Social value platform SOVAC is openly recruiting companies and organisations to take part in its annual event to be held in September at COEX in Seoul. The SOVAC secretariat said on Monday it will hold "SOVAC (Social Value Connect) 2026" from Sept. 21 to 22 and recruit companies and institutions involved in solving social problems and spreading social value.

SOVAC is the largest private-sector social value platform in South Korea, launched in 2019 at SK's suggestion. Since 2024, it has also participated as a co-organiser in the "Korea Social Value Festa" hosted by the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Eligible applicants include social enterprises and social ventures, as well as non-profit foundations, groups and cooperatives, impact investors, intermediary support organisations, and research and educational institutions. Participation is organised into four tracks: exhibitions and promotion, lectures and discussions, markets and sales, and popup booths. Participation fees will be fully supported for selected organisations. Screening will focus on the social problems each organisation seeks to solve and its purpose, while comprehensively considering the characteristics and suitability of each programme. Applications are accepted through the official SOVAC website until May 31, and final results will be notified individually on June 29.

The newly introduced popup booth programme targets start-ups and non-profit organisations, locally based organisations and university start-up teams. It will be run in a format that allows participants to highlight products or services during designated times over the event period. The aim is to reduce participation burdens and include organisations at an early stage of entering the ecosystem.

This year's key theme for SOVAC is "Local". It will focus on locally rooted social issues and solutions such as balanced regional development, sustainable cities, youth jobs and education. Ahead of the main event, it plans to review related topics through an offline seminar called "SOVAC Salon", and then introduce solution cases and cooperation models that can be applied in local communities during the main event.

This year, specialist institutions in the social value ecosystem will directly participate in event planning. A newly launched "SOVAC Operations Consultative Council" comprising Impact Square, MY Social Company (MYSC), the Next Generation Foundation, Impact Alliance and Happy Narae plans to reflect on-the-ground views from selecting detailed topics to operating programmes. Participatory programmes such as docent tours and a mini job fair will also be run in parallel.

A SOVAC secretariat official said, "We hope SOVAC will be an opportunity for diverse organisations working to spread social value to share each other's experiences and solutions and create new opportunities for cooperation." The official added, "This year in particular, we plan to further expand discussions on local-based cases of solving social problems and sustainable growth models."