The Zero Project Call for Nominations 2025 (#ZeroCall25) has come to a close. The focus of this cycle was on Innovative Solutions in Inclusive Employment and ICT. A total of 522 nominations from 90 countries worldwide were submitted for a Zero Project Award 2025.
In total, the Zero Project received 522 nominations from 90 countries across all continents, marking a record for the focus topics of Employment and ICT. The nominations covered an array of topics from entrepreneurship to supported employment, and vocational training. ICT nominations also included a range of different solutions, for instance, web accessibility and AI-based applications.
Between the end of June and mid-August, the first stage of the selection process involved more than 100 hours of review by the Zero Project's research team and over 80 experts from the global Zero Project Network. This stage included checking each of the 522 nominations against formal criteria, requesting additional information where needed, and conducting peer reviews in dedicated sessions.
160 innovative solutions from 61 countries across all six continents have now been shortlisted for the Zero Project Awards 2025:
Starting from late August 2024 the Zero Project’s ecosystem and network will be given the opportunity to engage with – and vote – on the Shortlist of Innovative Solutions.
Based on these votes, the Zero Project Team will announce the Zero Project Awardees on December 3, 2024, the International Day of Persons with Disabilities. They will be showcased at the global Zero Project Conference 2025 at the United Nations Offices in Vienna (#ZeroCon25, March 5-7, 2025), and in the Zero Project Report.
The Zero Project Call for Nominations 2025 (#ZeroCall25) called on innovative, impactful, and scalable solutions from around the world to submit their nominations for a Zero Project Award. #ZeroCall25 opened on May 8, 2024 and closed on June 30, 2024. The Zero Project Team is currently reviewing all nominations in an extensive multi-step process and with the support of the global Zero Project Network. As part of this selection process, a shortlist will be released and the final cohort of Zero Project Awardees 2025 will be announced on the International Day of Persons with Disabilities (December 3, 2024).
Becoming a Zero Project Awardee opens doors, opportunities, and promotional channels with the support of the Zero Project Network of more than 10,000+ experts and through exclusive initiatives to advance innovations for disability inclusion.
The Zero Project's research topics are based on the UN CRPD's definition of rights of persons with disabiltities and seek innovative solutions to advance their implementation. #ZeroCall25 called on innovators around the world to submit their nominations of innovative solutions that remove barriers for Inclusive Employment, or through Information and Communication Technologies (ICT).
Click on one of the cards here below to learn more about the topic definition.
Article 27 of the CRPD addresses Work and Employment and informs this year's #ZeroCall25 selection process. The topic covers many different areas, such as supported employment, vocational training, entrepreneurship, micro-finance, work and employment in the Arts, and more.
Learn more about the topic definition.
Information and Communication Technologies have become increasingly important for persons with disabilities. This topic covers a whole range of solutions, including web accessibility, 3D printing, AI, and other applications. ICT is part of every Zero Project Call for Nominations.
Click to find out more about the topic.
The Zero Project Call for Nominations is open to innovative solutions from all countries and all sectors of society.
The #ZeroCall25 research topics are Employment and ICT. Nominations must be submitted for one of these two topics. To ensure that your nomination falls within the scope of #ZeroCall25, please read carefully through the criteria here below. The Zero Project's methodology is based on a 4-year cycle of research topics. Therefore, nominations that work primarily in the fields of education, independent living & political participation or general accessibility will not be considered as part of #ZeroCall25.
The #ZeroCall25 selection process is centered around three main criteria: Innovation, Impact, and Scalability:
The nominated solution will have demonstrated to be innovative and effective in removing barriers for persons with disabilties. The research takes into account the local context, geographies, and groups of beneficiaries.
The impact of a particular solution could refer to the number of beneficiaries or people using a service, the solution’s growth rate, or the influence on improved public services, among others. Any selected solution must have been deployed and have already had an impact; the selection process does not consider projects or products at a concept stage.
All nominations are reviewed for their potential in replicating and expanding to new geographies or growing in another way that allows a maximum number of persons with disabilities to benefit from the innovation. Among the 800+ solutions that have been awarded since 2013, scalability has been indeed multifaceted, ranging from open-source applications to the replication of effective policies, to the expansion of inclusive start-up solutions to new countries.
Zero Project Database
Here are just three examples of innovative solutions for inclusive employment that previously received a Zero Project Award.
India
Since 2017, Mitti Café has been providing hospitality training and employment opportunities in…
Spain
To enable people with intellectual disabilities to apply for public vacancies, Plena Inclusión,…
Mauritius
The programme addresses the needs of both young jobseekers with intellectual disabilities and…