WE Empower UN SDG Challenge 2026

Grant Overview

Five women. Five world regions. One week at the United Nations General Assembly during Climate Week NYC, where global policy actually gets shaped. Then a live pitch at Diane von Furstenberg’s studio where the audience votes to decide the winner. This is not a startup competition for ideas on napkins. The WE Empower UN SDG Challenge, co-convened by ASU’s Julie Ann Wrigley Global Futures Laboratory and Vital Voices Global Partnership, selects established social entrepreneurs who have already proven their models work. If your enterprise generates $75,000+ annually, employs three or more people, and has operated for three-plus years, this opportunity offers something cash cannot buy: legitimacy in rooms where policy and capital actually move. The 2026 cycle closes March 8. But here is what other listings miss: due to evolving U.S. visa restrictions, the program may shift to Geneva in June 2026 instead of New York in September. You need to be ready for either location.

Key Grant Information

Expired

Closed

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WE Empower UN SDG Challenge 2026

Funded by Arizona State University Julie Ann Wrigley Global Futures Laboratory | Vital Voices Global Partnership

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Grant Snapshot

Grant Award

$25,000

Application Deadline

March 8 2026

Eligible Region

Global, Asia-Pacific, Europe and North America, Latin America and the Caribbean, Middle East and North Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa

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Eligibility and Benefits

Eligibility Criteria

• Identify as a woman entrepreneur with lead decision-making authority
• At least 21 years old by August 1 2026
• Business or organization operating 3+ years by August 1 2026
• Employ minimum 3 full-time employees or FTEs
• Generate minimum $75000 USD annual revenue
• Nonprofits: donations grants and fundraising proceeds count toward threshold
• Professional English proficiency
• Must provide audited financial records if selected as finalist
• Available for virtual programming August through October 2026
• Willing to travel to NYC (September 19-26 2026) or Geneva (June 14-20 2026)

Grant Benefits

• $25,000
• Historical range: $10000 to $25000 for pitch night winner
• Runner-up prizes historically $2500 to $5000 but unconfirmed for 2026
• All-expenses program week in NYC or Geneva (travel coverage status unconfirmed)
• Capacity-building training from ASU Global Futures Laboratory and partners
• Live pitch at Diane von Furstenberg's studio during UN General Assembly week
• Global visibility and access to World Bank and UN networks
• Ongoing alumni community and networking opportunities

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Focus Areas

Women Social Entrepreneurs UN Sustainable Development Goals Global Pitch Competition

Do You Qualify for the WE Empower UN SDG Challenge 2026? Use Our Free Eligibility Checker

This program has hard cutoffs that eliminate applicants quickly. The eligibility tool below runs through all nine core requirements in plain English. It checks your age, business age, revenue, team size, and travel flexibility. You will know in under two minutes whether this opportunity fits your current stage or whether you should focus on other grants.

If the tool confirms you are eligible, start preparing your audited financial records and two-minute video immediately. Do not wait until the final week. If you are ineligible due to revenue or operational history, consider the Chasm Momentum Grant for established women entrepreneurs or the Social Shifters Global Innovation Challenge for earlier-stage ventures. If you are unsure about specific criteria such as FTE calculations or revenue verification for nonprofits, our team can review your situation and clarify the donor’s expectations before you invest time in the full application.

What This Program Actually Offers (Beyond the Grant Money)

Most pitch competitions hand you a check and a photo opportunity. WE Empower operates on three pillars: Honour, Invest, and Ignite. Honour means recognition for women who are measurably advancing the SDGs through their enterprises. Invest means capacity-building training, coaching, and curated access to global leaders. Ignite means putting your story in front of policymakers and investors who need to see that women-led businesses are central to hitting 2030 climate and equity targets.

The program was formally launched at the 2018 UN General Assembly by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, the World Bank President, and the Council of Women World Leaders. That lineage matters because it explains who takes this seriously and why. The co-chairs include Diane von Furstenberg, Amanda Ellis of ASU Global Futures Laboratory, Alyse Nelson of Vital Voices, and the Chief Economist of the World Bank Group. This is not a regional business plan competition. It is a global platform with institutional weight behind it.

The Pitch Night Mechanics Other Pages Miss

Here is how the final event actually works. All five regional awardees deliver a three-minute pitch at Diane von Furstenberg’s studio in Manhattan. After pitches, judges including DVF ask questions. Then the winner is determined by live ranked-choice voting from two audiences simultaneously: in-person attendees and online viewers watching the public livestream. This is not a closed panel decision. The vote is real-time and public.

