As the year comes to a close, the Zero Project marks an important milestone: across all research cycles, more than 1,000 innovative solutions around the world have been recognized through the Zero Project Awards.The Zero Project Network contributed at every stage—from reaching out to innovators via the call for nominations, to participating in peer-review sessions and voting in the selection process, and to supporting the replication of innovations in other communities, regions, and countries.
1,000+ Innovations recognized: a milestone for the Zero Project Network
To acknowledge this milestone, the Zero Project Awardees shared what their award has meant for them and how their solutions have grown since:
- Park4Dis (Zero Project Awardee 2022) shared how the Award strengthened credibility and visibility, supporting expansion across Europe:
The Zero Project Award has been instrumental in strengthening our credibility and international visibility. The recognition provided a seal of trust that made it easier to present our work to institutions, funders, and partners, helping us position Park4Dis as a reliable and high-impact innovation in inclusive mobility.
Since the Zero Project Award, Park4Dis has expanded as a leading platform for managing and mapping accessible parking (PMR), now covering 85,000 spaces across 10 European countries and 700 municipalities, with 12,000 active users.”
- Special Needs Initiative for Growth (SNIG) (Zero Project Awardee 2019) highlighted how the Award helped scale employment and skills programmes, reaching thousands more beneficiaries:
“Since receiving the Zero Project Award in 2021, SNIG has expanded its impact to reach over 20,000 persons with disabilities and caregivers through workforce development, entrepreneurship, and STEM programs, including robotics for the visually impaired. Being part of the Zero Project community since our 2021 award has had a real and measurable impact on our work at SNIG. It gave our innovation global visibility, opened new doors for collaboration, and validated our inclusive employment model for persons with disabilities.”
- İki-Dilli Öyküler (Zero Project Awardee 2023) explained that increased visibility led to stronger partnerships, policy dialogue, and international opportunities.
“Through Zero Project events, we established connections with accessibility experts and policymakers; our increased visibility strengthened our chances of entering into dialogue with the Ministry of National Education’s Education Informatics Network (EBA) for nationwide integration, and the importance of our work has begun to be more widely recognized in schools for the deaf. This visibility also led to invitations to international forums such as the ITU/EC Accessible Europe Pitching Competition 2025 (Brussels). Overall, the Zero Project, Sabancı Foundation, Bogazici University and Gallaudet University communities have played an important role in enhancing our visibility, fostering collaboration, and supporting the long-term sustainability of our innovation.”
Thank you to every member of the Zero Project Network for supporting this shared mission of working toward a world with #ZeroBarriers.