An app to support young people coping with mental health challenges, an initiative to support victims of domestic abuse get back into employment, a smart parking system designed in Catania but also applicable to Malta, and a restaurant staffed by persons with disability, have won a total of €24,000 in support services to take their ideas to the next level.

The awards of €6,000 each were presented at the end of Profit with Purpose, a two-day social innovation ideation event, held at the Malta Innovation Hub, which is part of the Malta Life Sciences Park. Three of the awards were sponsored by ENISIE, a project which was created to enable innovation through services and institutional engagement between Sicily and Malta. 

The fourth award was presented by the Valletta Design Cluster and the Malta Innovation Hub.

Joseph Sammut, chairman of the Malta Life Sciences Park, said: “Profit with Purpose showed just how many great social innovation ideas are out there. It was so encouraging to see dozens of entrepreneurs coming forward with viable commercial projects that also tackle a societal issue. 

The final pitch for the awards was very impressive and the independent judging panel found it so hard to choose the winners that, in fact, and extra award was added to the three originally planned.”

The winners will now benefit from €6,000 each in support services including hot desk access and business development consultancy expertise. Profit with Purpose was organised together with the Malta Council for the Voluntary Sector and also Impact HUB Siracusa and Tree. The four organisations are part of ENISIE, which is supported by the European Union’s Programme INTERREG V-A Italia-Malta, which provides funds for intra-regional projects.