits at the intersection of housing quality, energy markets, social policy and climate transition. The technical fixes such as sensors, NB IoT detection systems or local renewable projects can be necessary but not sufficient. Long term solutions typically require building renovation, changes to market regulation, public subsidies and access to sizable capital. The projects on the 2023 shortlist address pieces of that puzzle but the public release did not include technical validation data or financial models. That is normal for early stage proposals but it means claims of future impact must be treated as provisional until more detail is disclosed and independently validated.

Within the broader EIC ecosystem there are pathways to follow on support including coaching, connections to investors and in some cases EIC grant or blended financing instruments. The EIC Fund provides equity investments but that process is separate from the prize and requires more rigorous due diligence. The Commission and EISMEA administer the prize while independent experts handle assessment, which is intended to limit conflicts of interest but does not replace normal due diligence processes for financing.

Background on the competition

Launched in 2013 in memory of social innovation advocate Diogo Vasconcelos, the European Social Innovation Competition aims to stimulate social innovation to respond to societal challenges and to foster inclusive growth. It has rotated themes each year. Past topics include affordable and sustainable housing districts 2022, skills for a green and digital future 2021 and Reimagine Fashion 2020 among others. The prize is one of five European Innovation Council Prizes awarded under Horizon Europe and attracts a large number of applicants each year.

Practical notes and contacts

The competition is open to social innovators from EU Member States and countries associated to Horizon Europe. The prize is managed by EISMEA and judged by independent experts. For official information, follow the European Innovation Council channels or contact the EISMEA team. Public announcements will be the most reliable source for validated project descriptions and any follow on funding opportunities.

Readers should note that the Commission publication summarised here lists project names, legal entities and countries. It does not provide technical validation, audited outcomes or detailed budgets. Those items typically appear later if projects receive prize funding or enter EIC support tracks.