Qatar’s Social Development Centre, Nama, part of the Qatar Foundation for Social Work, has launched the third edition of its Social Entrepreneurship Award, aimed at encouraging youth innovation and social responsibility. The announcement was made during a press conference held at Nama’s headquarters, where officials outlined the competition’s objectives, categories, and prize structure.
The award targets young entrepreneurs and innovators, including secondary school students, and offers two main categories: Best Social Entrepreneurship Idea and Best Established Social Enterprise Project. Secondary school students also have a dedicated competition designed to nurture creativity and promote social engagement. The best idea will receive a prize of QR100,000, the leading established project will be awarded QR200,000, and the secondary schools competition carries a total prize pool of QR60,000.
According to Naif Zamil al-Shahrani, communications manager at Nama, the award focuses on ideas and projects that address pressing community needs and demonstrate potential for sustainability, scalability, and measurable social impact. The third edition introduces an intensive training program for shortlisted applicants, intended to help refine their projects by deepening participants’ understanding of societal challenges and improving the feasibility and impact of their solutions.
Mohammed al-Kadi from the Ministry of Education and Higher Education explained that the competition for secondary schools is designed not only to generate project ideas but to foster a culture of innovation and responsibility among students. He emphasized the ministry’s commitment to broadening education beyond traditional classroom learning to include critical thinking, social awareness, and problem-solving skills.
Reflecting on the competition’s previous editions, al-Kadi noted that in 2025, 31 secondary schools participated, with over 120 students benefiting from workshops. The finalists included six schools, evenly divided between boys and girls. Many student projects addressed real-life issues such as environmental sustainability, school agriculture, health, inclusive education, assistive technology, student safety, and school transport improvements. He highlighted that the initiative values the learning and development process, encouraging youth to move beyond identifying problems to creating practical and impactful solutions.
Ghanem Salah al-Ali, executive director of Nama, described the award as a tool to empower individuals with innovative ideas to develop practical, community-focused solutions. He noted that collaborative efforts with partners have identified key societal challenges to guide applicants in addressing relevant issues. Al-Ali also expressed hope that the prize will serve as a platform for both competition and continuous learning, aiding participants in transforming ideas into effective social enterprises.
Both Nama and the Ministry of Education and Higher Education underscore the importance of this initiative as part of Qatar’s broader efforts to cultivate a socially responsible and innovation-driven youth community. Applications for the competition are open through Nama’s official website, with updates available via its social media channels.