Social engagement honored: iF SOCIAL IMPACT PRIZE 2025

From over 1,100 applications from 111 countries, an international jury of experts selects projects with a particular social impact. Applications for the second round of the iF SOCIAL IMPACT PRIZE 2025 can be submitted until 1 September 2025, at www.ifdesign.com.

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 are aligned with the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In each of the two rounds, iF Design supports projects with EUR 50,000 – a total of EUR 100,000 annually for social engagement worldwide.

More than 1,100 social projects from 111 countries applied for the first round of the iF SOCIAL IMPACT PRIZE 2025. An international jury of experts selected the 19 most outstanding initiatives in 15 countries and awarded a total of EUR 50,000. The money is distributed among the projects as follows: Two projects receive EUR 5,000 each; five projects receive EUR 3,000 each; two projects receive EUR 2,500 each; and ten projects receive EUR 2,000 each.

All projects make a meaningful contribution to achieving the United Nations´ SDGs. These supported initiatives offer hope – by addressing the most pressing challenges of our time: gender equality, environmental protection, sustainable use of resources, access to healthcare, education, and the empowerment of marginalized communities. “The iF SOCIAL IMPACT PRIZE is especially close to our hearts. By supporting these projects, we want to actively contribute to a better future. The supported initiatives show how much hope and positive change can emerge when people stand up for others.” emphasizes Uwe Cremering, CEO of iF Design.

The award-winning projects from the first round of the iF SOCIAL IMPACT PRIZE 2025, categorized by SDGs:

1 No Poverty

• Yamba Malawi’s Childhood and Livelihoods Program / Malawi (EUR 2,000)

3 Good Health and Well-being

• Breaking Barriers in Dengue Detection / India (EUR 3,000)

• Pathways of Resilience: Wellness & Trauma Recovery/ Congo (EUR 2,500)

• Kubuentle Farming / Botswana (EUR 2,500)

• Sakhee Project - Transgender Transforming Slums / India (EUR 2,000)

4 Quality Education

• A Literacy Revolution for the Rohingya / Bangladesh (EUR 5,000)

• Shoe my Feet Foundation / Nigeria (EUR 2,000)

• WealthyCats: Play to Build Financial Resilience / Thailand (EUR 2,000)

5 Gender Equality

• The Zena Launchpad / Uganda (EUR 3,000)

• MakeHer Space: Engineering Solutions from Waste / Nigeria (EUR 2,000)

• Safe YOU: Digital Safety for Women & Girls / Armenia (EUR 2,000)

6 Clean Water and Sanitation

• Agua Sana / Guatemala (EUR 5,000)

8 Decent Work and Economic Growth

• Liberdade para Trabalhar (Freedom to work) / Brazil (EUR 2,000)

• Upcycle & Empower: Ghana Women's Apprenticeship / Ghana (EUR 2,000)

10 Reduced Inequalities

• Livesaving Camps / India (EUR 2,000)

11 Sustainable Cities and Communities

• Women Masons: Resilient Housing in Informal Settle / Argentina (EUR 3,000)

12 Responsible Consumption and Production

• TerraVerde Care – Biodegradable Sanitary Pads / Nigeria (EUR 3,000)

13 Climate Action

• Turning Plastic Waste into Sewing Threads / Uganda (EUR 3,000)

• Earth Smiles in Kenya / Kenia (EUR 2,000)
  

What´s behind the projects?

Behind each award-winning project are powerful stories, courageous individuals, and creative solutions. Project descriptions, images, jury statements, and reactions from the initiatives are available online at www.ifdesign.com and compiled in a iF SOCIAL IMPACT PRIZE 2025 brochure available for download.

The jury for the first round of the iF SOCIAL IMPACT PRIZE 2025 is 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

Carrie van der Kroon, Managerin, Defencefor Children - ECPAT Leiden/The Netherlands

Aitor Peña, Head of Marketing, Vidrala, Bilbao/Spain

Arminé Nalbandian, Chief Executive Officer, Centerfor Social Impact (CSI) /Australia

Mirjam Niessen, Impact Investing Principal, DOEN Foundation/ The Netherlands

Estella Kim, Project Manager, Seoul Design Foundation/Republic of Korea

Aylin Groenewoud, Head of Sustainability Guild, Philips Experience Design/ The Netherlands

Jairo da Costa, Assistant Prof., University of Twente, Enschede/ The Netherlands

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

Gernot Würtenberger, Founder, Conflictfood GmbH/Germany

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