📅 Key Dates & Timeline
August 1 – September 6: Applications are open.
September 7: Deadline for Applications.
September 8 – 14: Applications are screened.
September 15 – 29: Top 3 finalists are selected by industry experts and investors.
September 30: Top 3 finalists are notified.
October 29: Top 3 finalists are informally showcased at the GFTN International Advisory Board meeting in The Hague.
November 12 – 14: The award presentation takes place at the Singapore FinTech Festival 2025.
We’re very excited to share with you the launch of The Global Impact Champions Awards, aimed to celebrate organisations that have built impactful solutions for good. This year, the theme is financial health.
While access to formal financial services has expanded globally, the reality is that many still struggle to manage daily finances with confidence and security. Being financially healthy is more than just having a formal bank account, it puts more emphasis on confidence, security, resilience, and stability in one’s everyday life.
Consider this: 98% of individuals in the U.S. have access to a bank account, yet only 30% are considered financially healthy. Financial health is a global challenge and not one that is limited to just emerging economies. It is an issue that we must address.
With that in mind, Queen Máxima of the Netherlands, who chairs the GFTN International Advisory Board, champions this cause globally as the United Nations Secretary-General’s Special Advocate for Financial Health. At last year’s Singapore FinTech Festival, she underlined how improving financial health strengthens resilience and improves lives.
Together with the UNSGSA's office, we aim to surface promising approaches and build momentum for financial health innovation globally by shining a light on innovators, especially early-stage startups, who are moving the needle. While large institutions continue to play a significant role, this award is about celebrating the contributions made by startups, to encourage them to do more.
If your work is making an impact — big or small — or you know someone who is, we encourage you to apply for the Global Impact Champions Awards 2025.
Thanks to GFTN for this listing and the graphics for this startup event.
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