In line with the UAE’s vision for Higher Education 2030
- The challenge reinforces Sharjah’s position as a leading hub for educational innovation in the region.
- Supporting the UAE’s vision for Higher Education 2030 with a focus on innovation, creativity, and future readiness.
- AED 500,000 prize pool awaits global startups ready to redefine the future of education.
- Applications are open until 17 August 2025 for education-focused startups from around the world.
Sara Al Nuaimi: Sharjah today stands out for its thriving educational ecosystem, backed by advanced digital infrastructure.
Ali Al Hosani: Innovation is no longer an option; it has become the cornerstone of supporting sustainable development and strengthening the country’s competitive position on the global stage.
Pauline Taylor-Guy: We are committed to empowering teachers, engaging families, and creating vibrant learning environments that make Arabic a meaningful experience rooted in belonging.
The Sharjah Entrepreneurship Center (Sheraa) announced the opening of applications for the seventh edition of the Access Sharjah Challenge on July 7th, 2025, with this year’s focus on the education sector. The challenge seeks to empower innovative solutions that leverage the transformative power of education to tackle key challenges in learning. This aligns with the UAE’s National Strategy for Higher Education 2030, which aims to build an education system that nurtures knowledge, creativity, and future-ready skills.
With a total prize value of AED 500,000, the Access Sharjah Challenge is now open for applications from education-focused startups around the world that have validated prototypes and are looking to scale internationally. Applications will be accepted until August 17. The challenge is being held in collaboration with the Sharjah Private Education Authority and the Sharjah Education Academy. The prize money will be divided equally between two winners, enabling them to test and implement their solutions at Alsedra Private School, Khalifah Al Hamzah American School, Pakistan Islamia Higher Secondary School and Al Badee Nursery.
The upcoming edition, organized by Sheraa in collaboration with key implementation partners, the Sharjah Private Education Authority (SPEA) and the Sharjah Education Academy (SEA) invites leading global education startups at the Pre-Series A, Series A, B, and C+ stage to submit innovative solutions addressing two priority education challenges: Future-Ready Skills Challenge, which focuses on equipping students with foundational and digital skills to keep pace with a rapidly evolving world and prepare for the jobs of tomorrow and Arabic in Early Childhood Challenge, which emphasizes the importance of nurturing a sense of belonging to the Arabic language and embedding it as a core part of a child’s identity from an early age.
This collaborative approach ensures that all challenge statements reflect real-world needs and that submitted solutions are positioned for meaningful and scalable impact across Sharjah’s education ecosystem.
Sharjah leads the future of education
Commenting on the launch, H.E. Sara Abdelaziz Al Nuaimi, CEO of Sheraa, said: We believe that meaningful innovation is defined by its ability to create real impact and expand access to learning. The Access Sharjah Challenge 2025 offers a dynamic platform where forward-thinking ideas converge with strategic ambition, enabling the transformation of promising concepts into scalable, real-world educational solutions. Through this initiative, we aim to enrich an already vibrant learning ecosystem, offering educators and students renewed opportunities to embrace tools and technologies that nurture lifelong learning and spark intellectual curiosity.”
She added: “Sharjah today stands out for its thriving educational ecosystem, backed by advanced digital infrastructure and strong collaboration between government and private sectors. This solid foundation positions the emirate as a leader in reimagining the future of education. The Access Sharjah Challenge is an open invitation to the world’s most innovative education startups to help shape an inclusive, agile, and future-ready learning model, built from within a community that champions creativity and innovation.”
H.E. Ali Al Hosani, Director General of the Sharjah Private Education Authority (SPEA), emphasized the importance of the Authority’s participation in the Sharjah Gateway Challenge. Through its presence, the Authority seeks to contribute to building an informed and empowered society grounded in knowledge and science. He noted that innovation is no longer an option; it has become the cornerstone of supporting sustainable development, shaping the future, and strengthening the country’s competitive position on the global stage. He stressed that adopting innovative thinking mechanisms and providing a nurturing environment for talent are fundamental pillars in building a prosperous future for students.
He said, “Through the educational brainstorming workshop, the Authority contributed to shaping the “Future-Ready Skills Challenge” as a key theme, driven by our belief in its role in leading a qualitative transformation in the education system.” He expressed his pride in cooperating with Sheraa and the Sharjah Education Academy to launch this challenge, which represents an effective model for the integration of roles between educational institutions in the emirate.
Professor Pauline Taylor-Guy, the Chancellor of Sharjah Education Academy, expressed: “We are proud to partner with the Sharjah Entrepreneurship Center (Sheraa) through the ‘Access Sharjah’ Challenge by launching our unique challenge, ‘Arabic Language in Early Childhood’. This collaboration demonstrates our collective dedication to fostering educational innovation and entrepreneurial solutions that restore the Arabic language as a vital component of children’s lives, serving as a means of identity, culture, and belonging, rather than just a communication tool.”
She added: “At Sharjah Education Academy, we strive to reimagine the presence of the Arabic language in our children’s lives by integrating it in fun and engaging ways into everyday learning activities. We are committed to empowering teachers, involving families, and designing stimulating learning environments that make Arabic a vibrant, meaningful experience rooted in belonging from the earliest years of a child’s life. We hope this challenge inspires innovative ideas that strengthen Arabic language learning and deepen generational connections to it.”
Eligibility and program criteria
ASC 2025 is open to global startups with a previous track record in working with corporate or government collaborations. Applicants must offer impact-driven, adaptable, and market-ready educational solutions aligned to the program’s challenge statements. Startups should also demonstrate strong leadership, market traction with existing users, and a willingness to establish a local presence in Sharjah to scale their solutions regionally.
From over 2,000 applications, 10 startups will be shortlisted through a rigorous two-stage selection process. The first, Criteria-Based Filtering, will assess alignment with challenge themes, market readiness, and scalability. The second, Interview-Based shortlisting, will evaluate the startup’s fit for Sharjah’s context, pilot readiness, and long-term potential.
AED 500,000 prize and pathway to scale
Following the selection of the top 10 startups, a dedicated ‘Champions Training’ program on August 20 will prepare implementation leads from partner organizations to effectively guide the Proof of Concept (PoC) phase. These champions will be trained in best practices for startup mentorship, PoC management, and adaptive troubleshooting, ensuring a smooth and impactful collaboration throughout the program. Participants will then undergo a tailored ‘Startup Readiness Sprint’ on August 27–28, designed to ensure alignment with the challenge. The program will focus on technical fit, pitch refinement, and collaboration readiness, equipping startups with a deep understanding of the challenge statements, partner expectations, and local market dynamics.
The Startup Readiness Sprint concludes with a pitch to a judging panel comprising of the implementation partners, industry experts and key stakeholders; two winning startups will receive an equity-free grant of AED 250,000 each to pilot their solutions across schools and early childhood development centers in Sharjah. The pilot phase, starting on 22nd September 2025, will provide real-world testing environments, continuous support, and potential for long-term partnerships and scale.
The program culminates in a showcase of pilot results at Sharjah International Summit on Improvement in Education on 14 – 15 February 2016, where winners will be announced.
