Social Business Incubator

What Social Business Incubator does

Social Business Incubator (SBI) is a public-sector initiative established at the direction of Luxembourg's Ministry of Labour, Employment and the Social and Solidarity Economy (MTEESS), headquartered at 562, rue de Neudorf in Luxembourg City. It operates as the operational arm of a ministerial department dedicated since 2009 to developing the country's social and solidarity economy, and works under the legal framework for Societal Impact Companies (SIS) created by the December 2016 law. SBI serves aspiring and existing social entrepreneurs in Luxembourg, providing free, personalized guidance through a three-phase pathway — "start" (defining the entrepreneurial profile and social impact), "shape" (opportunity analysis and social business plan), and "set" (launch and SIS accreditation).

Its core service is a structured incubation programme delivered through two flagship products: touch BASE, an in-person programme running March to October each year with over 80 hours of workshops and individual coaching, and e-touch B.A.S.E. Ideation, a fully online ideation-focused programme launched for the 2026 cohort with over 40 hours of learning. These are complemented by a recurring monthly information session on SIS accreditation (alternating French and English), periodic bootcamps for early-stage social entrepreneurs using the Business Model Canvas, walk-in advisory Monday–Friday 8am–5pm, and access to a workspace. The organization operates with a small team of seven named staff and maintains a network of incubated social businesses spanning parental support, environmental services, professional reintegration, affordable housing, marketing, and civic technology.

SBI is entirely government-funded through MTEESS with co-financing links to the European Social Fund; it does not charge beneficiaries and operates without external investors. Its 2025 strategic partnership with Entrepreneurs d'Impact Luxembourg (EIL), the newly transformed professional association for social impact companies, signals an evolving institutional role in representing and developing the SIS ecosystem at the national level. There is no commercial revenue, no proprietary AI/technology stack, and no M&A or funding activity; growth is expressed through incremental programme expansion and ecosystem partnerships rather than commercial scaling.

Name

Social Business Incubator

Legal name

Social Business Incubator

Website

https://socialbusinessincubator.lu

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Social Business Incubator is a Luxembourg government initiative under the Ministry of Labour that provides free, structured incubation — workshops, coaching, and accreditation guidance — to aspiring and existing social entrepreneurs seeking Societal Impact Company (SIS) status.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Social Entrepreneurship Incubation Services

NAICS

Professional and Management Development Training (61143)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Technical Cooperation, Capacity Building & Policy Advisory Programs (BPADABAO)

Keywords

• Social entrepreneurship incubation
• Societal impact company support
• Social economy programs
• Business coaching services
• SIS accreditation guidance

Headquarters

HQ city

Luxembourg

HQ country

Luxembourg

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Government Funding: Initiative of the Ministry of Labour, Employment and the Social and Solidarity Economy. Services are provided free of charge to entrepreneurs developing social impact projects in Luxembourg.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Social Business Incubator (SBI) is a Luxembourg government initiative that provides free incubation and support services for social entrepreneurs developing projects with societal impact. The core offering consists of the touch BASE programme (80+ hours of workshops and individual coaching across three phases: start, shape, set) and the e-touch B.A.S.E. Ideation online programme (40+ hours of online learning), complemented by bootcamps, recurring information sessions on Societal Impact Company (SIS) accreditation, and personalized individual guidance for project owners.

Product overview

Social Business Incubator (SBI) is a government initiative under Luxembourg's Ministry of Labour that provides a multi-phased incubation programme for social entrepreneurs. The core offering consists of the touch BASE programme (structured support with workshops and coaching) and the e-touch B.A.S.E. Ideation online programme, complemented by bootcamps and recurring information sessions on the Société d'Impact Sociétal (SIS) accreditation framework. Individual support services guide project owners through three phases: 'start' (defining entrepreneurial profile), 'shape' (developing social business plan), and 'set' (launching as a recognized social impact company). The ecosystem supports both early-stage ideation and established organizations seeking SIS accreditation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• touch BASE Programme A structured support programme for budding social entrepreneurs that combines group trainings with like-minded peers, individual coaching sessions with established entrepreneurs, and full immersion in Luxembourg's social entrepreneurial ecosystem. Delivered across three phases (start, shape, set) with over 80 hours of interactive workshops and one-on-one coaching.
• e-touch B.A.S.E. Ideation Programme An entirely online support programme focused on the ideation phase, designed to support aspiring social entrepreneurs in transforming their ideas into impactful ventures through interactive online group training and personalized one-on-one coaching across three phases (start, shape, set). Includes over 40 hours of learning with 2-3 sessions per week.
• Bootcamp for Early-Stage Social Entrepreneurs

Quantifiable outcome

• Successful launch of social impact companies with SIS accreditation
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Entrepreneurs d'Impact Luxembourg (EIL)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Professional association for social impact companies in Luxembourg. Created in 2025 through transformation of ULESS. Mission to support, represent, and promote entrepreneurship with positive social impact. Platform for exchange, influence, and development.
• Ministry of Labour, Employment and the Social and Solidarity Economy (MTEESS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParent government ministry that established the Social Business Incubator. Since 2009, the ministry has been dedicated to promoting the social and solidarity economy, social entrepreneurship, and societal impact companies at national and European levels.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• NESsT: International non-profit that supports social enterprises in emerging and developed markets via incubation, financing, and employer-supported models. Comparable programme structure and impact focus, broader geographic footprint.
• Yunus Social Business: Organisation founded alongside Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus to support social businesses and social entrepreneurs internationally. Highly comparable mission around building and funding social-impact ventures through structured incubation and ecosystem support.
• Impact Hub Luxembourg: Luxembourg-based ecosystem for social and sustainable entrepreneurship offering workspace, programmes, and incubation for impact ventures. Closely comparable mission and geography to SBI, with overlapping audience of aspiring social entrepreneurs.
• Unreasonable Group: International accelerator partnering with entrepreneurs tackling social and environmental challenges. Comparable in serving impact-driven founders via structured cohort programmes and global network.

Broad incumbents

• Ashoka: Global organisation supporting leading social entrepreneurs through fellowships and programmes. Operates broadly in social entrepreneurship support at much larger scale; comparable mission but private, non-government model rather than ministerial.
• Enactus: Global non-profit operating student-led social entrepreneurship programmes across universities. Broader and education-anchored compared with SBI's direct support of working-age founders, but shares the social-incubation mission.

Emerging players

• B Lab (B Corporation): Certifies and supports B Corps, providing standards, community, and tools for businesses pursuing positive social/environmental impact. Comparable in functioning as an accreditation/advisory layer for impact businesses, though private and global rather than government-anchored.

Regional players

• Social Enterprise UK: UK national membership body representing social enterprises, providing advisory, accreditation support, and policy advocacy. Comparable in acting as a state-aligned reference body for social enterprises, though operating in a different country.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/sbi.lux
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mesis

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments2 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Social Business Incubator