UAE Central Bank hackathon targets money challenges: Who can apply and key dates

The Central Bank of the UAE (CBUAE) has launched a Financial Health Innovation Hackathon to find practical solutions that improve how individuals and businesses manage their finances.

The initiative, launched in collaboration with the Alliance for Innovative Regulation (AIR), the Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth and the Emirates Institute of Finance, aims to identify solutions that are ready for implementation and can make a lasting difference to people's financial well-being and the growth of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs).

Applications are open to organisations in the UAE and internationally, with a deadline of November 30, 2026.

Four areas the hackathon will focus on

The initiative is seeking solutions across four areas of financial health:

• Managing day-to-day finances: Helping people handle payments, remittances, cash flow and regular financial commitments.

• Coping with financial shocks: Improving access to emergency savings, income-smoothing tools and insurance.

• Achieving long-term goals: Supporting savings for investments and retirement, as well as the growth of small businesses.

• Making confident financial decisions: Improving financial literacy, making financial information clearer and strengthening fraud prevention.

Who can benefit from the initiative?

The hackathon will prioritise solutions that address the financial needs of different groups across the UAE, including:

• Low-income earners

• Emirati families

• Young people and children

• People of Determination

• Women and investors

• Micro, small and medium-sized businesses

• Older people and pensioners

Who can apply?

Organisations based in the UAE and abroad can submit solutions, provided they meet the hackathon's eligibility requirements.

Applications must:

• Address at least one of the four financial health focus areas.

• Have progressed beyond the idea or prototype stage.

• Be suitable for deployment and testing in the UAE.

• Meet applicable data protection and information security requirements.

What support will selected applicants receive?

Qualified applicants may receive practical support to help develop and test their solutions, including:

• Readiness clinics and guidance from specialist experts.

• Facilitated engagement with financial institutions.

• Support with designing pilot projects.

• Grants for eligible applicants.

Selection does not guarantee that a solution will proceed to pilot implementation.

Financial Health Innovation Hackathon: Key dates

The initiative will run through application, assessment and potential pilot stages.

• November 30, 2026: Application deadline.

• December 2026 to March 2027: Application review, matching and pilot design.

• April to August 2027: Pilot implementation and sharing of outcomes.

The Central Bank aims to encourage solutions that can move beyond concepts and help individuals and businesses strengthen their financial resilience, manage everyday expenses and plan for the future.