Global Sustainability Pioneers Zayed Sustainability Prize 2024 for Course

Eligibility Criteria

Assessment criteria of the Prize

 For Health, Food, Energy and Water categories, the criteria are:

INNOVATION: 40% Innovation refers to a novel solution or a transformation of an existing solution that solves a challenge or a need, generates value and brings significant positive impact.

A solution can be a technology, a service or a business model. The innovation criterion requires organisations to demonstrate that their solution:

• Has a unique value proposition;
• Is disruptive ortransformative;
• Is technically and commercially viable; and
• Is adopted by the market.

The Prize does not award early-stage start-ups, demonstration projects, prototypes or solutions that have not demonstrated any impact on the ground.

MPACT: 30% Impact refers to a positive change that addresses social, economic, technological and/or environmental challenge(s) and has proven to make the world a better place by improving the well-being of humanity.

The impact criterion requires organisations to demonstrate that:

• Theirsolution already has had a positive impact on the quality of peoples' lives;
• They are resilient to potential social, economic, technological, and environmental challenges;
• They have good governance by employing skilled people and establishing fair policies; and
• They have a detailed plan of how the Prize money would be used to furtherincrease their impact.

INSPIRATION: 30% Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the founding father of the UAE, was a pioneering advocate of global sustainability and human development. Leading by example, he placed great value in the pursuit of socioeconomic development that meets the needs of both current and future generations. Continued through the Prize, Sheikh Zayed’s legacy is a source of inspiration for the entire world.

The inspiration criterion requires organisationsto demonstrate that theirsolution:

• Reflects Sheikh Zayed’s core values – sustainability and human development that were central to his own approach and actions;
• Can inspire and influence othersto advance sustainable and human development; and
• Can further inspire sustainable actions from the wider community by instigating behavioural changes.

In each of the following six global regions, one school will win up to US $150,000:

• The Americas
• Sub-Saharan Africa
• Middle East & North Africa
• Europe & Central Asia
• South Asia
• East Asia & Pacific

Offered Benefits

The total prize fund is US $5.9 million, distributed asfollows:

• Health US $1,000,000
• Food US $1,000,000
• Energy US $1,000,000
• Water US $1,000,000
• Climate Action US $1,000,000
• Global High Schools US $900,000

Application Process

• In order to start your entry, please  register an account with the Prize. An email will be sent to you to verify your email address. After the verification, you can start your entry by logging into the system. For your convenience, you will be able to save and return to your submission form for editing at a later time. However, you will not be able to edit your entry after you have submitted it.
• To learn about the step-by-step application process, please watch our  video tutorial.
• You can download forms for  Health,  Food,  Energy,  Water,  Climate Action,  Global High Schools so you can work on the application offline. Kindly note that submissions will only be accepted through the online portal.
• To view a sample of a winning entry, please click here  Water,  Food,  Global High Schools.
• If you require technical assistance for using this portal, please email the technical support team at 
• For general queries on the Prize, please contact the Zayed Sustainability Prize team at 

The application must be submitted by the students and supported by the school management. The projects must: •

• Bemonstrate how they meet the three criteria: impact, innovation, inspiration, as explainedin the Evaluation Criteria section of this page;
• Be able to be implemented and operational within one to two years; and 
• Benefit the school community and/ortheir local/regional community forseveral years.