This format changes what you are preparing for. Your written application gets you to New York. Your video is an audition for the live stage. Your actual pitch must land with smart non-specialists: business leaders, diplomats, philanthropists, and general viewers. Past winners share one quality. Their missions were immediately understandable to people outside their sector.

The Pitch Night is livestreamed globally. Even if you do not win the grand prize, you are pitching to an audience that includes investors, policymakers, and journalists who can open doors afterward. Past awardees consistently describe this visibility as the most lasting value of the program.

Historical Pitch Night Winners

The winning enterprises all solved concrete daily-life barriers: food access, waste management, healthcare, and women’s mobility. Climate tech with direct human equity angles has performed well. Highly technical or B2B solutions are harder to convey in three minutes to a general audience.

Who Should Apply (And Who Should Wait)

This is a program for established leaders, not startups testing product-market fit. The eligibility rules act as filters. If your business is pre-revenue, under three years old, or lacks full-time staff, you will not qualify. The program invests in women who have already proven their models and are ready to scale impact on a global stage.

The 2025 awardees demonstrate the level they reward. Monika Shukla of Humble Bee in India impacts over 10,000 farmers through scientific beekeeping and AI-powered platforms. Juveline Ngum of BleagLee in Senegal has diverted 230,000 tons of waste while empowering 15,000 women. Jessica Jacob of SURECO in Panama has mobilized over $500 million in climate finance. These are proven enterprises with measurable traction.

The Application: What You Actually Need to Submit

The application opens January 26 2026 and closes March 8 2026 at 11:59 PM Eastern Time. The platform is AwardsPlatform at weempower.awardsplatform.com. Do not wait until the final week. The components require preparation time.

The Seven Video Questions (Answer All in Under Two Minutes)

The video is your audition for the live stage. Judges watch knowing you may stand in front of a global audience at DVF’s studio. They look for presence, clarity, and mission coherence. Production quality matters less than substance. Smartphones are explicitly acceptable.

Two minutes is tight for seven questions. Practice until you can hit all seven naturally within the limit. Do not script word-for-word. Judges watch for someone who can own a room. Reading from a script visible in your eyes undermines that. Have your impact numbers ready to drop naturally without hesitation.

Q: What if I cannot get a U.S. visa for the New York convening?
A: The program explicitly lists Geneva Switzerland (June 14-20 2026) as an alternative venue due to evolving U.S. visa restrictions. You must be willing to travel to either location. This transparency is rare for programs of this profile. If visa access is a potential obstacle, contact Liz Dorn at liz.dorn@asu.edu before the March 8 deadline to understand the current venue status.

Q: Are nonprofits eligible or is this only for for-profit businesses?
A: Nonprofits are explicitly eligible. The $75000 revenue minimum can include donations, grants, and fundraising proceeds. You still need three full-time employees or equivalents and audited financial records if selected as a finalist. The key is demonstrating sustainable impact and operational capacity, not business model type.

Q: How competitive is this program?
A: Highly competitive. Only five regional awardees are selected globally each year. Exact application numbers are not published, but the combination of strict eligibility criteria and UN-level prestige creates a self-selecting pool of established entrepreneurs. Your differentiator is measurable SDG impact and a compelling personal narrative in the video.

The Timeline: What Happens After You Apply

The timeline flexibility around location is unusual and reflects the program’s responsiveness to global conditions. If selected, maintain passport validity and research visa requirements for both the United States and Switzerland. The program will confirm the final venue as early as possible, but applicants must remain flexible.

