This guide shows you how to use social challenge prizes to promote people-powered innovation.

Key findings:

• A social challenge prize can inspire communities to develop imaginative, effective solutions to big social problems.
• A social challenge prize includes a clearly defined challenge and prize, is outcome-focused, takes competitors through distinct stages, is not prescriptive, and has low barriers to entry.
• The guide also looks into how to run a social challenge prize, giving guidance on the preparation and design phase and key considerations for further stages.
• In the context of the huge challenges facing public services and society today, finding radical and effective ways of meeting social needs is vital.

At Nesta, we are finding practical ways to unlock the energy, enthusiasm and vast potential for innovation among communities, local groups and the people working on the frontline of our public services.

We call this ‘people-powered public services’.

This guide outlines one such approach – the social challenge prize – based on the lessons of the Big Green Challenge.

Authors:
Vicki Purewal, Caireen Goddard, Kerry McCarthy