Public voting for the second edition is open until June 30, as the initiative strengthens its focus on scaling credible CSR and sustainability projects across the UAE.
Last year, several small social enterprises joined Majra’s inaugural Sustainable Impact Challenge with ambitious ideas but limited resources. By the end of the programme, many had undergone a significant transformation—some that had struggled to secure funding left with new investment opportunities and expanded market potential.
That impact is the reason the challenge has returned. Created to highlight credible and scalable CSR and sustainability initiatives, the programme has quickly grown into a national platform for changemakers working across education, healthcare, the environment, culture, technology, and sports.
“We want to ensure that the best projects are highlighted and their stories are shared,” said Sarah Shaw, CEO of Majra – National CSR Fund. “That is how we amplify impact. When we followed up with last year’s winners to understand how they deployed their prize funds, we saw a strong commitment to expanding their impact and increasing their visibility across the UAE market.”
Designed to recognise and elevate high-impact initiatives, the challenge offers cash prizes along with an additional support package through Marfa’a Majra, helping participating projects strengthen operations, expand their impact, and increase visibility.
Increased interest
In its first cycle, the Sustainable Impact Challenge received 228 submissions from across the UAE’s social enterprise landscape. Last year’s winners included a company that rescues imperfect fruits and vegetables, and a startup using drones for tree-planting.
This year, Majra expects that number to double.
“We saw a significant gap in understanding the breadth and quality of CSR and sustainability projects operating in the UAE, and more importantly, identifying which initiatives are verified, validated, and capable of delivering measurable impact,” Sarah explained.
The response has led to a major upgrade, with prize money increased and the top three winners now sharing Dh2 million.
Majra’s pilot programme, Marfa’a Majra (meaning harbour or port of Majra), delivered 10x results for participating founders, demonstrating how financial support combined with ecosystem integration can create exponential impact.
Public voting and evaluation
The Sustainable Impact Challenge 2026 is currently in its public voting phase, open until June 30. UAE residents are encouraged to support projects they believe are delivering credible and measurable impact by voting through Majra’s dedicated platform.
Following this stage, the top 100 projects by public votes will advance to a technical review phase, where a committee will conduct a rigorous evidence-based assessment. This process will shortlist the top 20 recognised initiatives and ultimately select the three winning projects.
Priority is given to initiatives in education, health, environment, culture, technology, and sports, aligned with national priorities. “What I like about the Sustainable Impact Challenge is that it combines public engagement with credible scientific evaluation,” Sarah said.
To broaden participation and encourage new innovators, last year’s top three winners are not eligible to compete this year.
Impact
For Sarah, recognition now carries as much weight as the cash prize. Her long-term vision is to build an “impact map” of the UAE. “If you are a CEO sitting in Singapore or London and you want to contribute to the UAE’s development journey, I want you to be able to identify the projects creating the greatest impact and connect directly with them,” she said.
Ultimately, she hopes the challenge evolves into “a national mechanism to accelerate high-quality, scalable impact projects” while strengthening the UAE’s sustainable impact ecosystem.
