The EY Foundation is a charitable company registered in England and Wales and Scotland with registered charity number 1157154 and SC045076. It is also a member firm of Ernst & Young Global Limited
Recent Searches
New AI and Social Mobility Challenge Prize launches to support ventures widening opportunity for young people across the UK
The AI and Social Mobility Challenge Prize has launched as a first-of-its-kind UK initiative supporting ventures using AI and emerging technologies to improve social mobility outcomes for young people from lower socio-economic backgrounds.
Delivered by EY Foundation and Social Tech Trust, in partnership with the Social Mobility Commission, and supported by Microsoft, HSF Kramer, EY, Fieldfisher, and LinkedIn, the programme will back practical, responsible, and scalable solutions that help young people access pathways into education, skills, employment and long-term opportunity.
Applications open on 22 June 2026 and close on 20 July 2026.
The programme responds to a growing need to ensure the opportunities created by AI and emerging technologies are shared more equitably. As AI increasingly shapes how people learn, work, apply for jobs, and access services, there are growing concerns that technological change could reinforce existing inequalities if inclusion and accessibility are not intentionally built into new systems and products.
At the same time, AI presents a major opportunity to widen access to personalised learning, career guidance, mentoring, digital skills, employability support, and professional networks for young people who have historically faced barriers to opportunity.
The AI and Social Mobility Challenge Prize is seeking ventures developing solutions across areas, including:
EdTech and learning access
Future of work and youth employability
Workforce inclusion and inclusive recruitment
AI literacy and digital skills
Career navigation, mentoring, and guidance
Accessibility, wellbeing, and financial capability
Selected ventures will join a cohort programme focused on venture growth, impact development, and capital readiness. Support includes structured learning, expert-led workshops, mentoring, ecosystem connections, investor and funder readiness support, Microsoft Azure credits, and access to a non-dilutive grant fund.
The programme will culminate in a public-facing showcase event at Parliament in October 2026, highlighting the selected ventures and the broader role that responsible AI and cross-sector collaboration can play in widening opportunities for young people across the UK.
Lynne Peabody, CEO at EY Foundation, said:
We believe AI can become a powerful tool for social mobility if it is developed responsibly and with young people at the centre. Through this programme, we want to support ventures that are helping young people from lower socio-economic backgrounds access skills, networks, education, and employment opportunities that may otherwise remain out of reach.
Edward Evans, CEO at Social Tech Trust, said:
We believe AI can become a powerful tool for social mobility if it is developed responsibly and with young people at the centre. Through this programme, we want to support ventures that are helping young people from lower socio-economic backgrounds access skills, networks, education, and employment opportunities that may otherwise remain out of reach.
Alun Francis, Chair of the Social Mobility Commission, said:
AI is rapidly changing our economy and society. At the Social Mobility Commission, we recognise the huge potential in this transformation and, like previous waves of innovation, the changes it will influence in the accepted pathways for social mobility. It is going to be important to learn from lessons of the past, such as deindustrialisation, which have left long-term impacts on certain communities. The AI and Social Mobility Challenge Prize is an opportunity to think differently and show how new technology can shape an even better future.
Hugh Milward, Vice President Corporate Affairs, Microsoft UK, said:
Too often, a young person’s prospects are shaped by where they grow up, and despite decades of effort, social mobility in the UK remains stubbornly low. I believe AI can be a catalyst for change, expanding access to learning, creativity and opportunity for young people wherever they're from. We know there are entrepreneurs and exciting new businesses already working to deliver on that ambition, and through this programme, we’re proud to support the next stage in their growth.
Emma Cooke, Director of Responsible Business, Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer, said:
We are pleased to support the AI and Social Mobility Challenge Prize and the ventures working to improve social mobility outcomes for young people through AI and emerging technologies. Technology and innovation have the potential to drive significant social impact when developed thoughtfully and responsibly.
Millie Hawes, Head of Just Purpose at Fieldfisher, said:
AI can help open up access to skills, opportunities, and careers, but only if inclusion is built in from the start. Through initiatives like the AI and Social Mobility Challenge Prize, we’re supporting ventures using technology to break down barriers, not reinforce them. By combining cross-sector expertise with practical support, we can help scale solutions that create real, lasting opportunity for young people across the UK.
Jessica White, Head of Social Impact (EMEA/LATAM) at LinkedIn, said:
The future of work is changing rapidly, and access to networks, skills, and career opportunities has never mattered more. We’re pleased to support the AI and Social Mobility Challenge Prize and the ventures helping young people navigate education and employment pathways in a more inclusive and equitable way.
The application form and further information are available on Social Tech Trust’s website: https://www.socialtechtrust.org/ai-and-social-mobility-challenge-prize