Hays and Empact Ventures announce nationwide competition for tech start-ups

tech for good competition

Hays, the recruiting experts and global super connectors, Empact Ventures, have launched a nationwide competition in a bid to uncover the best emerging tech start-ups and scale-ups that make a positive impact on people’s lives through technology. 

The ‘Tech for Good’ competition is open to tech start-ups and scale-ups that create positive social change in any part of society including education, healthcare, local communities, public services and more. 

The competition will take place across eight regions in the UK and Ireland with applications judged by an expert panel of regional experts, entrepreneurs, funders, and professionals. Regions include West (including Midlands and Wales), East England, North England, South England, London, Scotland, Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. 

There will be 15 winners including 6 regional winners, an overall national winner and 6 industry vertical winners (AI, EdTech, Medtech, HealthTech, Smart Cities, GovTech) giving tech startups and scale-ups multiple opportunities for recognition.

The national winner will be announced at a virtual final event on 17th November 2020 which takes place during Global Entrepreneurship Week UK. The prize for the national winner is a 12-month subscription to Hays Rise, a recruitment solution for tech start-ups and scale-ups worth £30,000. 

There are also some fantastic partners supporting the initiative including OVHcloud Startup Programme, Microsoft for Startups, UnLtd, Top Business Tech, eOffice, Linkilaw Solicitors, Angels Den, Global Entrepreneurship Network UK, eOffice, Young Enterprise and PUBLIC. These partners are providing over £60,000 worth of prizes funding of up to £10,000 from the National Institute for Health Reserach, guaranteed places on leading startup support programme (e.g. OVHcloud Startup Programme, UnLtd Thrive Programme), guaranteed press coverage in Top Business Tech and more. 

James Hallahan, Director of Hays IT and Hays Digital Technology, said: “We are looking forward to taking this opportunity to uncover start-ups and scale-ups across the country and highlight the social change and difference to people’s lives they make. Not only do we endeavour to showcase the work of these organisations, through the various prizes on offer we will be able to provide exceptional support and networking opportunities to help these organisations accelerate to the next stage of their growth.”

Kosta Mavroulakis, Founder & CEO of Empact Ventures, said: “We are delighted to be launching Super Connect for Good 2020 with Hays at a time when Tech for Good is needed more than ever in the new normal that we find ourselves living in today. Our mission is to create an aggregate social and economic impact by mobilising entrepreneurial networks to help people and organisations address their challenges. We are proud to continue working with Hays to build on our national Super Connect Series events over the past 2 years to super connect tech startups and scale-ups with potential partners, clients and funders.

If you are a tech start-up or scale-up owner and would like to apply to the competition, please submit your application at www.superconnectforgood.com by 6pm on 30th September 2020. 

If you would like to attend the virtual final, please register at http://bit.ly/scforgoodfinal.

For any enquires about the competition, please contact [email protected]


Press Release: September 2020

Bekki Barnes

With 5 years’ experience in marketing, Bekki has knowledge in both B2B and B2C marketing. Bekki has worked with a wide range of brands, including local and national organisations.

Britain’s Uplevelling Plan

Amber Coster • 26th April 2022

Remote work could enable over 13 million Brits* to seize the opportunity to live and work outside the major cities, helping to spread economic opportunity across the UK, according to research released today by ClickUp, the all-in-one productivity platform.

The Heroes Of Technology

Steven Johnson • 26th April 2022

We tend to worship great business leaders, but there are thousands of innovators whose ideas — from tiny features to complicated algorithms — have made our lives easier, healthier, safer, and more convenient. Meet Hidden Heroes, a new publication designed to tell their stories and pay them the tribute they deserve.