Join the Engineering Challenge!
Global Crisis Stats
120 Million+ people forcibly displaced due to conflicts and disasters
6.6 Million+ live without basic infrastructure daily
Imagine This:
You are a young Muslim engineer
living in the Rohingya refugee camps in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh. All around you are landfills, poor infrastructure, and harsh living conditions. But you refuse to look away.
Instead, you’re determined to create change. To bring dignity and solutions. This is your challenge.
What does Essential Needs Sovereignty mean?
It means your project must be built from locally sourced, easily accessible materials – as if you were in the refugee camp. You’ll need to research what is realistically available in such a setting.
Minimal reliance on global supply chains, although some allowance can be made if the materials can realistically be brought in.
Competition Timeline
Phase 1: Proposal
- Choose one theme and propose a solution
- Research existing solutions and adapt to local context
- Submit a brief one-page write-up
- Present to judges on February 8, 2026
Phase 2: Build
- Build out your proposal
- Receive workspace, funding & mentorship
- Opportunity to submit to other competitions
- University, industry, or government hackathons
Ready to Take the Challenge?
Join thousands of engineers, researchers, and innovators working to solve humanity’s most pressing challenges. Your solution could change lives and communities around the world.
Submissions close January 16th, 2026 at 11:59 PM EST