ScaleUp Incubator 2025
December 2025
Europe meets Uckermark: ESIA's ScaleUp Incubator 2025 brings European social innovators to Germany
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In the middle of late autumn in rural Brandenburg, Germany - a time where silence usually sets the tone -, the tiny village of Stegelitz in the Uckermark region became a vibrant meeting place for European social innovators. From 17 to 21 November, eight social enterprises from Germany, Austria, and Estonia gathered in a renovated former school building to address a question of paramount importance to the EU today: How can social innovations be scaled up sustainably, even across borders? Organised by the European Social Innovation Alliance (ESIA) under the leadership of its member Social Impact gGmbH , the ScaleUp Incubator 2025 brought together social innovators in the areas of inclusive employment and youth & adult education.
European diversity Four German teams did not have to travel too far: Lern-Fair , EduGarden , HANZ and Café am Markt (Sonne im Herzen e.V.) . International guests were Independo from Austria plus the Substitute Teacher Programme (ASÕP) , Sa Suudad and the School of Grief (Leinakool) from Estonia (see the box below for more information). All of these social enterprises are already established in their respective markets or sectors and are now entering the next stage of development. For five days, Stegelitz was transformed into a laboratory for new ideas. During workshops, participants exchanged insights into their respective chances & challenges, reflected on their business models, discussed scaling strategies, and looked at the issue of financing & funding. The incubator created an environment in which national perspectives faded into the background, allowing the shared goal of driving social change to take centre stage. Experienced trainers from Social Impact relied on a simple yet effective principle: peer-to-peer learning, accompanied by coaching and expert input. The result was an unusually open and productive exchange.
A look at Europe's ecosystems and best practices for social innovation
What also made the incubator special was the density of external input. Experts from the ESIA network – Paul Thein from the Ministry of Labour in Luxembourg/Social Business Incubator , Stefan Panhuijsen from Social Enterprise NL in the Netherlands, and Pirkko Valge and Aino-Silvia Tali from Good Deed Foundation in Estonia – provided insights into the respective national ecosystems for social innovation and social enterprises. Opportunities and challenges were highlighted and discussed with the participants. And once more it became clear that social innovation and social entrepreneurship are a European phenomenon – but that national ecosystems function very differently and that this should not be underestimated when scaling transnationally.
In addition, there were inputs on advocacy by lobbying expert Frank Schach from the Brandenburg-Berlin Business Association , on investment readiness by Christoph Rohde from ESIA member FASE , on EU funding by Norbert Kunz from Social Impact, and on impact measurement by Phillip Brandts from Phineo . Some of the experts' presentations took place during a day trip to Berlin at the premises of the new KiezLab . Jana Kausemann from Jungen Tüftler:innen gave the incubator participants a tour of the free-of-charge co-working and event space for non-profit organisations and initiatives. It provided a good impression of the very lively social innovation landscape in the German capital – and again showed the role that meeting & co-working places play in it. The day-trip in Berlin also included presentations of best practices from the social innovation landscape in Berlin and Germany. Jonas Hettwer presented the impressive scaling case of Joblinge , Kyra Wider from the Education Innovation Lab showed how the think & do-tank is committed to the fundamental transformation of the German education system, and Jeanette Oechsl from Social Impact's enterability project spoke about more than 20 years of start-up consulting for people with severe disabilities .
More than an incubator
For the ESIA partner organisations, the incubator was also another opportunity for closer cooperation. Months of planning, calls and coordination culminated in a week that strengthened the cohesion of the ESIA network – and provided valuable insights for the next transnational incubator. Because one thing is already clear: there will be a second round in 2026. Stegelitz has shown that Europe is changing for the better when social innovators come together and cooperate across borders - even if they meet up in a tiny village in Brandenburg.
More Information
The ScaleUp participants 2025
Lern-Fair offers disadvantaged students in Germany free digital learning support and tutoring - provided by thousands of volunteer mentors. The organization closes learning gaps, boosts self-confidence, and ensures that educational inequalities are reduced. With a data-based matching system, Lern-Fair quickly and reliably brings together those in need of support and suitable volunteers.
EduGarden develops inclusive “learning gardens” and urban farming projects that combine education, nature experiences, and social participation. The social startup combines vertical farming with educational offerings for schools, neighborhoods, and social institutions. This creates green learning spaces that promote ecological education, bring people together, and make sustainable urban development tangible on both a small and large scale.
HANZ Ausbildungs‑Netzwerk Zukunft connects young people, schools, and companies via a digital platform to facilitate the transition from school to work and to strengthen dual training. The solution offers career guidance, matching tools, and transparent insights into training paths. In this way, HANZ supports both young people in their decision-making and companies in securing skilled workers - and contributes to making training more modern, accessible, and sustainable.
Café am Markt (Sonne im Herzen e.V.) has created a space in the Brandenburg town of Biesenthal that is specifically designed to welcome disadvantaged groups and to encourage their participation. Eighty percent of the employees are women, most of whom with a refugee background. The café works with local producers, offers dishes from different parts of the world, and at the same time celebrates German cake culture. In this way, the café and the association also reach people in rural areas who are skeptical of other cultures. In addition, the café and association initiate encounters and cultural offerings such as language cafés, senior citizens' meetings, and exchanges of experiences among people with refugee backgrounds.
Independo has set itself the goal of making the digital world accessible to people who need alternative, inclusive forms of communication. The company develops web tools that translate text into pictograms. Independo's products are suitable for all age groups, as they can be adapted to the individual needs of users thanks to their many customization options.
Substitute Teacher Program (ASÕP) is a digital platform for schools and kindergartens as well as substitute teachers. It connects verified substitute teachers with open teaching positions & slots within minutes. It covers the entire chain for all parties involved, right up to payment, not just the matching step. This end-to-end design enables school and kindergarten administrators to ensure the continuity of teaching and care with a single, coherent solution.
Sa Suudad's mission is to listen to, collect, and present to policymakers and the public the experiences and advice of young people who exhibit or have exhibited risky behavior. The NGO's overarching goal is to help make the educational, social, and legal systems more youth-friendly and effective in dealing with young people who exhibit risky behavior.
School of Grief (Leinakool) is a center for adult education and professional development that offers scientifically based training for mental health professionals and grief counseling solutions for organizations and individuals. The programs combine modern grief theories, evidence-based interventions, and practical experiential learning to provide participants with in-depth knowledge and applicable skills.
