UAE Prize Offers $7.2M for Sustainability Solutions

A global competition is putting serious money behind the people who are actually solving climate, health, and hunger challenges around the world.

The Zayed Sustainability Prize just opened applications for its 2027 cycle, inviting small businesses, nonprofits, and even high school students to compete for $7.2 million in funding. The UAE-based program supports practical solutions across six areas: Health, Food, Energy, Water, Climate Action, and Global High Schools.

This isn't a new venture. The prize has been running for nearly two decades, and the results speak volumes. More than 400 million people worldwide have seen their lives improve thanks to projects that started with prize funding.

Winners in each organizational category receive $1 million to expand their work. High school teams can win $150,000 to launch student-led projects in their communities. But the program goes further than just crowning winners.

Starting with the 2026 cycle, every finalist now receives funding. Organizations that make it to the final round get $100,000 each, while finalist schools receive $25,000. That's an extra $1.3 million going to proven innovations that might not take top prize but still deserve support.

Dr. Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, who directs the prize, emphasized that the program champions "innovation in all its forms, from community-led approaches to cutting-edge technologies such as AI." The goal is reaching solutions that work for the most vulnerable populations.

Applications are accepted in seven languages, including Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Portuguese, Russian, and Spanish. Every submission goes through rigorous evaluation by independent international experts who assess impact, innovation, and inspiration.

The prize honors Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the UAE's founding father, by supporting projects that deliver measurable results. Past winners have expanded access to renewable energy, brought affordable healthcare to remote areas, increased food and water security, and strengthened resilience in vulnerable regions.

The Ripple Effect

When you fund 400 million improved lives over 18 years, you're not just supporting individual projects. You're creating a network of proven solutions that other communities can adapt and implement.

The prize model shows what happens when sustainability funding focuses on what actually works. By requiring demonstrated results and providing support to all finalists, the program ensures more innovations reach the people who need them most.

The deadline for applications is June 15, 2026, with winners announced at a ceremony in 2027.

A nearly two-decade track record of helping hundreds of millions proves that solving global challenges isn't just possible when you back the right innovators.