Key Terms for WE Empower Applicants

• WE Empower Awardee: One of five regional winners selected from the global applicant pool. Awardees receive the full program week, training, and pitch opportunity. This is distinct from the Pitch Night winner who receives the cash grant.
• Pitch Night Winner: The single awardee who wins the live audience vote at Diane von Furstenberg’s studio. Historically receives $10000 to $25000, though the exact 2026 amount is unconfirmed.
• UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): 17 global goals adopted by UN member states in 2015 covering poverty, climate, gender equality, and sustainable development. Your application must demonstrate measurable advancement of specific SDGs, not just general alignment.
• Ranked-Choice Voting: The voting format used at Pitch Night where voters rank options by preference. If no candidate gets a majority of first-choice votes, the lowest vote-getter is eliminated and their voters’ second choices are redistributed. This favors candidates with broad appeal.
• Audited Financial Records: Financial statements reviewed and verified by an independent certified public accountant. Required for finalists to verify revenue claims. If you do not currently have audited records, start the process immediately as it typically takes 4-8 weeks.
• Full-Time Equivalent (FTE): A unit measuring employee workload where one FTE equals one full-time employee. Part-time employees can be combined (e.g., two half-time workers equal one FTE). You need three FTEs minimum.
• Capacity Building: Training and support provided to strengthen organizational abilities. WE Empower offers this through ASU Global Futures Laboratory and partner organizations including BMO, P&G, and RELX.
• Climate Week NYC: Annual event held alongside the UN General Assembly where global leaders convene on climate action. WE Empower awardees participate in high-level events during this week.
• Geneva Alternative: The potential shift of the 2026 convening to Geneva, Switzerland (June 14-20) due to U.S. visa policy changes. Applicants must be willing to travel to either NYC or Geneva.
• Julie Ann Wrigley Global Futures Laboratory: Arizona State University research unit focused on sustainability and future-oriented solutions. Received over $4 million in 2024 funding, demonstrating substantial institutional backing.
• Vital Voices Global Partnership: International nonprofit investing in women leaders for over two decades. Co-convenes WE Empower with ASU, bringing grassroots expertise and global network access.
• Diane von Furstenberg Studio: The fashion designer and philanthropist’s New York headquarters in the Meatpacking District where Pitch Night is held. The venue signals prestige and attracts media attention.
• Regional Competition Pool: Applicants grouped into five regions: Asia-Pacific, Europe/North America, Latin America/Caribbean, Middle East/North Africa, and Sub-Saharan Africa. One awardee selected from each region.
• Social Entrepreneurship: Business models prioritizing social or environmental impact alongside financial sustainability. WE Empower accepts both for-profit social enterprises and nonprofits.
• Decision-Making Authority: The power to make strategic commitments on behalf of your organization. You must be the founder, CEO, executive director, or equivalent with final say on organizational direction.
• Professional English Proficiency: Ability to present complex ideas clearly and confidently in English to a live audience. All program activities including training and networking are conducted in English.
• Co-Convener: Organizations that jointly run the program with equal operational responsibility. ASU Global Futures Laboratory and Vital Voices Global Partnership share program design, selection, and execution.
• Lead Partner: Companies providing substantial financial and promotional support including BMO, P&G, and RELX. Partners also contribute capacity-building training and amplify awardees through their networks.
• Virtual Programming: Mandatory training and preparation sessions conducted August through October 2026. Participation is a condition of acceptance, so applicants with calendar constraints should factor this in.

Similar Grants and Alternative Opportunities

If the WE Empower Challenge does not fit your current stage or if you want to diversify your funding strategy, several related opportunities exist. The Cartier Women’s Initiative offers $100,000 for for-profit women-led businesses with 1-6 years of operation. The Chasm Momentum Grant provides $25,000 for established women entrepreneurs with social impact focus. For pitch practice and smaller awards, the Fast Pitch Competition and Runway to Revenue Accelerator offer valuable experience. For earlier-stage founders, the Social Shifters Global Innovation Challenge targets youth-led SDG initiatives. The EmpowerHer Fund supports women entrepreneurs with smaller grants. Each has different criteria and prestige levels. Reviewing multiple options increases your chances of finding the right match.

Need Help With Your WE Empower Application?

The WE Empower Challenge application has multiple failure points: the video requirement, audited financial records, strict eligibility criteria, and ambiguous grant amounts. If you are unsure whether your revenue calculations qualify, whether your SDG alignment is strong enough, or how to structure the two-minute video, our team can help.

Grantaura’s experts have reviewed hundreds of grant applications for women entrepreneurs and social enterprises. We can audit your eligibility before you invest time in the full application, review your video script for impact, verify ambiguous details directly with program officers, and ensure your financial documentation meets finalist vetting standards.

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About the Author

Imran Ullah built Grantaura to solve a problem he saw repeatedly: talented entrepreneurs and nonprofit leaders missing opportunities because grant information was scattered, outdated, or buried in bureaucratic language. With a background spanning technology research and social impact assessment, he focuses on translating complex funding programs into actionable intelligence. When he is not analyzing grant structures or testing eligibility algorithms, he works directly with founders to match them with funding that actually fits their stage and mission. Connect with him to cut through the noise and find your next funding win.

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