the mentl awards 2026: Awards Kit
Important dates
Early Bird deadline: 31 July 2026
Standard entry deadline: 30 September 2026
Late entry deadline: October 9, 2026
Finalists announced: Week commencing Monday, 12 October 2026
the mentl awards 2026 Gala Dinner: November 2026, Dubai
Entries are now open. Please note that the entry deadline is final. The system will automatically prevent entry submissions after the deadline.
All work, including initiatives, projects and individual efforts, must have been substantially implemented between October 1, 2025,and the final entry deadline of October 9, 2026.
Shortlisted finalists will be announced in October 2026, subject to confirmation.
The winners of the mentl awards 2026 will be announced at the mentl awards 2026 gala dinner in Dubai in November 2026. Full venue and ticketing details will be confirmed soon.
Important: While we would love to celebrate with all our finalists and winners in person, attending the gala dinner is not required to receive an award. Attendance at the gala dinner requires purchasing seats or tables separately via the mentl community. Gala attendance is a separate purchase and is not included in the entry price..
Entry costs
Early Bird entry: AED 800 plus VAT, fees and charges
Available until 31 July 2026
Standard entry: AED 900 plus VAT, fees and charges
Available from 1 August 2026 to 30 September 2026
Late entry: AED 1,000, plus VAT, fees and charges
Available from 1 October to 9 October, 2026
Entrants to the mentl awards 2026 may submit as many different projects as they feel meet the awards criteria.
Projects that meet the criteria in more than one category may be submitted into multiple categories. Each category submission is treated as a separate entry and is charged separately.
If entering more than one category
If you submit the same initiative into multiple categories, we recommend you tailor each entry to the specific category criteria. Strong entries explain why the work fits that category, and highlight the most relevant evidence and outcomes
Payment for the awards is via credit card and online payment gateway.
An invoice will be issued at the time of completing submissions.
Your entry is just the beginning
Every submission to the mentl awards 2026 automatically enrols your organisation as a mentl community member for 12 months.
As part of your membership, you will receive:
- Early access to selected mentl events and roundtables
- Our monthly newsletter featuring expert insights, content and member news
- A platform to connect with like-minded mental health advocates across the region
- Access to opportunities to share your work, ideas and impact with the wider mentl community
Award finalists will be invited to attend the gala dinner as part of their membership status, with attendance subject to a separate purchase. Spaces are limited and allocated on a first-come, first-served basis.
Entry Fee Disclaimer
Please note that all entry fees are non-refundable, regardless of whether or not an entry is shortlisted as a finalist or selected as a winner.
Entry into the mentl awards 2026 does not guarantee progression to finalist or winner status. Submissions are judged solely on merit by an independent panel of experts.
All entries are reviewed fairly and rigorously, and the judges’ decisions are final. By submitting an entry and completing payment, entrants agree to these terms and acknowledge that the entry fee covers the administrative and operational costs of the awards programme, not the outcome.
If you have any questions about the judging criteria or process, we encourage you to reach out before entering.
For any inquiries or support, please contact awards@mentl.space.
To enter directly, visit: https://mentl.awardsplatform.com
Entry guidelines and process
Companies, individuals, institutions and initiatives based within, or delivered in, the GCC may submit entries. The GCC includes the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman, Kuwait and Bahrain. We also welcome MENA Guest Entry submissions delivered outside the GCC in the following eligible countries: Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Palestine, Tunisia and Turkey
Entries may be submitted by organisations, companies, agencies, institutions, teams or individuals on behalf of themselves or others. It is the entrant’s responsibility to seek and ensure permission has been granted for the right to use the intellectual property of the brand, organisation, client or individual entered.
Your entry must be submitted as a two-page PDF. There is no word count, but your entry must be contained to two pages of A4 and be readable to qualify. We suggest using size 11 font or above. Your submission can be designed as you like, and the judges will welcome creativity in approach.
The file should not be larger than 30MB and must be uploaded to the mentl awards 2026 platform:
https://mentl.awardsplatform.com
IMPORTANT: Failure to submit the two-page PDF will mean your entry cannot be considered. No refunds will be offered for entries missing their PDF.
You will also be asked to submit a 40-word description and image for your entry, which may be used for publication if shortlisted.
You will be asked to upload your organisation’s logo for publication. Where possible, please submit a high-resolution vector logo in .AI, .EPS or .SVG format, or a high-resolution transparent PNG if a vector file is not available.
Please make sure all entry details are entered correctly, including organisation name, project name and campaign name, as these may be used in the awards presentation and on trophy engraving if selected as a finalist or winner.
