Zayed Sustainability Prize to fund every finalist in 2027

The Zayed Sustainability Prize is expanding its support for global sustainability projects, with all finalists in 2027 set to receive funding, organisers announced on Saturday.

The move builds on a model introduced this year, shifting the prize from a recognition programme to one that actively supports projects beyond the final stage.

Under the scheme, organisations will receive grants of $100,000, while student teams will be awarded $25,000 to help develop and scale their ideas.

The prize focuses on sectors including health, food, energy, water and climate action. In the most recent cycle, 33 finalists were selected, with 22 non-winning projects also receiving funding to continue their work.

Officials say the approach is designed to ensure promising solutions are not overlooked, particularly those with the potential to deliver measurable impact in local communities.

Recent examples include an agricultural project in South Korea producing disease-free potato seeds using indoor farming technology, and a student-led water purification system in Lebanon combining solar power with artificial intelligence.

The latest cycle of the prize attracted 7,761 submissions from 173 countries, a 30 per cent increase on the previous round, highlighting growing global participation.

Since its launch, the initiative says it has supported projects that have reached more than 400 million people worldwide, across areas such as access to clean water, healthcare, food and energy.

Applications for the 2027 cycle are now open, with submissions closing on June 22 and winners due to be announced in Abu Dhabi early next year.