Eligibility & FAQs

Expo Live was initiated under Expo 2020 Dubai and continues as part of Expo City Dubai, helping innovators from around the world develop solutions to pressing challenges and backing projects that improve people’s lives or preserve the planet. The programme provides an invaluable platform for accelerating entrepreneurial spirit, demonstrating the power of collaboration and innovation to further human progress.

Expo Live's University Innovation Programme incentivses creative thinking, problem solving and collaboration between university students. Its purpose is to engage university students, cultivate an innovation mindset and reward student-led projects with potential to address global issues.

The programme is a short-cycle, innovation competition focusing students and mentors on social impact challenges that are relevant to the UAE and our region. It rewards innovative and promising conceptual solutions that can be accelerated through the innovation curve – moving from ideation to validation and prototyping. Selected solutions will receive a grat of AED 25,000 to help turn their idea into reality.

Our vision is to generate viable solutions, either through the development of commercial applications or further investment in research and development. The solutions must be climate related to align with the UAE's Year of Sustainability.

The programme aims to create a grassroots movement of innovation and build a community of socially charged students motivated to address global problems relevant to our region. The programme will offer a prize of AED 25,000 tructured as a further research and/or development grant. No individual cash prizes will be offered.

Beyond participation and grants, students will also have access to networking opportunities and communications exposure, as well as additional capacity-building options. Shortlisted students will be invited to a workshop before pitching to an expert evaluation committee during COP28.

Undergraduate and graduate students enrolled in any discipline at a UAE-based university are eligible to submit their ideas. The following criteria apply:

• No individual applications will be accepted
• Groups of 3 (no more, no less) supported by an academic mentor
• Each group will be eligible to submit one proposed solution per cycle
• An academic mentor can facilitate more than one group of students
• There are no restrictions on the number of applications that may be submitted by a university
• Individual professors, think tanks, research centres, and private sector entities are not eligible to apply

Interested students can submit their proposals by following the steps below:

• Click on apply now
• Register your group on the website by following the instructions
• Submit a short abstract explaining your proposed solution
• Shortlisted groups will be invited to attend a workshop in preparation for the final event
• Groups who pass the workshop will be invited to pitch their ideas in front of the Expo Live Evaluation Committee

Evaluation Panel The deadlines for each round of submissions for proposal abstracts are listed on the website For more information, call 054 741 0136 or email expolive.uip@expocitydubai.ae

The University Innovation Programme seeks to fund creative ideas and help bring them to life by providing support during the demonstration, implementation and/or prototype stages.

Successful applicants will demonstrate how new innovations, or the innovative application of existing solutions, can positively impact the local and regional environment.

• To what extent is the proposed solution, or its application, novel or innovative?
• How feasible is the proposed solution?
• What is the magnitude of its impact in the UAE or the region?
• What is the strength of the proposed activities and implementation plan?
• To what extent is the grant amount appropriate and applicable for the proposed activities?