“låt oss åka till Stockholm!” The 15 finalists of the 2023 Social Innovation Tournament (SIT), the EIB Institute’s flagship event, “got ready for Stockholm” during the SIT Mentoring Bootcamp held from 28 to 30 June in Vienna, Austria.

The finalists hail from nine countries — Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden and (for the first time in the tournament’s 12-year history) Malta — chosen through a rigorous selection process from an outstanding group of 284 candidates from 33 countries.

At the bootcamp, they completed a tailor-made training programme with business and social entrepreneurship experts to prepare them for the pitching competition that will take place on 28 September in Stockholm, Sweden. There they will present and defend their project to a jury of social innovation specialists, competing for cash prizes.

Four prizes will be awarded: first and second place in the General Category and the Special Category will receive €100 000 and €40 000, respectively, and there will also be an Audience Choice Award of €10 000. This year, the Special Category prizes will go to projects that offer solutions for sustainable cities and communities.

All SIT finalists become members of the SIT Alumni Network. This gives them access to numerous training opportunities, as well as an innovation grants programme. SIT Alumni are also invited to attend conferences across Europe where they can network with investors, venture philanthropists and foundations that can help them scale their impact.