Design Equality 2025 Global Design Competition | Application Portal
Design Equality 2025: is a global design competition that invites students, recent graduates, and young professionals to create innovative solutions that promote gender equality and support the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The initiative challenges young designers and creative thinkers to develop impactful ideas that address real-world issues affecting women and girls across different cultures, communities, and industries.
More than just a competition, Design Equality 2025 is a platform for social innovation, creativity, and inspiration. It encourages participants to rethink systems, remove barriers, and design inclusive solutions that help advance women’s empowerment, leadership, and participation in innovation, technology, and entrepreneurship.
Honoring 30 Years of the Beijing Declaration on Gender Equality
Design Equality 2025 commemorates the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, one of the most significant global commitments to advancing women’s rights and gender equality. This milestone reflects decades of advocacy and progress, while also highlighting the work that still needs to be done in order to achieve equal opportunities for women and girls worldwide.
The competition aligns closely with SDG 5 — Gender Equality, along with related Sustainable Development Goals that promote inclusion, fairness, and social justice. Participants are encouraged to explore how design, technology, creativity, and innovation can help bridge gender gaps, challenge stereotypes, and create solutions that deliver long-term social impact.
Who Can Participate in Design Equality 2025?
The competition is open to young creatives from around the world, including:
- Students currently enrolled in academic institutions
- Recent graduates beginning their professional journey
- Young professionals typically between 18 and 35 years old
Both individuals and teams may enter the competition. Individuals are allowed to submit one project, while teams regardless of size may submit one collective entry in addition to any personal submissions from team members.
Projects submitted should focus on innovative, meaningful ideas that address gender inequality, uplift women and girls, and promote women as creators, innovators, and leaders. Participants are also encouraged to seek mentorship from academic or professional advisors, and accredited mentors may receive public recognition in competition materials.
Competition Focus Areas and Themes
To guide creativity and impact, Design Equality 2025 invites participants to submit projects under three key thematic categories:
Solutions that Advocate for and Advance Gender Equality
These projects may focus on policy awareness, equitable systems, inclusive workplaces, education access, or initiatives that challenge social bias and systemic discrimination.
Designs that Address the Needs of Women and Girls
Concepts may highlight healthcare, safety, digital inclusion, mobility, reproductive rights, financial independence, or community support for women and girls.
Concepts that Promote Women as Innovators and Entrepreneurs
Entries may explore economic empowerment, inclusive business ecosystems, technology-driven innovation, leadership development, and opportunities for women in emerging industries.
Submissions may be conceptual, technological, social, or design-driven, as long as they demonstrate creativity, impact potential, and alignment with competition goals.
Prizes, Awards, and Global Recognition
One of the most compelling features of Design Equality 2025 is the range of prizes and recognition opportunities available to outstanding participants. The awards include:
- First Prize — €5,000
- Second Prize — €3,000
- Third Prize — €2,000
- BE OPEN Founder’s Choice — €3,000
- Public Vote Prize — €2,000
In total, monetary awards amount to €15,000, alongside honorable mentions for exceptional creative submissions.
Beyond financial rewards, winners benefit from:
- International exposure and media visibility
- Potential features in sustainability-focused events
- Invitations to present their projects at major SDG-related conferences
- Opportunities to connect with global leaders, innovators, and changemakers
Selected winners may also receive travel grants to support attendance at award ceremonies or related events, helping extend the visibility and impact of their work.
Key Dates and Competition Timeline
Participants should keep track of the important competition schedule:
- Submissions Open: 15 September 2025
- Entry Deadline: 31 January 2026
- Winners Announced: March – April 2026
- Celebration & Awards Ceremony: Dates to be confirmed, likely alongside major sustainability events in 2026
Submitting early ensures enough time for refining ideas, developing visuals, and strengthening project presentations.
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How to Apply: Step-by-Step Entry Guide
Submitting an entry to Design Equality 2025 is simple and fully online. Here’s how to participate:
- Visit the official website: Go to https://designequality2025.com/
- Register or log in: Create a participant profile or sign into your account.
- Prepare your project materials: Include high-quality visuals, a clear project description, and a strong explanation of how your idea supports gender equality.
- Choose your category: Select the thematic category that best matches your concept.
- Submit before the deadline: Ensure your entry is complete and published no later than 31 January 2026.
Well-structured submissions with clear storytelling, strong design thinking, and measurable impact potential will stand out.
Why Design Equality 2025 Matters
Gender equality remains one of the most important global priorities of our time. Women and girls continue to face challenges in education, employment, technology access, entrepreneurship, health, safety, and representation. Design Equality 2025 empowers young people to rethink these challenges through the lens of creativity and innovation.
By participating, young designers can:
- Contribute to meaningful social change
- Showcase their creativity on a global stage
- Gain professional recognition and portfolio visibility
- Build connections with an international creative community
- Help shape a more inclusive and equitable future
Final Call-to-Action
If you’re passionate about design, social innovation, gender equality, and impactful storytelling, Design Equality 2025 is an incredible opportunity to turn your ideas into real-world influence. Whether you’re a student, graduate, or emerging professional, your creativity can help inspire progress and empower women and girls worldwide.
Goodluck on your application!
