This short topic introduces how Higher Education Institutions can support youth-led social entrepreneurship through simple, structured Social Business Idea Competitions.
The focus is on understanding the core idea, the value of partnerships, and how small competitions can activate innovation ecosystems within universities and surrounding communities.
The presentation introduces:
What a Social Business Idea Competition is
Why HEIs play an important role
The 10-step process (purpose → partners → timeline → mentoring → sustainability)
Examples of how competitions support student innovation and community impact
Write 4–6 sentences responding to any ONE of the questions below. You may share this during the online session — no submission needed.
1) Purpose & Value
a) What role do you think a Social Business Idea Competition could play in your institution or community?
2) Feasibility
a) Which one or two steps from the 10-step model seem most achievable for your institution right now?
3) Barriers
a) What do you see as the biggest barrier to organising a small student competition?
4) Partnerships
a) Which local partners (NGOs, businesses, community groups) could realistically support such an initiative?
5) Opportunities
a) Is there a social or environmental issue at your institution or in your community that students could address through a small competition?
The Seeds of Change Toolkit is a simple planning guide that helps you sketch out how a small Social Business Idea Competition could work at your institution. It includes practical steps such as defining the purpose, choosing a theme, identifying partners, and thinking about a basic timeline.
For this microlearning unit, you only need to complete one short section of the tool. You do not need to complete all 10 steps.
This activity gives you a quick, practical way to explore how a simple Social Business Idea Competition could work at your institution. The focus is on identifying a relevant challenge, your target group, and a realistic structure that can help students engage with community needs.
Please complete the short “Mini Competition Concept” exercise below and then download the Toolkit to see the full 10-step model.
Purpose: What community or student challenge could your competition focus on?
Target Group: Who would you involve (students, youth, women, alumni)?
Theme: Write one “How might we…” question that frames the competition.
Feasibility: What small-scale format could work at your institution (very simple)?
The Seeds of Change Toolkit provides the full 10-step framework for designing a Social Business Idea Competition. It includes guiding questions, examples, and practical suggestions that can help you deepen or expand the short activity you completed above.
You do not need to complete the entire toolkit for this microlearning unit, but it is available for you if you would like to explore the model further or use it in your institution. Click below to download the Tool.