Empowering Global Entrepreneurship: Santander X Awards

At Banco Santander, supporting entrepreneurship is more than a mission—it’s a movement. Through Santander X, the bank champions innovators from the earliest ideas to thriving scale-ups. Since 2021, Santander has partnered with the Oxentia Foundation to create a truly global competition: the Santander X Global Award. This initiative brings together university-based projects, startups, and scaleups from nine countries, all vying for recognition on the world stage. The journey begins with Local Awards, where in-country winners earn their place at the prestigious Global Award.

Our Approach

The Oxentia Foundation developed a comprehensive playbook to help Santander teams across Spain, Portugal, the UK, Poland, Chile, Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, and Uruguay launch their Local Awards. This toolkit covers everything from setting up application forms and evaluation criteria on the Santander X platform, to marketing the awards through networks and social media, evaluating applications, and selecting finalists. Finalists receive mentorship before pitching their ideas, and local winners are chosen during dynamic pitch days. Oxentia consultants also deliver training workshops for evaluators and mentors, sharing best practices from global experience.

Once the Local Awards conclude, three winners per category from each country advance to the Global Award. Here, teams compete for equity-free cash prizes and global media exposure. Oxentia manages the entire Global Awards process, including online pitching rounds, mentoring from global experts, in-person ceremonies, and curated events for winners.

The Results

Santander X Awards have become a launchpad for entrepreneurial talent, providing not just funding but mentorship, exposure, and a global network. By combining local expertise with global best practice, the programme continues to unlock opportunities for innovators and drive positive change across continents.