SDG Entrepreneurship
Secondary School
Competition
For Students Ages 11–18
Your opportunity to compete with the region's sharpest young minds. Choose one or more of the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals to tackle, and submit a pitch deck for your sustainable solution to be judged by a panel of industry experts from across the region. The arena is open.
About the Competition
Shared Challenges.
Shared Solutions.
The SDG Entrepreneurship Secondary School Competition is a student-led innovation challenge rooted in the Middle East. Based in Dubai, it brings together bright, creative young minds from across the region and around the world to develop practical, entrepreneurial solutions to the United Nations SDGs. Students of every nationality, background and belief are welcome to take part. Our communities face many of the same challenges, from water scarcity and food security to inequality and climate change, and when we work together, we solve them together. This is a platform for the next generation of creative thinkers, problem solvers, engineers, designers, and policy architects to build solutions that serve the region and the world. Projects are evaluated by an independent judging panel of leaders from education, entrepreneurship, business, sustainability, and social impact.
The Judging Panel
Selecting Tomorrow's Changemakers.
Ahmad Alhendawi
Regional Director, Save the Children International, Trustee of WWF International, the Ban Ki-moon Centre for Global Citizenship, and Jordan's Crown Prince Foundation
A recipient of the Order for Distinction from His Majesty King Abdullah II, Ahmad Alhendawi currently serves as a trustee with WWF International, the Ban Ki-moon Centre for Global Citizenship, and Jordan's Crown Prince Foundation. A global affairs and development leader with nearly two decades of experience, he currently leads Save the Children International's work across the Middle East, North Africa, Gulf, and Eastern Europe. Previously, he served as Secretary-General of the World Organization of the Scout Movement and as the first United Nations Secretary-General's Envoy on Youth, where he helped advance global youth engagement and contributed to major initiatives including the Sustainable Development Goals and the Youth, Peace and Security agenda.
Nora Al-Jindi
Marketing Program Director, Dar Al-Hekma University, Yale World Fellow and MISK 2030 Leader
Nora Al-Jindi, MBA, MS, CHE is the Marketing Program Director at Dar Al-Hekma University in Saudi Arabia and an educator, strategist, and consultant with more than 15 years of experience spanning academia, business, and innovation. A 2021 Yale World Fellow and MISK 2030 Leader, she is also Regional Executive Director at X-Culture and serves on the International Advisory Board of the American University of Beirut. Nora holds an MBA from the American University of Beirut and an MSc in Digital Age Learning and Educational Technology from Johns Hopkins University. Her work focuses on developing young talent, experiential learning, and strengthening connections between education and industry.
Charlie Wright
CEO, Humantra
Charlie Wright is the Founder and CEO of Humantra, the UAE-born wellness brand he has grown from a Dubai startup into an internationally recognized hydration company. Incubated by HB Investments, the family office of Huda and Mona Kattan, Humantra has become the #1-selling supplement on Amazon and Deliveroo in the UAE and expanded internationally, including a launch across 1,200 Boots stores in the UK. The company has also attracted investment from JamJar Investments, the venture capital firm founded by the creators of Innocent Drinks. A graduate of the University of Exeter, Charlie previously founded and built other ventures before launching Humantra, giving him extensive firsthand experience in entrepreneurship, consumer branding, e-commerce, fundraising, and scaling businesses across international markets.
Mohamed A. Al Ayed
CEO, TRACCS
A passionate communicator, prominent strategist, experienced advisor, and empowering leader, with deep knowledge and understanding of the MENA Region’s communications industry, Mohamed Al Ayed came to prominence in 1998 when he established TRACCS in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. As Chief Executive Officer, he has grown the single operation to become the largest independent and homegrown communications consultancy in MENA, with 11 offices across 10 markets, serving a diversified portfolio of clients including government entities, MNC’s, family run businesses, corporate giants, local companies, and NGOs.
Cash Prizes
The top 3 winning teams will receive cash prizes in recognition of their outstanding solutions. Winners will also receive public recognition, with winning projects announced and promoted through participating schools and social media.
Certificates for All
Every participant receives an official certificate recognizing their commitment to the Global Goals.
Judging Criteria
Evidence, root causes and understanding of stakeholders
Relevance, creativity and user focus
Resources, costs, partners and long-term potential
SDG connection and measurable impact
Clarity, visuals, delivery and responses to questions
Winners Spotlight
Celebrating the Champion Teams.