The mentl team may carry out random due diligence checks on shortlisted entries. These may include confidential verification of information supplied in the entry.
For any inquiries or support, please contact awards@mentl.space.
For any inquiries or support please contact awards@mentl.space – click here to enter directly
Supporting documents
Material may be supplied as follows on the Awards entry submissions platform:
- Upload JPEG or PDF files. Maximum file size is 5MB per piece. A maximum of three supporting documents can be uploaded with your entry.
- Video attachments may be hosted on a video site such as YouTube or Vimeo. Please remember to provide a password if required. Do not send video via WeTransfer or any link which may expire.
- You may provide website URLs to a publicly accessible campaign or active landing page. Please ensure any applicable usernames and passwords are provided and active.
- Supporting documents should only serve as background information or to support the main submission. Judges will score each entry based on the main two-page submission. Your entry should be fully explained within the main submission.
- IMPORTANT: Failure to submit the two-page PDF will mean your entry cannot be considered. No refunds will be offered for entries missing their PDF.
For any inquiries or support please contact awards@mentl.space – click here to enter directly
Judging confidentiality & publication
- Organisations participating in the judging process are encouraged to enter the awards, but judges will absent themselves from any discussion or scoring involving their own organisation or any organisation in which they have an interest.
- Judging criteria are clearly defined within each online entry, including score weighting.
- A shortlist of the highest-scoring entries will be selected for each category. In each case, the winner will be the entry with the highest score.
- An average score will be calculated based on the number of judges for that submission. Judges will be required to recuse themselves where there is a conflict of interest.
- A mark of 60% is required for an entry to be shortlisted. If there are more than five entries in a category that receive 75% or above, only the top five will be shortlisted.
- Sponsors are welcome to enter the awards, but sponsorship has no influence on judging, shortlisting or results. Sponsor entries are submitted through the same platform, assessed against the same criteria, and reviewed through the same independent judging and audit process as all other entries.
- IMPORTANT: Entry does not guarantee shortlisting as a finalist. Only the independent judges’ scores determine which entries progress to the final stages. No refunds are offered to entrants who do not score highly enough to qualify.
- The final results will be reviewed and verified by Coretax Arabia before winners are announced, supporting transparency, fairness and confidence in the process.
- mentl reserves the right to publish submissions from winners and shortlisted entrants. Where certain information is sensitive, such as budget figures or confidential data, please mark it clearly as not for publication.
For any inquiries or support please contact awards@mentl.space – click here to enter directly
Categories & scoring
Judges will look for evidence of meaningful progress, not perfection. The strongest entries will clearly explain the challenge, the thinking behind the response, how the work was delivered, what changed as a result, and what was learned. Data is highly valuable in evidencing impact, whether through participation numbers, survey results, usage figures, outcomes, feedback or other measurable indicators, but judges will also consider strong qualitative evidence, human stories and clearly explained learning where appropriate.
Scoring criteria: Organisation initiatives
Entries are assessed against the criteria below:
Challenge, audience and objectives (15%)
What issue, need or opportunity were you addressing, who was it for, and what did success look like?
Insight and evidence (15%)
What research, data, feedback or lived experience shaped the work, and what did it tell you?
Strategy and programme design (15%)
What was your approach, why was it right for this context, and how was it designed to work in practice?
Distinctiveness and quality (15%)
What made the work especially effective or meaningful, for example strong adaptation to context, inclusive design, best practice, or innovation that mattered?
Execution and delivery (20%)
How was the work implemented in practice, how was engagement driven, and how were challenges handled?
Impact, outcomes and learning (20%)
What changed as a result? Include outcomes and evaluation where available (data and or feedback), plus what you learned and improved over time. If outcomes are early-stage, include leading indicators (reach, uptake, engagement) and what you will measure next.
Tie-break rule (initiatives):
If finalists are tied, the higher Impact, outcomes and learning score will determine the winner. If still tied, joint winners will be awarded.
Scoring criteria: Mental Health Heroes
Entries are assessed against the criteria below:
Leadership and action (25%)
What has the nominee personally initiated, led or driven, and how have they shown leadership through practical action?
Impact on others (25%)
What positive change has the nominee created for colleagues, teams, communities or stakeholders, and what evidence supports this impact?
Courage, authenticity and values (25%)
How has the nominee shown courage and authenticity in their approach, and how consistently have they demonstrated values that build trust and psychological safety?
Commitment and influence over time (25%)
How sustained has their contribution been, and how have they influenced attitudes, behaviour or culture over time (for example reducing stigma, role-modelling, mentoring, advocacy, or building supportive environments)?
