emirates7 - 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 | AED1 Million Grant".

The initiative 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.

In collaboration with the Emirates Youth Council for Entrepreneurship, this initiative was organised with the objective of empowering youth social entrepreneurs, enabling them to benefit from shared experiences, inspiring the next generation, and strengthening the social entrepreneurship ecosystem.

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.