On May 23, 2026, Social Impact Award Kazakhstan 2026 was officially launched at Onergy Creative Hub. Kazakhstan has now joined the global SIA network, which brings together participants from more than 30 countries worldwide.
About the Program
Social Impact Award (SIA) is an international support program for young social entrepreneurs, currently operating in more than 30 countries. Its mission is to help young people transform social ideas into sustainable ventures that create measurable impact for society.
The program is implemented with the support of NU Impact Foundation and NU Alumni as part of the Nazarbayev University ecosystem.
“Kazakhstan is joining the program at a time when Social Impact Award has already proven its effectiveness around the world. At the same time, according to the Ministry of National Economy of the Republic of Kazakhstan, social entrepreneurship accounts for less than 0.5% of all registered businesses in the country — one of the lowest figures in the region. Young people under the age of 30 are barely represented in this sector. That is why Kazakhstan represents the next growth opportunity,” said Aigerim Dzhanalinova, Organizer of SIA Kazakhstan.
Grand Prize
Four finalists will receive an opportunity to attend the SIA Summit in Montenegro in November 2026 — the annual gathering of the program’s top participants from more than 30 countries.
The summit provides a unique platform to present Kazakhstani projects to an international community of investors, mentors, and social entrepreneurs.
Program Stages
Discovery (May 18 – June 15)
Application period and educational workshops.
Incubation (July – August)
An intensive mentorship program focused on developing and validating social ventures.
Demo Day (September)
Final pitch presentations before an expert jury.The program offers a prize fund of KZT 3,000,000. In addition, finalists will have the opportunity to represent Kazakhstan at the international SIA Summit in Montenegro.