Athar+, Abu Dhabi’s first purpose-driven hub dedicated to accelerating social impact, announced 15 social enterprises as the winners of the ‘Impact Makers Challenge | AED 1 Million Grant’. The initiative, held as part of the Abu Dhabi Global Entrepreneurship Festival 2026, aims to accelerate the growth of social enterprises and high-impact ventures, reinforcing Athar+ ’s commitment to fostering an inclusive and impact-driven entrepreneurial ecosystem.

The announcement took place during the Abu Dhabi Global Entrepreneurship Festival 2026, a flagship platform that brought together entrepreneurs, investors, policymakers, and innovators from around the world to explore opportunities for collaboration and sustainable growth.

The initiative was designed to identify and support ventures that are addressing pressing social priorities through innovative, scalable solutions. Through this initiative, participants went through a pitching stage for shortlisted participants following evaluation rounds led by Athar+, an initiative of the Authority of Social Contribution – Ma’an, and supported by Majra – the National CSR Fund.

In collaboration with the Emirates Youth Council for Entrepreneurship, this initiative was organised to empower youth social entrepreneurs, enable them to benefit from shared experiences, inspire the next generation, and strengthen the social entrepreneurship ecosystem.

His Excellency Salem AlShamsi, Executive Director of Social Incubation and Contracting at the Authority of Social Contribution – Ma’an, said, “We believe that the growth of social enterprises is key to driving community development. Through Athar+, we are enabling purpose-driven entrepreneurs to scale solutions that directly addresses community priorities and aligned with Abu Dhabi’s social priorities. By providing tools and initiatives such as this grant, we are ensuring that innovation has a tangible, lasting impact on the community of Abu Dhabi.”

The winners were evaluated and selected based on criteria including innovation, scalability, sustainability, and measurable social impact.

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