Tie-break rule (Mental Health Heroes):
If finalists are tied, the higher Courage, authenticity and values score will determine the winner. If still tied, joint winners will be awarded.
For any inquiries or support please contact awards@mentl.space – click here to enter directly
Categories
A) Mental Health Heroes
Mental Health Heroes: Advocate of the Year
Who this is for: Individuals who actively champion mental health, challenge stigma, and create positive change in a workplace or community.
What strong entries show: Clear impact on others, credible influence, and sustained commitment.
To strengthen your entry: Include specific actions taken, who benefited, and supporting evidence such as feedback, participation, reach, or outcomes.
Mental Health Heroes: Empathy in Leadership
Who this is for: Leaders who role-model psychologically safe, empathetic leadership and improve well-being through practical action, culture, communication and decision-making.
What strong entries show: Consistent empathetic leadership behaviour, positive impact on teams, psychological safety, and practical strategies that support mental health day to day.
To strengthen your entry: Use 3–5 specific examples of what the nominee did, how teams experienced it, and what changed as a result. Include evidence where possible (feedback, testimonials, adoption, engagement, outcomes).
Mental Health Heroes: Mental Health Champion 2026
Who this is for: Individuals driving mental health and well-being progress in an organisation, community or sector, regardless of seniority.
What strong entries show: Leadership and governance, improved support access or quality, sustained commitment and role-modelling, and measurable or clearly evidenced culture change.
To strengthen your entry: Use 3–5 specific examples and include evidence where possible (adoption or reach, feedback, outcomes, and what improved over time).
Mental Health Heroes: Rise Above
Who this is for: Individuals who have navigated adversity and used that experience to help others through advocacy, support, storytelling, leadership or community action.
What strong entries show: Challenging stigma, resilience, meaningful achievement, and practical inspiration that positively influences others.
To strengthen your entry: Focus on what changed for others because of the nominee, supported by credible examples and evidence (testimonials, reach, participation, outcomes, or observed change).
B) Country and regional initiative categories
Best mental health and well-being initiative in Bahrain
Who this is for: Initiatives delivered in Bahrain improving mental health and well-being for employees, students, patients or communities.
What strong entries show: Clear local relevance, credible delivery, and evidence of impact.
To strengthen your entry: Show what was delivered in Bahrain, who it reached, and outcomes or evidence of change.
Best mental health and well-being initiative in Kuwait
Who this is for: Initiatives delivered in Kuwait improving mental health and well-being for employees, students, patients or communities.
What strong entries show: Clear objectives, practical delivery, and evidence of benefit.
To strengthen your entry: Explain how you reached the audience in Kuwait and what changed as a result.
Best mental health and well-being initiative in Oman
Who this is for: Initiatives delivered in Oman improving mental health and well-being in workplaces or the wider community.
What strong entries show: Relevant local delivery and credible evidence of positive impact.
To strengthen your entry: Show what was implemented in Oman and outcomes or leading indicators.
Best mental health and well-being initiative in Qatar
Who this is for: Initiatives delivered in Qatar improving mental health and well-being, internally or through community impact.
What strong entries show: Clear delivery, engagement, and measurable or clearly evidenced outcomes.
To strengthen your entry: Include uptake, feedback, and outcomes linked to objectives.
Best mental health and well-being initiative in Saudi Arabia
Who this is for: Initiatives delivered in Saudi Arabia improving mental health and well-being, including workplace programmes and wider community initiatives.
What strong entries show: Cultural relevance, local delivery and evidence of impact in-country.
To strengthen your entry: Show local rollout and outcomes in Saudi Arabia (not only global policy).
Best mental health and well-being initiative in the UAE (Small and Medium: under 250 UAE employees)
Who this is for: Initiatives delivered in the UAE by organisations with under 250 employees in the UAE at the time of entry.
What strong entries show: High impact relative to scale and resources, clear delivery, and credible outcomes.
To strengthen your entry: Show the problem, what you implemented, adoption and engagement, and outcomes or leading indicators.
Best mental health and well-being initiative in the UAE (Large: 250+ UAE employees)
Who this is for: Initiatives delivered in the UAE by organisations with 250+ employees in the UAE at the time of entry.
What strong entries show: Scale, accessibility, governance, consistent rollout, strong engagement and measurable outcomes.
To strengthen your entry: Include rollout coverage, adoption, accessibility, stakeholder engagement, and outcomes linked directly to the objectives.
Best mental health and well-being initiative in MENA (Guest Entry outside GCC)
Who this is for: Standout initiatives delivered outside the GCC in the following eligible countries: Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Palestine, Tunisia, Turkey.
