Deadline: January 31, 2026
Applications are open for the Design Equality 2025 International Design Competition. Design Equality with Innovation is an international design competition, developed and held by BE OPEN and their partners. 2025 is the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action accepted by all 189 UN countries unanimously at the 1995 Fourth World Conference on Women. It is an agenda for women’s empowerment and the key global policy document on gender equality.
Inspired by these 30 years of commitment and hard work, BE OPEN’s Design Equality with Innovation programme hopes to mobilize urgent and sustained action to achieve gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls and support the achievement of the SDGs.
In a rapidly evolving world, global challenges are becoming increasingly complex and interlinked. Innovative approaches are needed in order to improve the way we respond and adapt to this changing environment, where established methods do not always ensure impact. Achieving the ambitious Sustainable Development Goals – and notably the goal on gender equality and women’s empowerment – requires transformative shifts, integrated approaches and new solutions.
BE OPEN will focus the competition on innovative solutions that:
- advance gender equality,
- integrate gender issues within innovation,
- promote women as innovators and entrepreneurs,
- promote technology-driven innovative solutions that meet the needs of women and girls,
- remove the barriers to the advancement of women and girls in innovation, technology and entrepreneurship.
Categories
DESIGN EQUALITY has three categories for the submissions to relate to, to help contestants choose their approach to the challenge:
- Solutions to advocate and advance gender equality
- Solutions that meet the needs of women and girls
- Solutions to promote women as innovators and entrepreneurs
Prizes
- First prize – €5,000
- Second prize – €3,000
- Third prize – €2,000
- BE OPEN Founder’s Choice prize – €3,000
- Public Vote prize – €2,000
Eligibility
- Open to students and recent graduates/young professionals internationally.
- Participants may enter as individuals or as part of a multidisciplinary team (there is no limit to the number of members in the team). Individuals are invited to submit one project. They can also submit one team project for a total of two projects entered in the competition. Participants are encouraged to seek academic and professional mentorship/advice/sponsorship.
Application
In case your project fits in more than one category, choose the one in which the solution could generate the greatest positive impact.
For more information, visit Design Equality.