SOCIAL IMPACT CUP: WHAT IT IS AND HOW TO PARTICIPATE

Social Impact Cup, the biggest competition and event for positive impact entrepreneurs in Spain

The Social Impact Cup is the largest social entrepreneurship competition in Spain, which aims to reward entrepreneurs who are making a positive impact on society. From May to September, this cup brings together companies, investors, startups and entrepreneurs with innovative ideas with a social impact.

Final of the Impact Social Cup 2024 in Madrid

With €100,000 in prizes, the Social Impact Cup not only seeks to give visibility to the projects, but also to offer them the possibility of promoting them so that they can scale up and achieve a lasting impact. They are also sponsored by major brands – such as the Iberdrola Group, of which Iberdrola España forms part – and other leading organisations, making it a unique event in the field of social entrepreneurship.

What is the Social Impact Cup and how does work?

The Social Impact Cup is a unique competition that connects social entrepreneurs, leading companies, investors and accelerators from all over Spain.

The competition is structured in three main phases, giving participants the opportunity to improve their projects, present their innovative ideas and connect with key strategic partners.

Phase 1: Selection

In the first phase, the projects are grouped into teams according to the global cause they address (such as cities and communities, health, education, etc.). Sustainable Energy is the Iberdrola Group-sponsored team, aimed at projects that work towards environmental protection, renewable energies and sustainable solutions, ensuring a just and inclusive transition for all.

Each team, made up of investment funds, mentors and specialised sponsors, evaluates the projects and selects the most innovative and socially impactful ones.

The entrepreneurs chosen receive initial training and support to refine their proposals before advancing to the next phase.

Stage 2: Semi-finals

During the semi-finals, participants receive specialised training in areas such as communication, marketing and financing. This training is sponsored by Growth Capital at Talent Garden. Additionally, sponsors provide accommodation and support to entrepreneurs, enabling them to focus on their projects.

During this phase, the six semi-finalists from each sector will face each other in events to be held at each sponsor’s venue.

In May 2025, the semi-final of the Iberdrola-supported team, Energías Sostenibles, was held at Iberdrola España's headquarters in Madrid.

Semifinal of the team supported by the Iberdrola Group

Phase 3: Finals

Participants who make it to the finals present their projects to an elite jury made up of leading figures in entrepreneurship and social impact. At this stage they will compete to win prizes of up to €100,000.

This year, the grand final of the Impact Social Cup 2025 will be held on 16 October at the Madrid Arena.

Final phase of the Social Impact Cup 2024 held in Madrid

What are the main benefits of the Social Impact Cup?

Participants of the Social Impact Cup not only have the opportunity to compete for prizes but can also take advantage of multiple benefits:

Networking: Opportunities to establish connections with industry leaders, investors and other entrepreneurs committed to social change.
Training and mentoring: Workshops, lectures and mentoring sessions with entrepreneurship experts.
Visibility: Selected projects have the opportunity to gain visibility at the national and international levels.
Entertainment: Enjoy unique artistic performances and a diverse gastronomic offerings committed to the environment and sustainability.
Prizes: Funding, access to accelerators and prizes for the most outstanding projects.

What are the requirements and how can I participate in the Social Impact Cup?

These are the requirements to participate in the Social Impact Cup:

Have an incorporated company or be a registered business: both companies and self-employed persons can participate, provided they are legally registered.
Active business model: the project must be a going concern and invoicing, i.e. it must have a functional business model.
Revenue of up to €2M: the project must not have generated more than €2M in the 2024 fiscal year.
Alignment with one of the 8 teams: the project must be related to one of the eight social and environmental causes addressed by the Social Impact Cup teams.

What are the eight Social Impact Cup teams?

These are the eight teams, representing different social and environmental causes, you can play on:

Education and employability: Projects that promote access to education, lifelong learning and access to job opportunities.
Social inclusion and diversity: Projects that promote equality, accessibility and integration of at-risk groups in all social and employment areas.
Sustainable energy: Projects focused on environmental protection, renewable energy and sustainable solutions, ensuring a just and inclusive transition for all.
Health and well-being: Projects that improve physical and mental health, promote healthy habits and ensure access to basic health services.
Economic development: Projects that promote economic inclusion, equity and sustainable growth, especially for at-risk groups.
Communication and digital impact: Projects that connect communities, amplify social messages and generate positive impact using digital platforms.
Social transformation and shared life: Projects that enrich society, strengthen community ties and promote creativity and culture as drivers of transformation.
City and communities: Projects that develop resilient, sustainable cities and improve the quality of life in urban and rural environments.

Social Impact Cup 2025 Awards

The grand final will be held on 16 October at the Madrid Arena, where the eight finalists will compete for the Social Impact Cup crown in front of 4,000 people.

This event will have an elite jury, which will include figures such as Manu Marín (previously at Apple), Josep Coll (founder of Redpoints), and Belén Viloria (TEDx Ambassador). In addition, the event will feature live music and other surprises.

Tickets sales for the final event will start on 1 July on the Social Impact Cup website.

Attendees will be able to enjoy the final live, participating as a popular jury and voting for their favourite entrepreneurs. This innovative format not only seeks to reward talent, but also to foster an atmosphere of cooperation and mutual learning among the participants.

How was the 2024 Social Impact Cup?

The 2024 Social Impact Cup was the inaugural cup and a resounding success. The semi-final featured more than 30 projects from entrepreneurs committed to social change.

The first prize of €40,000 went to LUP, a Bilbao-based company that has developed an intelligent magnifying glass that converts text into speech to help people with vision difficulties. In second place, with €30,000, was Rooral from Malaga, a project that connects villages and digital nomads to combat rural depopulation.

Third place, with €20,000, went to Indya from Valencia, an intelligent nutrition company for athletes, and fourth place, with €10,000, went to WIVI Vision from Catalonia, a project that assesses and trains vision in a personalised way with clinical video games.

Iberdrola Group promotes innovative Spanish companies and entrepreneurs, through the Impact Social Cup, in the development of renewable energy projects

Iberdrola Group, as a partner of the Sustainable Energy team in the Social Impact Cup, is more than just a financial supporter of the competition, it also plays a key role in the event’s management and organisation. The company is responsible for the Sustainable Energy semi-final’s venue, a crucial space where the selected entrepreneurs can concentrate on the development of their projects and present their projects to an expert jury.

The Iberdrola Group is also present on the final jury, represented by Perseo, a programme that aims to facilitate access to the technologies and businesses of the future while fostering a global ecosystem of start-ups with a focus on sustainability. It brings its experience in innovation and sustainability and offers fundamental tools to scale its projects and maximise their positive impact on society. Through the company’s active participation, it reinforces its commitment to a just and inclusive energy transition, supporting innovative solutions in renewable energy and environmental protection.