The Prince Talal International Prize for Human Development nomination is open to international candidates. The award, which has a financial reward of US$1,000,000, is available annually by AGFUND (the Arab Gulf Program for Development). The Prize aims to incite and encourage innovation and creativity in human development.

The idea of the Prize stems from AGFUND’s approach to improving development performance and supporting key development projects, which aims to achieve the goals of investment in people and sustainability.

In this sense, the Prize has become a leading mechanism for identifying and rewarding successful development projects. Also, the Prize disseminates their innovative ideas to best contribute to improving development work.

Prize objectives:

The Prince Talal International Prize for Human Development aims to:

• Support initiatives that promote human development.
• Share successful project experiences.
• Highlight best practices that improve living conditions for the poor, focusing on women and children.
• Foster experience exchange and develop solutions for poverty, marginalization, and socioeconomic exclusion of vulnerable groups.

Thematic Focus:

Each year, the Prize Committee considers the thematic focus of the Prize considering the diversity and non-repetitive themes. The Prize themes focus on increasing human development knowledge and proper management.

The Prize Committee aligned the Prize subjects with the Sustainable Development Goals 2030 effective from the Geneva meeting on 19 April 2017.

The Prize Overall 7 Steps Mechanism

The Prince Talal International Prize for Human Development mechanism are as follows:

• Selection of Annual Theme: The Prize Committee selects an SDG-related theme.
• Call for Nominations: AGFUND invites global submissions and announces deadlines.
• Screening of Nominations: AGFUND reviews and categorizes projects based on the Prize criteria.
• Evaluation of Nominations: Experts evaluate the eligible projects over 1-2 months.
• Prize Committee Meeting: The committee ranks projects and selects winners.
• Announcement of Winners: Results are announced through media outlets.
• Award Ceremony: Prizes are handed over in October, followed by a symposium to discuss AGFUND’s development efforts.

Key Details

• Application Deadline: January 30, 2026, at 5:09 AM.
• Funding Type: Cash award
• Supporter: Arab Gulf Programme for Development (AGFUND)
• Eligible Countries: All countries globally
• Eligible Gender: Male/Female
• Target Group: Vulnerable populations (especially women and children), NGOs, government bodies, individuals, and businesses working in development
• Focus Area: Human development with alignment to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
• Number of Opportunities: 4 categories of awards
• Program Language: English
• Host Country: Global

Prizes and Categories

The Prince Talal International Prize for Human Development includes the following:

• The total cash amount is US$1,000,000
• Certificates of recognition
• Trophies

The prize amount will be distributed to the winners of the Prize in its four categories as follows:

1. First Category: US$400,000 for projects by UN agencies or international/regional NGOs.
2. Second Category: US$300,000 for projects by national NGOs.
3. Third Category: US$200,000 for projects by governmental bodies or social enterprises.
4. Fourth Category: US$100,000 for projects initiated or funded by individuals.

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Who Can Nominate?

Nominations cannot be self-submitted. Third-party entities eligible to nominate include:

• UN organizations
• International, regional, and national NGOs
• Government agencies
• Public institutions
• Universities and research centers
• Syndicates and experts in the field

Nomination Conditions

Please consider the following conditions for nomination:

• Nomination of a development project for the Prize establishes a moral engagement between the nominator and AGFUND.
• The nomination documents must include the required documents.
• Non-winning projects in a given year are not resubmitted before three years from the date of their first submission.
• For-profit projects do not qualify for the Prize.
• The nominator must be an agency or a qualified expert with full information about the project.
• Projects dealing with non-themes or topics are not eligible
• The nomination is only open to completed and evaluated projects or ongoing projects with a completed and evaluated phase
• The nomination form and all supporting documents should be in English.
• The nominator must submit an official Nomination Letter explaining the reasons for the project’s nomination.
• The winning organizations should commit to posting the winning projects on their websites, news, and information.
• Only the highest officials of the winning organizations will receive the Prize:

1. The chairperson of international organizations, social business enterprises, and NGOs
2. The concerned minister or the head of the public agency of government projects
3. The founder of the task of individual projects

Required Documents

The nomination form should include the following Required Documents:

How to Nominate?

Nomination for the Prize is only possible by filling out the online Nomination Form on AGFUND by clicking the link below:

Apply Now  

Please visit the AGFUND’s official website for detailed information on the Prince Talal International Prize for Human Development or read the FAQs.

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