Awards
Five winners. Cash, capability and access.
Awards are presented at the Grand Final on the strength of the business, not the performance. Categories are published here; values are announced once sponsorship is confirmed.
Core awards
Five winners. Three overall, one from each track.
Every participant competes for the three Champion places, across both tracks together. The two track awards are then awarded outside those three places, so five different entries win.
The practical effect is that a Track A idea is never judged for its own award against an operating business, and no entry collects twice.
1st, 2nd, 3rd · both tracks
YES 2026 Champion
The three strongest businesses across the whole competition, whichever track they entered in. Awarded first, second and third.
1 winner · Track A
Best Idea Stage
The strongest Track A participant outside the Champion places. Judged as an idea-stage venture, on its own terms.
1 winner · Track B
Best Early Venture
The strongest Track B participant outside the Champion places, with execution and evidence weighing heavily.
Additional awards may be added
An Innovation Award, an Impact Award and an Audience Choice award are under consideration for this edition. Any addition sits alongside the five core winners rather than replacing one, and is announced before the Grand Final, never after it.
What an award consists of
Cash, capability and access — in that combination.
A cheque alone helps a business for a quarter. The intention is that every award combines money with something that keeps working afterwards.
Cash
A cash prize, with the value announced once sponsorship is confirmed.
Business advisory
Professional advisory support on the business you have just pitched.
Corporate exposure
Visibility with the corporate and institutional partners around the program.
Investor introductions
Selected introductions where there is a genuine fit. Not a guarantee of investment.
Technology credits
Credits and tooling to reduce what the next stage costs you.
Workspace and ecosystem access
Access to workspace and to the wider UAE ecosystem.
Legal and business setup consultation
Guidance on structure and setup, which for a first venture is often the hardest part.
Marketing support
Support putting the business in front of the people who need to see it.
Corporate pilot opportunity
Where a partner and a venture genuinely fit, the chance to run a pilot together.
The exact combination attached to each award is confirmed with sponsors and announced before the Grand Final.
Every participant
Banking access, whether or not you win.
Banking access with BSI
Every participant has the opportunity to access banking facilities with BSI — credit, financing and cash management. Access is subject to the bank's own assessment, and is an opportunity rather than a guarantee.
BSI · Sponsor and award partner
For the winning teams
Winning teams receive gold savings through BSI Tabungan Emas, and business consultancy services, alongside the award components confirmed with sponsors.
Announced before the Grand Final
What YES does not promise
YES does not guarantee funding, investment, incubation, acceleration, mentorship or commercial partnerships. What it offers is access and opportunity, and it is worth being clear about that before you enter rather than afterwards.
