Ministry of Education launches the Entrepreneurship Challenge to elevate entrepreneurial skills of Emirati students and graduates

​The Ministry of Education has launched the Entrepreneurship Challenge under the Graduate Fund, with the goal of boosting the efficiency of Emirati university students and graduates, providing them with the necessary training and tools for entrepreneurial success. The programme falls under the umbrella of the 'Projects of the 50' programmes and initiatives that aim to achieve a qualitative leap in the developmental path of the UAE and develop the national economic ecosystem.

Commenting on the programme, His Excellency Dr. Ahmad Belhoul Al Falasi, Minister of Education, said: "At the Ministry of Education, we are working to nurture, motivate and qualify all talented Emirati university students and graduates, and enhance their competitiveness across all fields. We are keen to empower those with entrepreneurial and innovative ideas, enabling them to translate their creative ideas into successful businesses and projects, which contributes to further enhancing the UAE's world-class entrepreneurial environment that has enabled us to maintain the highest rankings in the Global Entrepreneurship Index globally. The Entrepreneurship Challenge, the first programme of the Graduate Fund, fosters the values of innovation and creativity among young Emiratis and encourages them to transform their ambitions into reality."

UAE nationals aged between 18 and 35 who are university students and graduates can participate in the Entrepreneurship Challenge, whether they have entrepreneurial ideas they aspire to turn into businesses or are young entrepreneurs and SME founders looking to grow their businesses. The challenge is designed to uncover the brightest and most ambitious entrepreneurial minds among UAE nationals and empower them to turn their entrepreneurial ideas into reality by providing them with the resources to succeed in a competitive environment.

Participants in the Entrepreneurship Challenge will have the opportunity to win up to AED 2 million worth of prizes that will be distributed among 12 Emirati winners. In addition to the monetary rewards, winners can also join advanced incubator and accelerator programmes and receive personalised mentoring and coaching sessions to enable them to efficiently manage and grow their businesses.

The Challenge is the first programme under the umbrella of the Graduate Fund, supported by the Ministry of Education, which aims to foster entrepreneurial thinking across the nation, and empower future and current Emirati entrepreneurs to explore their entrepreneurial potential, shape their future, and turn their dreams into reality within the framework of multiple programmes and initiatives.

Students and young graduates with an entrepreneurial spirit who wish to participate in the challenge can submit their applications via the programme's official website https://gradfund.moe.gov.ae/ until the end of the application period on May 1, 2024.