Job Digital Lab launches a competition to reward technological solutions that improve accessibility, independence and quality of life for people with disabilities
Digital technologies, artificial intelligence, robotics, sensor technology, augmented and virtual reality can become practical tools for improving the daily lives of people with disabilities, promoting independence, breaking down barriers and making educational, work and social environments more accessible.
With this aim in mind, Digital4Human. Innovation that includes has been launched – the new contest promoted as part of Job Digital Lab, the programme developed by the Fondazione Mondo Digitale ETS in collaboration with ING Italia. The initiative has been developed in collaboration with Ausilioteca Roma and the Istituto “Leonarda Vaccari”, organisations committed to promoting the independence, accessibility and inclusion of people with disabilities.
The call for entries aims to discover, promote and reward innovative technological solutions capable of generating a real impact on the quality of life of people with disabilities.
The contest is open to individual innovators and researchers, informal teams, project groups, university teams, academic spin-offs, start-ups, associations, ETS, foundations, non-profit organisations, NGOs, consortia, laboratories and research institutes. Each application must include at least one person under 35 in a key role, for example as project lead, tech lead or product lead. In the case of individual applications, the applicant must be under 35.
Projects submitted must already be in the prototype, beta or trial phase, with a working prototype, a demo or a testable version. Simple ideas or concepts are therefore not eligible: Digital4Human aims to highlight solutions that have already been tested in real-world contexts, such as schools, homes, workplaces or communities, with the direct involvement of people with disabilities.
Proposals may cover various areas of intervention: education and training, work and employability, health and wellbeing, urban mobility and accessibility, communication and interaction, digital services, platforms, independence and daily life.
A panel comprising experts in technology, innovation, entrepreneurship and social inclusion will evaluate the projects based on criteria such as technological innovation, social impact, accessibility, prototype maturity, sustainability, scalability and the promotion of young talent.
The winning project will receive a prize of €3,000. The five finalist teams will be invited to the awards ceremony, attended by a jury of experts and representatives from ING Italia.
Applications are open until 10 September 2026.
How to enter
Entry to the competition is free of charge. To apply, you must complete the entry form and attach the required documentation, including:
- a description of the project and the technologies used;
- the scope of the project and its target audience;
- progress to date and available data on the trial;
- team composition;
- a demo of the prototype or beta version;
- any supplementary materials.
For further information, please contact Martina Panunzio at m.panunzio@mondodigitale.org.
