Innovation Impact Challenge: Social inclusion & cohesion

In collaboration with RVO, CIIIC launches the third Innovation Impact Challenge for entrepreneurs working with Immersive Experiences (IX).

Are you a creative and innovative entrepreneur who wants to develop your IX idea into a concrete product or service with social impact? Then this Innovation Impact Challenge is for you.

For whom?

This Challenge is intended for:

• IX creators
• creative entrepreneurs with knowledge or experience in IX
• innovative companies actively collaborating within the IX domain

who want to contribute to increasing social inclusion and strengthening communities.

What is the Innovation Impact Challenge?

The Innovation Impact Challenge is an innovation competition in which entrepreneurs are challenged to develop new products or services as a solution to a societal issue. The goal is to create innovations that can eventually be procured by public parties.

The Challenge consists of two phases:

• Phase 1: Feasibility study (including finding a testing ground)
• Phase 2: Development and testing of a prototype

The challenge

For this Innovation Impact Challenge, we are looking for immersive experiences (IX) that contribute to social inclusion and social cohesion.

Theme 1 – Supporting key figures as a bridge between government and citizens
You work towards a product or service that helps key figures with immersive experiences to better support people in navigating public services. 

Theme 2 – Community resilience: connected and resilient communities
You work towards immersive experiences that enhance social connectedness and community resilience in neighborhoods and communities, enabling them to better handle (acute) crisis situations.  

Why is this important?

It is important to create a more inclusive society where more people can find their way to the government. It also helps make communities stronger and more connected, allowing them to better handle crisis situations. IX can help by making complex situations more tangible, strengthening trust, and reaching people more effectively. This way, innovations directly contribute to a society that is both more inclusive and resilient.

Budget

• Phase 1:
  • €250,000 per theme
  • max. €25,000 per project
• Phase 2:
  • €1,000,000 per theme
  • max. €200,000 per project

Market exploration and refinement of the issue

A market exploration was conducted among IX entrepreneurs for this Challenge. In total, 41 companies and organizations provided valuable input, which is greatly appreciated.

The Innovation Impact Challenge is not a subsidy scheme but a pre-commercial procurement instrument. As this is still relatively unknown in the creative sector, we actively involve creators and entrepreneurs in refining the issues on which they can develop impactful innovations.

Based on the market exploration, the call has been refined by:

• clearly defining the challenge and target groups
• sharply mapping the role and needs of key figures
• describing the context more concisely and clearly

Additionally, input was gathered on scaling opportunities. Economic viability and growth potential are explicitly considered. At the same time, we consciously choose to explore new areas and stimulate innovation around public issues, with the expectation that this may yield new market opportunities.

Information session

• Date: April 7, 2026
• Time: 14:00 – 16:30
• Location: BUNKR, Eindhoven

During this session, you will learn more about the Challenge and can ask questions. Register now and view all details on the RVO website. Join the conversation on our community platform to stay updated.

Want to know more and submit?

Check the RVO website.

Tips & tricks for applicants

This is already the third Innovation Impact Challenge that we are launching together with RVO! That’s why we have specially compiled a handy list of tips and tricks to help your application run smoothly:

• Start early: submitting via the e-loket may raise questions, so start sooner rather than later.

• Multiple ideas: you can submit multiple Expressions of Interest , up to 2 per theme.

• Everyone is welcome: do you have (almost) a KvK number? Then you can submit an EoI.

• No consortium needed: you can also participate independently and fill in any missing knowledge along the way.

• Public values self-assessment : this is part of the procedure, keep this in mind.

• What's new compared to previous challenges?

  • Explicitly stated that non-technological innovation can also fit

  • Criteria have been clarified  

• Come to the session on April 7: ask your questions, pitch what you need or what you can bring and get additional explanation. Register now!