Deadline: May 15, 2026
Applications are open for the Tech for Change Award 2026. Built on the conviction that economic value and positive impact can reinforce each other, the Tech For Change recognizes exhibiting startups that place measurable positive impact at the core of their business model.
VivaTech is where innovation meets business, and where innovation meets impact. In 2026, for the second edition of the Tech For Change, the recognition highlights 500 impactful exhibiting startups fostering solutions in three main areas: Environment, Society, and Health.
From all the Tech For Change recognized startups, the most outstanding ventures enter the Tech For Change Award selection: the Top 30 (10 per category) and the Top 6 finalists (2 per category). The 6 finalists will pitch live on Wednesday, 17 June 2026, on the Pitch Studio stage, before the Grand Winner is announced the next day at VivaTech’s Global Innovation Awards Ceremony on Stage One, earning major visibility throughout the event.
Benefits
For the Top 500
- Enhanced visibility online (VivaTech social media, website, app, The Big List) and on-site (label signage on your corner, Wall of Fame…)
- Dedicated onboarding with the VivaTech Sustainability Team.
For the Top 30
- Pitch opportunities on VivaTech stages (Discovery Stage, Arenas).
- Targeted audiences via curated formats (Tech Trails, Learning Expeditions).
- Visibility across channels (VivaTech social media, website, newsletter, Les Echos listing).
For the Top 6 finalists
- High visibility during the event (VivaTech News, Les Echos).
- Featured in Tech For Change Tech Trail, VivaTech Tech Trails and Impact Tour.
- Final pitch on the Pitch Studio Stage in front of a top jury + private networking session.
- 1 VIP pass and investor meetings.
For the Grand Winner
- Free startup corner for VivaTech 2027.
- Stage One pitch during the Global Innovation Awards ceremony.
- Year-round integration into the VivaTech network.
- Extensive visibility (newsletter, dedicated interviews post-event, Les Echos portrait).
Eligibility
- Open to startups exhibiting at the VivaTech Event, held 17-20 June 2026, at Paris Expo Porte de Versailles, and that place environmental, social, or health issues at the core of their business model.
- An exhibiting startup is defined as any independent company with fewer than 200 employees, created less than eight years ago, that has either purchased an exhibition space for the Event or has been invited to exhibit through a corner on a partner’s stand at the Event.
- Only one entry per participating startup will be accepted. Submissions must be written in English.
Selection Criteria
- Positive Impact: Startups with impact embedded in their business model, delivering measurable positive outcomes for environment, society or health.
- Tech: The solution must be tech-driven, with technology at the core of the product and business model.
- Innovation: Level of relevance, originality, and innovation demonstrated by the tech solution.
- Scalability & Viability: Ability to scale while remaining technically, economically and environmentally viable.
Application
Apply now and join in the 10th edition of VivaTech, taking place 17–20 June 2026 in Paris.
For more information, visit Tech For Change Award.
