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Compete

Ackerman Center for Excellence in Sustainability LIFT Compete

How Does It Work

1. Register Your Team (LIFT is FREE!)
Use the form at the bottom of this page or click here to register your team for FREE now. We highly suggest a team of 3 to 5 students, but are open to any number of students.

Note: Teams may include students from multiple schools, colleges, universities and/or from multiple departments. We encourage it!

Watch this 4-minute informative video

If you have additional questions after watching the recorded information session, send us an email: aces@unc.edu. We are excited to meet you and welcome you to this year’s LIFT Challenge cohort!

2. Choose SDGs to Address
Choose one or multiple Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to address. Choose local, regional or global SDGs.

3. Choose an Initiative
This can be an existing or proposed initiative. We welcome collaboration between students and organizations – it is a perfect opportunity to build your network, gain experience, and solve real issues!

4. Develop a Blended Finance Solution (Submissions deadline Monday, October 12, 2026 at noon)
Once you register, you will receive a link to the proposal submission site. Your solution should include a three-paragraph summary of your proposal and a presentation slide deck of up to 25 slides. Optional supplements include a two-page narrative describing the proposal and a spreadsheet illustrating the financial and impact details of the proposal.

 

Students writing on board

Am I Eligible?

Any undergraduate and graduate students at a college or university anywhere in the world are eligible! Students of all backgrounds are encouraged to join in teams of 3-5 (although we accept teams with fewer or more students). We provide resources to learn about blended finance, social equity, impact investing and sustainable finance so you are prepared to put your best solution forward.

Create and Submit Your Proposal (due by 12 p.m. on Monday, October 12, 2026)
The Finals (October, 2026) – Top Eight Proposals compete live with panels of judges
For more details visit the “About” page
Optional: Sign up for one or more information sessions

Dates and Times are TBD. You can join these sessions anytime and you do not need to stay the entire time. You can also view a recorded session here from the 2024 LIFT challenge. Please note that some aspects of LIFT have evolved since this session. For example, we no longer ask for a concept note to register. Our website will have the most up-to-date information.

 

Judging Criteria

  • Challenge
  • Innovation
  • Scale of Solution
  • Impact
  • Sources of Funding
  • ROI & Risk
  • Timing