Imagine a robot that helps autistic children or a revolutionary system that reduces packaging needs: these projects will compete in the final event of the 7th Social Innovation Tournament, to be held this year in Copenhagen on 23 October.

But before then, the 15 projects selected for the SIT 2018 participated in the SIT Mentoring Bootcamp, from June 27th  to June  28th, at the headquarters of IRIS, in Amarante, Portugal, organised in cooperation with IRIS and IES-Social Business School.

Through one to one meetings, workshops, and meetings with former SIT prize winners Color ADD and Adopta un Abuelo, the IRIS team, and the municipality of Amarante helped the finalists to prepare their pitch while experts on business and social entrepreneurship offered practical advice on improving all aspects of each project and prepared the finalists to present their projects.

At the final event, four prizes will be awarded by a jury composed of specialists from the academic and business world: General Category and Special Category 1st and 2nd Prizes of EUR 50 000 and EUR 20 000 respectively. In 2018, the Special Category Prizes will go to projects focusing on sustainable development with a special emphasis on circular economy.