ONCE launches a new edition of the ONCE Innova Entrepreneurs Challenge

ONCE has launched a new edition of the ONCE Innova Entrepreneurs Challenge, its open innovation program aimed at incorporating solutions developed by startups to address real challenges within the Organization. Under the slogan “ONCE is looking for startups to solve four challenges in its 2026 open innovation program,” the application period will remain open until May 11.

The program is aimed at startups, scale-ups, and digital SMEs that already have solutions on the market and the capacity to develop a pilot project in collaboration with ONCE. The goal is to identify innovative proposals that can be implemented in a real environment and generate a direct impact on people’s lives, especially in areas related to autonomy, inclusion, and improvements in logistics processes and waste management.

In this edition, ONCE has defined four challenges: improving autonomous mobility for people with visual impairments, facilitating accessible and well-informed navigation within its centers, optimizing the lifecycle management of its products, and improving access to training and tools for its network of vendors. These are specific challenges seeking practical solutions with the potential to scale within the Organization.

Inclusive innovation

The ONCE Innova Entrepreneurs Challenge has established itself as a benchmark initiative in open innovation with social impact. Since its launch, 146 projects have been submitted and eight pilot projects have been developed with startups, some of which have been scaled within the Organization, demonstrating the program’s ability to connect the entrepreneurial ecosystem with real needs.

The 2026 call will select eight finalist startups—two per challenge—which will take part in an inclusive innovation and accessibility bootcamp alongside ONCE teams between July and October. During this period, the startups will receive specific training in accessibility and work on co-designing their solutions in a real environment, with guidance from the Organization.

In the final phase, four winning projects—one per challenge—will be selected. They will have the opportunity to develop a pilot in direct collaboration with ONCE, access a real validation environment, work with the Organization’s teams, and explore opportunities to scale their solutions.

The selection process will involve a multidisciplinary jury made up of representatives from technology companies, organizations within the entrepreneurial ecosystem, and experts in accessibility and innovation. These include professionals from companies such as Microsoft, Google, and AWS, as well as organizations like ENISA, Fundación Tecsos, Fundación ONCE, Zubi Capital, and COTEC, along with key figures from the ONCE Social Group and academia.

Collaborative approach

This practical and collaborative approach has been key to the success of previous editions. Startups such as Mentiness, which specializes in psychological well-being within organizations, have progressed from participating in the challenge to scaling their solutions within ONCE. During its participation, the startup was able to adapt its technology to the Organization’s context, incorporating aspects such as accessibility and diversity of user profiles, and validate its proposal in a real environment.

Similarly, other projects such as the pilot developed with YASYT, focused on accessible voice assistants, highlight the program’s potential to drive innovative solutions that combine technology and social impact, particularly in areas such as personal autonomy and accessibility in services.

With this initiative, ONCE reinforces its commitment to open innovation as a tool to promote technological solutions with social impact, consolidating its role as a bridge between the startup ecosystem and the real challenges of a large organization.

Interested startups can submit their applications until May 11 through theprogram’s website