UAE: Win Dh500,000 for your business by being sustainable; here's how

Start-ups and entrepreneurs with smart ideas to reduce waste and build a greener future now have a chance to win big.

Applications are open for the Innovate For Tomorrow Impact Accelerator 2025, a global programme offering a total prize pool of Dh850,000 to help scale innovative, sustainable businesses.

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The initiative, launched by Dubai Holding together with in5, invites start-ups from around the world to rethink how we use and reuse resources. The goal is to create a more circular and sustainable economy, one where nothing goes to waste.

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Big prizes

The winning start-up will receive Dh500,000 in funding and a chance to bring its project to life within a major business group’s wide network. The second and third winners will get Dh250,000 and Dh100,000, respectively.

The 2025 edition focuses on three key themes:

• Food loss and waste

• Resource recovery and regeneration

• Digital innovation for sustainability

Applications are open until November 25, 2025, for start-ups that have a working prototype or early-stage product and want to scale their business in the UAE. 

Training and support

Fifteen promising scale-ups will be chosen for a 12-week hybrid accelerator programme. Participants will receive:

• Up to 20 hours of one-on-one mentorship from experts

• More than 15 workshops on topics such as finance, business growth, and market entry

• Access to in5’s incubation benefits is worth Dh90,000 for the top five scale-ups

• Discounts on over 250 technology platforms and services

The programme will end with a Demo Day in 2026, where participants will pitch their ideas to investors and business leaders. The top innovation will move forward to full implementation with the organisers.

The accelerator supports the UAE’s vision for a greener, more circular economy under the UAE Circular Economy Policy 2031, Net Zero by 2050, and Centennial 2071.

SM Ayaz Zakir

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ayaz@khaleejtimes.com

SM Ayaz Zakir is a Senior Correspondent with a flair for extraordinary stories. His playground? Every corner of the UAE. He often ventures into remote corners of the country to capture compelling news and human interest stories.