FSC Social Impact
Challenge 2026

eligibility

To participate in the Challenge, applicants must meet the following requirements:

• Open to individuals and teams. Ideas should be early-stage or experimental, aligned with Societal Readiness Levels (SRL 1–3). For team submissions, one individual must be designated as the primary applicant and submit on behalf of the team.

• FSC current and past employees, board members, judges, partners, and anyone directly involved in administering the Challenge, as well as their immediate family members, are not eligible to participate.

• Team Entries: For team submissions, one individual must be designated as the Team Lead and submit on behalf of the team. The Team Lead must be the age of majority in their jurisdiction. The Team Lead warrants that they have obtained all necessary permissions and parental consents for any minors' participation in the Challenge. Failure to do so may result in being disqualified from the Challenge.

• Age: Applicants must be the age of majority in their province or territory of residence (18 or 19, depending on jurisdiction), or participate as part of a team with a Team Lead who meets this requirement.

• Residency: Open to Canadian citizens and permanent residents.

• Languages: Submissions may be made in English or French.

• Eligibility Confirmation: Participants must confirm their eligibility prior to submission.

• Legal Compliance: Finalists must sign all required legal documentation granting FSC the rights and permissions necessary to pilot, test, and implement the idea. Where any participant is a minor, the minor’s parent or legal guardian must execute all such documentation on the minor’s behalf and provide written consent to the minor’s participation and the grant of rights contemplated herein.

FAQ / Common Questions

Can I submit multiple entries?
No, only one entry is accepted per team or individual.

Can I edit my submission after submitting?
Yes! You can continue editing and refining your submission until April 12, 2026.

What happens after I submit?
You will receive a confirmation email. The top 10 finalists will be notified by email and move on to Round 2 for clarification, further refinement and judging.

Who is eligible to apply?
Both individuals and teams are welcome. You must be:

• A Canadian citizen or permanent resident

• At or above the age of majority in your province (or have guardian consent if you are a minor)

Teams must have a designated Team Lead who is 18 or older.

Does my idea need to be fully developed?
No — early-stage ideas are encouraged. You do not need incorporation, a full business plan, or a prototype. The focus is on the idea and its potential impact.

Can I submit a for-profit idea?
For-profit ideas are not excluded, but your submission must address a social issue and be early-stage. 
Note that funding and implementation pathways may differ for for-profit concepts.

What happens to my prize money?
The $25,000 is yours to keep, no strings attached. FSC will worry about funding and piloting the winning idea.

When would the winning idea be implemented?
FSC plans to pilot the winning idea after the Challenge. The timeline is flexible — it could be a short-term pilot or scale into a longer initiative. 

Can my idea scale beyond one region?
Yes — scalability is a key judging criterion. FSC may expand or replicate ideas across provinces or nationally. 

Will FSC own my idea if I apply?
You retain full ownership of your Submission and any intellectual property contained in it. 

Is my submission confidential? Will FSC sign an NDA?
Submissions are not confidential, and FSC will not sign NDAs. 
Avoid including sensitive or proprietary information unless you are comfortable with it being seen by reviewers and the public.

Terms & conditions