The Gandhi Centre exists to make innovation work for everyone, not just those with the most resources. We do that by connecting ³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ Business School's research base to students, entrepreneurs, data scientists, non-profits, governments and businesses across the globe.
Initiatives and programmes
Ideas to Impact Challenge (i2i)
The Ideas to Impact Challenge (i2i) is an annual student entrepreneurship competition open to university students from any discipline and any institution. Teams pitch innovative solutions to global challenges across six themes: financial inclusion, agriculture, education and skills, digital, healthcare and sanitation, and climate, water and energy. The top three finalist teams each receive seed funding and ongoing mentorship and business support from experts at ³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ Business School. First prize is £5,000, second prize is £3,000 and third prize is £2,000. The 2026 final pitching event took place on 2 June 2026. Check back for 2027 dates.
To find out more, contact us at gc@imperial.ac.uk.
Analytics for Society Awards
The Analytics for Society Awards is a student-led competition that challenges teams to use analytics, optimisation and data visualisation to address real-world societal challenges aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The 2026 competition was co-hosted by University College London (UCL) School of Management and the Gandhi Centre, in partnership with the Institute of Analytics (IoA). Teams of up to four students compete for a prize pool of £3,000. The competition is open to undergraduate and postgraduate students from any university and any academic discipline, and cross-university teams are encouraged. Finalist teams present at a final event and gain access to a network of academics and industry professionals in analytics and data science.
Past winners include a predictive analytics platform to prevent student dropouts (2025), SkillBridge, a micro-credentials platform to tackle extreme poverty (2024), and MicroSentry, a solution to monitor microplastic contamination in water bodies (2023).
For competition details and future dates email analyticsforsocietyawards@imperial.ac.uk.
Data Science for Social Good (DSSGx)
In partnership with the Alan Turing Institute and the University of Warwick, the Gandhi Centre delivers the annual Data Science for Social Good (DSSGx) Summer Programme. This 12-week, project-based fellowship brings together graduate and undergraduate students, PhD students, data scientists and researchers from around the world to build data-driven solutions to pressing societal challenges. Fellows work with non-profit and government partners, supported by professional technical mentors and project managers. The programme was pioneered by the University of Chicago in 2013 and has involved more than 200 students from computer science, social sciences, statistics, economics, public policy and other quantitative fields. ³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ was the first UK university to host the programme, in 2019.
Organisations interested in becoming a project partner receive a dedicated data science team, a prototype solution and training in how to tackle data science projects.
Social Impact Day
Each year, the Gandhi Centre hosts Social Impact Day, bringing together academics, entrepreneurs, students and industry leaders to explore how business and enterprise can drive meaningful social change. The day features panel discussions thought leadership sessions and the i2i Challenge final, at which shortlisted student teams present their plans to impact one million lives to an expert judging panel. Social Impact Day 2026 was jointly organised with the National Indian Students and Alumni Union (NISAU).
Social Transformation Lab
The Social Transformation Lab brings together researchers, analysts, practitioners and philanthropists to design transformational solutions to societal challenges including poverty, hunger and inequality. The Lab's Tech for Society initiative draws on ³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ's research capabilities to train governments and non-profit organisations in using data to improve decision-making, and to build a community of people and organisations focused on creating positive societal impact. The Lab produces research papers and case studies shared across platforms.
Research partnerships
Alan Turing Institute
The Alan Turing Institute is the UK's national institute for data science and artificial intelligence. The Gandhi Centre partners with the Alan Turing Institute to deliver the Data Science for Social Good summer programme, connecting aspiring data scientists with non-profit and government partners around the world.
University of Warwick
The University of Warwick co-delivers the Data Science for Social Good summer programme with the Gandhi Centre and the Alan Turing Institute, providing academic expertise and institutional infrastructure for the fellowship.
Institute of Analytics (IoA)
The Institute of Analytics (IoA) partners with the Gandhi Centre on the Analytics for Society Awards, donating the winner's prize money, professional development and membership opportunities, and contributing industry members as award speakers and judges.
UCL School of Management
University College London (UCL) School of Management co-hosts the Analytics for Society Awards with the Gandhi Centre, bringing together students from both institutions and beyond to apply analytical thinking to real-world societal challenges.
³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ's institutional partners in India
The Gandhi Centre maintains partnerships with leading Indian research and educational institutions, including the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), i2india, the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) Bangalore, the Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) including their EU alumni chapter IIM EU, the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) including their UK alumni chapter IITLC, the Indian School of Business (ISB) and the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR). These partnerships support research collaboration, executive education and knowledge exchange between ³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ Business School and India's leading institutions.
Corporate partnerships
The Gandhi Centre was established with the support of two founding patrons: BP and Kusuma Trust. Their founding support made possible the centre's research, education and social impact programmes.