Mada launches MadaInnovation Award 2025

Qatar Tribune

7 days ago

QNA
Doha
As part of its ongoing commitment to supporting innovation and promoting digital inclusion for persons with disabilities and the elderly, the Qatar Assistive Technology Center (Mada) has officially announced the launch of the 2025 edition of the Mada Innovation Award. This strategic initiative aims to foster the development of innovative technological solutions that improve the quality of life for target groups, with a focus on solutions powered by artificial intelligence (AI).
This unique initiative is funded by the Social and Sport Contribution Fund (Daam), reflecting the alignment of national efforts to achieve sustainable community development.
The Mada Innovation Award is the first of its kind in the region to focus on innovation in digital accessibility and assistive technology. It aims to empower emerging entities and entrepreneurs by transforming their creative ideas into practical and impactful solutions that address the needs of persons with disabilities and the elderly in today's evolving digital environment.
The 2025 award introduces three new funding categories, based on the maturity and impact level of each project:
• Emerging Innovations (QR 50,000 - 70,000): For early-stage solutions with strong potential in the field of digital accessibility. Two winners will be selected.
• Promising Innovations (QR 71,000 - 100,000): For mid-stage innovations seeking to accelerate development into deployable applications. Two winners will be selected.
• Rising Innovations (QR 101,000 - 150,000): For mature solutions that have demonstrated measurable impact and effectiveness. One winner will be selected.
Applicants can submit their entries through two main tracks: the first is 'Direct Grant Track', which targets innovative entities that already have a proven concept for a product or service in the assistive technology domain. Qualified applicants will receive direct financial support under the 'Mada Innovation Program' to further develop their solutions in line with the needs of the local and Arab markets, ensuring readiness for real-world deployment in inclusive and sustainable environments.
The Second track is the 'Localization Track', which focuses on international solutions that are already operational in the fields of ICT and assistive technology and are seeking to localize their products into Arabic. It reflects Mada's commitment to expanding global innovation into Arabic-speaking contexts, thereby making digital accessibility tools more usable and culturally relevant across the Arab world.
The award process includes several phases, starting with the application period, open until September 24, 2025, via the official award website: award.mada.org.qa. This is followed by internal evaluation and a review by an expert jury panel of ten specialists in innovation, technology, and inclusion.
The top 20 shortlisted projects will advance to the mentorship phase, where participants will receive specialized advisory support across five innovation areas. The journey culminates in a Final Pitch Day, during which applicants will present their solutions to the jury. The winners will then enter a four-and-a-half-month development phase, where they will benefit from technical guidance and advisory support to transform their projects into scalable, market-ready solutions.