Winning teams will be announced at the close of the competition.
The SDG Atlas
The 17 UN
Sustainable Development Goals.
Turning Sustainable Development Goals into Sustainable Solutions
In 2015, all 193 United Nations member states adopted the Sustainable Development Goals: a shared blueprint of 17 interlinked objectives to end poverty, protect the planet, and secure peace and prosperity for every community by 2030. From clean water and quality education to climate action and reduced inequalities, the goals translate the world's greatest challenges into a concrete agenda. Explore each one below and choose the challenge your team will take on.
Click any goal to expand it
Sample Pitch Deck
Structure Your Pitch.
We recommend following this structure for your pitch deck. Each stage has a specific purpose, and you can include multiple slides for any stage or step.
Team members may come from different schools and grades — list each member's name, school, and grade on your cover slide.
01
Cover Slide
Team name, project title, chosen SDG goal, school, country & team member names — including each member's school and grade.
- Team / Project Name
- Team Member Names
- Each Member's School & Grade
- SDG Goal Number & Title
- School Name & Country
- Competition Year
02
The Problem
Define the specific real-world problem your project addresses within your chosen SDG.
- Problem statement in 1–2 sentences
- Who is affected & how many
- Local or regional context
03
Why Existing Solutions Fall Short
Show you've researched what's already out there — and where it fails.
- Current solutions in the market
- Their key limitations & gaps
- Cost or access barriers
- The gap your project fills
04
Your Solution
Clearly explain what your project does and how it solves the problem.
- Core idea explained simply
- Key features or components
- What makes it unique
- Visual diagram or sketch
05
Solution in Detail
Go deeper on how your solution actually works, part by part.
- Each part & what it does
- Step-by-step process or system flow
- What the user sees or does
- Cost & what's needed to build it
06
SDG Alignment
Show exactly how your solution contributes to the specific UN SDG targets.
- Which SDG targets you address
- Direct & indirect impact
- Connection to other SDGs
- Alignment with 2030 Agenda
07
Impact & Evidence
Back your claims with data, research, or pilot results.
- Measurable outcomes
- Data sources or research cited
- Projected scale of impact
- Assumptions clearly stated
08
Feasibility
Demonstrate that your solution can actually be built and implemented.
- Materials or technology needed
- Timeline to implement
- Estimated cost
- Partnerships or resources required
09
Scalability
Explain how your solution can grow beyond its initial context.
- Pilot → regional → global pathway
- Barriers to scaling & how to overcome
- Adaptability to other regions
- Long-term sustainability
Presentation Format
PowerPoint or PDF · 8–15 slides
Competition Arc
The Path Forward.
Eligibility
- Open to students aged 11–18 around the world, regardless of country or nationality, who are enrolled in secondary school or an equivalent pre-university program, including students who are homeschooled or enrolled in an online school. Students of every background and belief are welcome.
- Students may compete individually or as part of a team of up to five.
- Pitch decks may be submitted in either Arabic or English to ensure that all entries can be fully understood and fairly evaluated by the judging panel.
- For any inquiries, email us at sdgcompetition2027@gmail.com
Phase 01
January 2, 2027
Registration Deadline
Register your team by this date to secure your place in the competition.
Register Your Team
Register your team by emailing your team name, student names, school grade/year, the name of your school, and your country to:
sdgcompetition2027@gmail.com
Phase 02
March 15, 2027
Project Submission Deadline
Email your completed pitch deck and project details by this date.
Submission Email
sdgcompetition2027@gmail.com
Submission Requirements
Format
PowerPoint (.ppt / .pptx) or PDF
Structure
Follow the general pitch deck guide — going beyond 8-15 slides is fine
Email Subject
SDG Competition — Team Name — School
Phase 03
April 15, 2027
Announcement of Winners
Winning teams are announced and notified directly.
Frequently Asked Questions
Questions & Answers.
A fully functioning prototype is not required. As submissions are made through a PowerPoint or PDF pitch deck, a clear mock-up, visual concept, diagram or other representation of the proposed solution is sufficient. In the feasibility section of the pitch (see the pitch deck and sample pitch deck sections on the website), teams should explain how the idea could realistically be implemented, including practical considerations such as target users, resources or costs, scalability, and any research or testing that supports the concept. Where possible, teams may also strengthen their submission with evidence such as surveys, interviews, user feedback or simple pilot testing.