Since 2009, the Social Impact Award has supported committed young people in transforming their innovative drive into concrete projects, initiatives and social enterprises with systemic impact. With more than 1,000 initiatives founded to date through SIA in Europe, Africa and Central Asia and over 8,000 participants annually, SIA has become one of the world's largest active communities for youth civic engagement. In that time, SIA has trained more than 40,000 young people in 26 countries and provided over 350 teams with awards and pre-seed funding. 75% of these organizations are still creating systemic impact. This impact work with the next generation (18-30 year olds) strengthens key skills areas of young people, combats youth unemployment and empowers them to actively engage in social cohesion. SIA is particularly active in regions with few opportunities for young people and disadvantaged young people (e.g. young refugees, young people from rural areas, educationally disadvantaged groups) and works with over 1,000 organizations from all sectors worldwide.
