Maple Global Access Initiative

Talent Is Global.Opportunity Should Be Too.

The Maple Awards believes that financial circumstances, geography, conflict, displacement, or limited access to international opportunities should not prevent promising innovators from being seen.

Through the Maple Global Access Initiative, selected teams, students, researchers, and independent innovators may receive full or partial participation support to take part in The Maple Awards.

Our objective is simple: to help ensure that strong ideas are evaluated on their merit — not on an applicant's ability to pay.

Apply for Participation SupportLearn How Support Works

Who We Support

Who We Support

Participation support may be considered for applicants who face significant barriers to accessing international innovation opportunities, including:

  • Students and early-career researchers with limited financial resources
  • Independent innovators without institutional or corporate funding
  • Teams from underserved or low-resource communities
  • Innovators affected by conflict, displacement, or humanitarian crises
  • University teams with limited access to international competition funding
  • Social-impact projects facing financial barriers
  • Promising teams from emerging innovation ecosystems

Eligibility for support is assessed individually and does not depend solely on nationality or country of residence.

Types of Support

Types of Support

Full Participation Support

Up to 100% of the participation fee may be covered for selected applicants.

Partial Participation Support

Part of the participation fee may be covered where partial assistance would make participation possible.

Partner-Supported Participation

Selected applicants may receive support through Maple Awards institutional or ecosystem partners.

Exceptional Access Support

Additional consideration may be provided where significant humanitarian, displacement, financial, or accessibility barriers exist.

Support is limited and subject to eligibility review and available resources.

Evaluation Independence

Support Does Not Influence Evaluation

Receiving financial support has no influence on scientific evaluation, jury scoring, medals, special awards, or project recognition.

Supported and self-funded participants are evaluated according to the same scientific criteria, standards, and procedures.

Our Commitment

We Have Already Started

Before formally launching the Global Access Initiative, The Maple Awards had already provided complimentary participation support to several promising teams facing financial barriers.

This early support reinforced something we strongly believe:

Exceptional ideas can come from anywhere, but access to opportunity is not equally distributed.

We are now expanding this commitment through a structured international access programme.

Our 2026–2027 Goal

Support at least 25 promising AI & Robotics projects.

Our goal is to expand full and partial participation support for innovators facing meaningful financial or access barriers during the 2026–2027 edition.

Application Process

How to Request Support

  1. 1

    Apply to The Maple Awards

    Complete the initial competition application.

  2. 2

    Receive Your Applicant ID

    Eligible applicants receive an official application reference.

  3. 3

    Request Participation Support

    Submit a short Global Access support request.

  4. 4

    Independent Review

    Requests are reviewed separately from scientific project evaluation.

Requesting financial support does not negatively affect competition eligibility or scientific evaluation.

Support Application

Request Participation Support

This short request is reviewed separately from the scientific evaluation of your project. Please do not include bank statements or other sensitive financial documents.

Applicant ID *
Full Name *
Email *
Project Name *
Country of Residence *
Applicant Type *
Type of Support Requested *
Please briefly explain why the participation fee represents a significant financial barrier for you or your team. *

0 / 150 words

Has this project received institutional, university, corporate, grant, or investor funding? *
If partial participation support were available, would your team still be able to participate? *

Organizations & Funders

Help Expand Access

We invite companies, foundations, universities, nonprofit organizations, and innovation partners to help expand access for talented innovators who may otherwise be unable to participate.

Support may contribute to participation access, mentorship, educational activities, capacity-building, and broader inclusion initiatives.

Organizations interested in supporting the programme may contact The Maple Awards to explore a structured partnership.

Become an Access PartnerContact The Maple Awards

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Does applying for support affect my project evaluation?

No. Support applications and scientific project evaluations are handled separately.

Is support guaranteed?

No. Support is limited and subject to eligibility review and available resources.

Can I request partial support?

Yes. Applicants may request either full or partial participation support.

Is support based only on nationality?

No. Applications are reviewed individually based on financial and access barriers.

Can students apply?

Yes. Students, researchers, startups, university teams and independent innovators may request support if eligible.

Can organizations fund the initiative?

Yes. Companies, foundations, universities, nonprofits and ecosystem partners may contact Maple Awards regarding structured support partnerships.