WIPO to Open 2026 Global Awards Startup and SME Applications in January 2026 The international awards recognize startups and small and medium-sized enterprises whose intellectual property–protected innovations address economic, social, and environmental challenges.
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The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), a United Nations specialized agency, will open applications for the 2026 edition of the WIPO Global Awards from 15 January to 31 March 2026.
The international awards recognize startups and small and medium-sized enterprises whose intellectual property–protected innovations address economic, social, and environmental challenges.
The WIPO Global Awards are open to companies across sectors, including information technologies, health, environment, agriculture and foodtech, and creative industries. For the 2026 edition, WIPO has introduced a new Sports category, increasing the total number of award recipients to 11. Two Special Mentions—Best Woman Entrepreneur and Best Young Leader under 35—will also continue following their introduction in 2025.
Beyond recognition, the program provides winners with international visibility, strategic mentoring, and access to WIPO's global network of experts. The awards ceremony is scheduled to take place in July 2026 in Geneva, in the presence of United Nations delegations.
In 2025, the program received 780 applications from 95 countries, representing a 20% year-on-year increase, highlighting growing global interest in leveraging intellectual property to scale innovation and access international markets.
