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📍 Edinburgh | 27 April–15 June 2026
🕒 Monday Evenings | 8 Weeks | Hybrid DeliveryPlease note: this is a full 8-week programme and participants are expected to attend all sessions.
Work with real communities. Explore real challenges. Design solutions that matter.
The MyEdinburgh Social Innovation Challenge is an 8-week collaborative programme where students work in teams to explore real challenges faced by community organisations across Edinburgh.
This isn’t about quick fixes or abstract ideas.
You’ll work directly with communities, gather evidence, understand what’s really happening, and develop practical, sustainable responses grounded in real-world insight.
Delivered in collaboration with
What is the Social Innovation Challenge?
Over 8 weeks, you’ll be part of a guided team experience where you will:
- Work with real community organisations
- Explore complex local challenges
- Gather evidence and insight from the field
- Identify what’s actually not working
- Develop practical, sustainable solutions
- Present your ideas to real partners and stakeholders
This is a chance to build confidence, develop employability skills, and contribute to meaningful community impact.
Who is it for?
The programme is open to students from any discipline, including:
- Health & Social Care
- Business & Entrepreneurship
- Engineering & Computing
- Creative Industries
- Social Sciences
No previous experience is needed.
You just need curiosity, commitment, and a willingness to collaborate.
What you’ll gain
By taking part, you’ll build valuable experience in:
- Community engagement
- Teamwork and leadership
- Problem-solving and innovation
- Stakeholder communication
- Research and insight gathering
You’ll also leave with a strong real-world project you can talk about in job, placement, or postgraduate applications.
How it works
- 8 weeks
- Monday evenings (3 hours per session)
- Hybrid delivery (mix of in-person and online)
- Team-based learning (4–6 students per group)
- Supported by mentors and delivery partners
- Guided through a digital learning platform
Important Commitment Before You Apply
Please only sign up if you can commit to the full 8-week programme.
Because this challenge is team-based and builds week by week, attendance across all 8 weeks is essential.
When you join, your team will be relying on you — and community partners will be too.
What this means:
- You should be available for all 8 Monday evening sessions
- You should be able to take part in both in-person and online elements
- You should be ready to contribute consistently to your team throughout the programme
This is not a drop-in event or a one-off workshop.
It’s a structured programme designed to create a meaningful experience and real outcomes.If you can commit fully, we’d love to have you involved.
Important to know
This is not a competition and it’s not a hackathon.
You are not expected to “fix” communities or arrive with all the answers.
This programme is about working with communities - not doing things to or for them.
Your role is to:
- Listen
- Explore
- Understand
- Generate insight
- Identify opportunities
- Develop realistic possibilities
That’s what meaningful social innovation looks like.
The Journey
Week 1 - Launch (in-person) 27 April 6-9pm
Meet your team, connect with community partners, and understand the challenge ahead.
Week 2 – See the System (Online) 4 May 6-9pm
Explore the wider context: communities, services, stakeholders, and systems.
Week 3 – Get Out There (in-person) 11 May 6-9pm
Gather real insight by speaking to people and exploring lived experiences.
Week 4 – Define the Problem (Online) 18 May 6-9pm
Identify the key outcome gaps - what should be happening, but isn’t.
Week 5 – Understand Constraints (Online) 25 May 6-9pm
Look at what’s realistic, feasible, and possible within the system.
Week 6 – Design Solutions (in-person) 1 June 6-9pm
Develop ideas that respond to the real needs and realities you’ve uncovered.
Week 7 – Test & Refine (in-person/ hybrid) 8 June 6-9pm
Share your thinking, gather feedback, and strengthen your solution.
Week 8 – Final Showcase (In-person) 15 June 6-9pm
Present your work to partners, stakeholders, and invited guests.
Ready to get involved?
Spaces are limited.
If you’re excited to work on real community challenges, build valuable experience, and be part of an 8-week collaborative journey:
Be part of something that creates real impact.
For any questions, contact the BRT team:
Contact Us
10 Bainfield Dr, Edinburgh EH11 1AR
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