Allianz MoveNow Challenge 2026: Grants up to $10,000

By the Zejimo team. Updated 29 Oct 2026. Last verified against the official site on 29 Oct 2026.

The MoveNow Social Innovation Challenge is a global competition for young founders with a social or environmental startup or project. It is run by Social Shifters, a Scottish charity, in partnership with Allianz through its MoveNow programme. If you are 18 to 30 and lead a project that already shows results, you can compete for a grant of $5,000 or $10,000. The total prize pool is $90,000.

Status: Open, closes 18 December 2026 at 5pm UTC. Submissions opened on 7 October 2026. Late entries are rejected and there are no extensions. Applicants from Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya and India can enter. The guidelines exclude entrants in Russia, Belarus, Syria, North Korea, Iran and Venezuela, and the FAQ also lists Cuba (checked October 29, 2026).

What you can win

There are three categories. Each one has one $10,000 grant and four $5,000 grants. You submit once and are considered for every award that fits. No project can receive more than $10,000.

Move the Mind: financial confidence in the digital economy, such as tools and skills that help small businesses start and grow.
Move the Body: equality in health, such as closing gaps for women and marginalised groups in health services and diagnostics.
Move Society: community-led climate resilience, from early warning to stronger livelihoods.

Finalists get an Allianz business mentor. All eligible applicants join a network that shares grants, paid work and training. Winners are paid by bank transfer, usually in one payment, within a month of the award process. You can spend up to 10% of the grant on travel. You must report on progress for 12 months.

Who can apply

You must be 18 to 30 on or before the deadline, and you will need a government-issued ID to prove it.
Every listed team member must also be 18 to 30. Older people can advise but cannot be on the team.
Young people must hold at least 51% of the startup or group, and you must have clear decision-making authority.
Registered startups must have been incorporated no more than five years before the deadline. Unregistered groups can apply if they have at least six months of steady work with evidence.
Your project must address a social or environmental issue and match at least one UN Sustainable Development Goal.
One entry per person. Allianz employees and their families cannot take part.

Key details

Organiser	Social Shifters with Allianz (MoveNow)
Prize	$5,000 or $10,000 grant, $90,000 in total
Age	18 to 30
Where	Online, open to most countries
Language	English only
Deadline	18 December 2026, 5pm UTC
Next steps	Scoring from 25 January 2027, finalists in March, finals and winners in May, grants in June 2027

How to apply

Read the competition guidelines and the FAQ document.
Go to the official submissions platform and enter your email address.
Verify your account with the 6-digit code, then set a password of at least 12 characters.
Click “Start new entry” and pick one category. Your work saves every 15 seconds.
Complete the written form. You can add a pitch deck and a video of up to 90 seconds. Fill in the AI disclosure section.
Click “Submit entry” before the deadline.

Tips before you apply

Judges score impact, feasibility, innovation and scalability. Show numbers: people reached, money saved, results so far.
AI tools may help, but they must not write most of your entry. Be honest in the disclosure.
Clear English matters more than perfect grammar.
Finalists pitch by video call, so test your laptop, camera and internet early.
Do not wait for the last day. The 5pm UTC cut-off is 6pm in Lagos and 10:30pm in India.

Full details are on the Social Shifters MoveNow challenge page.

Details are taken from the official Social Shifters website, checked on October 29, 2026. Confirm the current rules there before you apply.