Design and social responsibility: iF Design supports 18 initiatives with EUR 50,000 in the second round of the iF SOCIAL IMPACT PRIZE

Since 2017, iF Design has been supporting social projects and initiatives that address pressing challenges in our society and are aligned with the United Nations' sustainability goals with the iF SOCIAL IMPACT PRIZE. Each year, iF Design provides EUR 100,000 in funding. In 2025, 37 social initiatives in 22 countries received funding.

As of August, 671 social projects from 94 countries qualified for the second round of the iF SOCIAL IMPACT PRIZE 2025, in which EUR 50,000 was once again up for grabs. The international jury of experts selected 18 outstanding initiatives from 13 countries. Seven projects each received EUR 3,500, another four projects each received EUR 2,750. One project received EUR 2,500 and another six projects were supported with EUR 2,000 each. The winners were notified at the end of October and received the prize money directly.

All projects make a relevant contribution to the implementation of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The initiatives supported give hope – because they address the most pressing challenges: gender equality, the protection of disadvantaged children and older people, the sustainable use of resources, medical care in underserved areas, and the education and empowerment of disadvantaged social groups.

“The iF SOCIAL IMPACT PRIZE is particularly close to our hearts because by supporting these projects, we want to actively contribute to a better future. The projects funded show how much hope and positive change can be created when people stand up for others,” emphasizes Uwe Cremering, Managing Director and CEO of iF Design.

The winning projects of the iF SOCIAL IMPACT PRIZE 2025 / Round 2 (according to SDGs):

2 No Hunger

• Moving Windmills / Malawi: Nutrition program with locally grown foods such as soybeans and indigenous vegetables (EUR 3,500)

• Nourishing Dreams through Mid-Day Meals / India: The Akshaya Patra Foundation distributes 2.2 million school meals daily to combat malnutrition (EUR 2,500)

3 Good Health & Well-being

• TextWell4Health / Eswatini: Scalable platform for automatic real-time appointment reminders and health education SMS messages (EUR 3,500)

• Circleg Accessible Prosthetics for All / Kenya: Modular, locally manufactured C2C prostheses developed in collaboration with users (EUR 3,500)

• Tuwape Kesho – Keep a girl in school / Kenya: Menstrual hygiene through sustainably produced sanitary pads to reduce absenteeism (EUR 2,000)

• God’s Eye-AI driven OS for Emergency Care / Nigeria: AI-driven emergency system for medical assistance via mobile platform (EUR 2,000)

4 High-quality education

• Green Culture – Design for Climate Action / Italy: Program to develop climate action measures through trained coordinators and a digital toolkit (EUR 3,500)

• Geração Caldeira / Brazil: Project coordinated across the public, private, and social sectors to provide training for school dropouts (EUR 3,500)

• Pi-station Ukraine – open education for all / Ukraine: Video lessons created by teachers for learners affected by war and displacement (EUR 2,000)

• MKE e-class / South Korea: Hybrid training program for clinicians and non-clinical areas of hospital management in Africa (EUR 2,000)

5 Gender Equality

• No Means No Zimbabwe / Simbabwe: Prevention program against violence and child abuse (EUR 3,500)

6 Clean Water and Sanitation

• Aquacendo LightUp Filtered Bottle / China: Design innovation for water bottles to reduce bacteria and microorganisms in disadvantaged areas (EUR 3,500)

7 Affordable and Clean Energy

• HappyPower / China: HappyPower installs interactive play attractions in public spaces that encourage children to participate by climbing, jumping, or spinning. (EUR 2,000)

8 Decent work and Economic growth

• SKILLS FACTORY / Greece: Helping people affected by displacement and migration to help themselves by providing vocational training and local cooperation (EUR 2,750)

• Luz de Esperanza-Hands that transform lives / Argentina: Social and professional integration of people affected by drug use and addiction through the manufacture and sale of sustainable products (EUR 2,750)

10 Reduced inequalities

• EmpowerHer / Kenya: Holistic empowerment program for vulnerable young pregnant women and mothers through coaching (EUR 2,750)

• Colour The Fallen Stars / India: Mobile rescue and rehabilitation services and psychological counseling for elderly and destitute people (EUR 2,750)

11 Sustainable cities and communities

• Inundo: a narrative game for flood resilience / Italy: Visual, interactive novel for children on climate risk education with a focus on flooding and its consequences (EUR 2,000)

Behind every award-winning project are moving stories, courageous people, and creative solutions. Project descriptions, jury statements, and reactions from the initiatives can be found here on ifdesign.com or download the PDF.

• [Download PDF here]

The jury for the iF SOCIAL IMPACT PRIZE 2025 was composed of international experts from the fields of design, education, sustainability, and NGO work:

• Mona Vijaykumar, Ass. Urban Designer, Perkins & Will, Boston, USA

• Karen Cesar, CHP and Founder, Red Badana, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

• Estella Kim, Project Manager, Seoul Design Foundation, South Korea

• Harald Machielse, CHUVA Consulting, The Netherlands

• Wadi Ben-Hirki, Founder, Wadi Ben-Hirki Foundation, Abuja, Nigeria

• Gernot Würtenberger, Founder, Conflictfood GmbH, Germany

• Danne Orjeda Hernandez, School of Art, Design and Media, Singapore

• Marcelo Júdice, Experimenti Consultoria em Design Ltda., Brazil

• Luján Cambariere, Journalist and Curator, Argentina

The categories correspond to the SDGs of the United Nations (1–15):

No Poverty / Zero Hunger / Good Health and Well-being / Quality Education / Gender Equality / Clean Water and Sanitation / Affordable and Clean Energy / Decent Work and Economic Growth / Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure / Reduced Inequalities / Sustainable Cities and Communities / Responsible Consumption and Production / Climate Action / Life Below Water / Life on Land

About iF Design:

Since 1954, the iF DESIGN AWARD has been a globally recognized trademark for outstanding design and is one of the most important design prizes in the world honoring design achievements in all disciplines. For more than 20 years, the iF DESIGN STUDENT AWARD has been one of the world's most important and significant competitions for young designers. It honors concepts by students and graduates in the fields of design and architecture that address the achievement of the SDGs. Since 2017, iF Design has been supporting social projects and initiatives worldwide with the iF SOCIAL IMPACT PRIZE that address the most pressing challenges facing our society and deal with the achievement of the SDGs. Since 2017, iF Design has also been supporting social projects and initiatives that are also concerned with achieving the SDGs with the iF SOCIAL IMPACT PRIZE.