Zayed Sustainability Prize Supporting Global Sustainable Solutions

Deadline: 15-Jun-2026

The Zayed Sustainability Prize is a global award recognizing organizations and schools with proven solutions in Health, Food, Energy, Water, Climate Action, and Global High Schools that advance sustainability and human development. Managed by Masdar, Abu Dhabi’s renewable energy company, the prize awards US $5.9 million annually, rewarding innovation, measurable impact, and inspirational value. It supports scalable, real-world solutions rather than early-stage startups or untested concepts, enabling winners to expand their positive outcomes globally.

Overview

Established by the Abu Dhabi Government, the Zayed Sustainability Prize honors organizations and schools that demonstrate real-world impact in sustainability and human-centered development, in line with the legacy of Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan.

Key objectives:

• Promote proven, scalable solutions addressing global challenges

• Reward projects that are innovative, impactful, and inspirational

• Support sustainable development in health, food, energy, water, and climate action

• Empower student-led initiatives through the Global High Schools category

Focus Areas

Health, Food, Energy, and Water

• Awarded to organizations with proven impact

• Solutions must be technically and commercially viable and already adopted in the market

• Applications evaluated on:

  • Innovation: Unique value propositions and transformative approaches

  • Impact: Measurable improvements, resilience, governance, and scalability

  • Inspiration: Alignment with Sheikh Zayed’s values and motivation for societal change

Climate Action

• Recognizes projects with tangible contributions to environmental sustainability and climate resilience

• Focus on scalable solutions with measurable environmental benefits

Global High Schools

• Supports youth-led projects from six global regions:

  • The Americas

  • Europe and Central Asia

  • Middle East and North Africa

  • Sub-Saharan Africa

  • South Asia

  • East Asia and the Pacific

• Emphasizes student leadership, education, and local sustainability action

Funding Details

• Total prize fund: US $5.9 million

• Category awards:

  • Health: US $1 million

  • Food: US $1 million

  • Energy: US $1 million

  • Water: US $1 million

  • Climate Action: US $1 million

  • Global High Schools: US $900,000 total (US $150,000 per selected school)

Purpose of funding:

• Scale proven solutions

• Deepen social and environmental impact

• Inspire further global sustainable development

Eligibility Criteria

• Organizations must have demonstrated real-world impact

• Solutions must be technically and commercially viable

• Early-stage startups or untested concepts are not eligible

• For Global High Schools: Projects must be student-led and focus on local sustainability initiatives

Evaluation Criteria

Applications are assessed on three core dimensions:

1. Innovation

   • Novel approaches and unique value propositions

   • Solutions that address real needs in transformative ways

2. Impact

   • Measurable improvements to people’s lives or the environment

   • Resilience to challenges and strong governance

   • Clear strategy for using prize funds to expand benefits

3. Inspiration

   • Alignment with Sheikh Zayed’s values

   • Potential to motivate societal change and broader adoption

Benefits of Winning

• Significant funding to scale and replicate solutions

• Recognition at a global platform

• Opportunity to inspire other organizations, communities, and youth leaders

• Enhanced visibility for long-term partnerships and impact

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Submitting early-stage or untested solutions

• Failing to demonstrate measurable impact or scalability

• Ignoring alignment with Sheikh Zayed’s sustainability and humanitarian values

• Incomplete applications or lack of technical and commercial viability evidence

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

1. Who can apply?

   • Organizations with proven impact in Health, Food, Energy, Water, or Climate Action; student-led initiatives in Global High Schools.

2. Are early-stage startups eligible?

   • No. Only established, market-adopted solutions are considered.

3. How is the prize funding distributed?

   • US $1 million per main category; US $900,000 distributed across six high schools in the Global High Schools category.

4. What criteria are used for evaluation?

   • Innovation, impact, and inspiration.

5. Is the prize global?

   • Yes, it is open internationally, recognizing solutions worldwide.

6. Can multiple organizations apply jointly?

   • Collaborative initiatives may apply, but each must demonstrate proven impact and scalability.

Conclusion

The Zayed Sustainability Prize rewards proven, impactful solutions that advance sustainability, climate action, and human development globally. By focusing on scalable projects with measurable benefits, the prize empowers organizations and youth-led initiatives to expand their reach, deepen impact, and inspire sustainable change worldwide.

For more information, visit Zayed Sustainability Prize.