Is your startup trying to make a social impact and improve the environment? If yes, Dubai Expo may have something to offer. The organizers have been looking for creative and innovative companies making a social change to join its Expo Live’s Innovation Impact Grant Program. The competition is open to participants from all over the world and the deadline to submit your application is December 2. The winners will get a grant of US$100,000 in the third round.
Yousuf Caires, Vice President of Expo Live, Expo 2020 Dubai, said he would like to encourage more young GCC entrepreneurs to apply and tackle the challenges specific to the region. Caires confirmed that the affiliation with Dubai Expo would continue in time. In addition to that, the funding may be prolonged for people who remain committed to their ideas and serving society, said he.
Caires also pointed out that he was not interested in just ideas. He was looking for people who are committed, have already started with their initiatives but are now looking for funding to get it off the ground and expand it further. Most of the winning teams from previous editions have been active for five years or less, noted the Vice President of Expo Live. People with ideas in the early stages had to register their companies first and return later, said Caires.
The program started last year and quickly turned into a success. The grant recipients were from five continents. They were all interested in different fields including education, waste management, and renewable energy. Among the winning startups, there was combating literacy among Afghan women and girls; a solar-powered cold storage for perishable crops of Indian farmers, and a UAE group teaching English to workers via an app.
The applications are open in a six-month cycle, noted Caires. He encouraged entrepreneurs who would not be able to prepare for the current deadline to get ready for the next one in 2018. The shortlisted applications will come to Dubai to present their projects before a jury. What are you waiting for? Apply now!