What strong entries show: Credible local delivery, clear relevance to context, and measurable or clearly evidenced impact.
To strengthen your entry: Show delivery in-country, who benefited, and outcomes or evidence of change.
C) Public sector and frontline services
Outstanding well-being support in the public sector
Who this is for: Public sector entities delivering mental health and well-being support for their workforce and or the communities they serve.
What strong entries show: Strong governance, credible implementation, sustainable outcomes and clear stakeholder benefit.
To strengthen your entry: Include adoption and reach, outcomes or evidence of impact, and how the initiative is embedded and sustained.
Outstanding well-being support to front-line heroes
Who this is for: Initiatives supporting frontline professionals (police, fire, armed forces, paramedics and emergency services) with mental health and well-being support.
What strong entries show: Practical, trauma-informed support, confidentiality, access, uptake and evidence of benefit.
To strengthen your entry: Show how support is accessed in practice, how barriers were reduced, and outcomes or leading indicators.
D) Healthcare
Best caring for the carers initiative
Who this is for: Healthcare providers and healthcare organisations supporting the mental health and well-being of carers and frontline healthcare workers, from clinics to hospital groups.
What strong entries show: Support aligned to real workforce pressures, strong access to help, high uptake and credible outcomes.
To strengthen your entry: Show how staff access support, manager and leadership involvement, uptake, and outcomes or leading indicators.
Outstanding contribution to mental health and well-being in healthcare (Small and Medium: under 250 UAE employees)
Who this is for: Healthcare organisations with under 250 employees in the UAE at the time of entry, including clinics, provider groups, health insurers, digital health, medtech and pharmaceutical companies delivering meaningful mental health and well-being impact.
What strong entries show: Credible delivery at SME scale, clear impact and evidence of outcomes.
To strengthen your entry: Include who benefited, what changed, how you measured progress, and outcomes or leading indicators.
Outstanding contribution to mental health and well-being in healthcare (Large: 250+ UAE employees)
Who this is for: Healthcare organisations with 250+ employees in the UAE at the time of entry, including hospital groups, large provider networks, health insurers, digital health, medtech and pharmaceutical companies delivering significant, scalable mental health and well-being impact.
What strong entries show: System-level impact, scalability, governance, strong engagement and measurable outcomes or credible evidence of change.
To strengthen your entry: Show reach, implementation at scale, adoption, stakeholder engagement, and outcomes linked directly to objectives.
E) Finance, legal and professional services
Outstanding well-being initiative in finance
Who this is for: Banks, insurers, exchanges, fintechs and financial services organisations delivering mental health and well-being initiatives for employees and or customers.
What strong entries show: Credible support, uptake, reduced stress and measurable or evidenced outcomes.
To strengthen your entry: Include delivery detail, participation, adoption and outcomes linked to objectives.
Most impactful financial literacy project
Who this is for: Initiatives addressing the mental health and well-being impact of financial literacy, internally or as a community project, with evidence of reduced financial stress or improved financial confidence.
What strong entries show: Practical education that leads to behaviour change and demonstrable reductions in financial stress.
To strengthen your entry: Include pre and post indicators, participation, follow-through, and outcomes or evidence of change.
Best well-being support in professional services and legal (Small and Medium: under 250 UAE employees)
Who this is for: Consulting, advisory, audit, accountancy and legal organisations with under 250 employees in the UAE at the time of entry, delivering mental health and well-being support for their people and culture.
What strong entries show: Practical support embedded into high-pressure environments, good uptake and evidence of improved well-being or culture.
To strengthen your entry: Show the pressure points addressed, what was implemented, adoption, and outcomes linked to objectives.
Best well-being support in professional services and legal (Large: 250+ UAE employees)
Who this is for: Consulting, advisory, audit, accountancy and legal organisations with 250+ employees in the UAE at the time of entry, delivering scaled, evidence-led mental health and well-being support across teams and offices.
What strong entries show: Scaled delivery, governance and accountability, manager capability, consistent rollout and measurable outcomes.
To strengthen your entry: Include rollout coverage, adoption, accessibility, stakeholder engagement, and outcomes linked directly to objectives.
F) Education, HR, inclusion, ESG and charity
Outstanding well-being initiative in education
Who this is for: Schools, universities, education providers and education charities improving mental health and well-being for students and or staff.
What strong entries show: Accessible support pathways, strong engagement, appropriate safeguarding where relevant and evidence of outcomes.
To strengthen your entry: Show how support is accessed, sustained and what changed as a result.
Best well-being support in Human Resources and talent management
Who this is for: HR teams, talent functions and recruitment agencies delivering people practices that protect and improve mental health and well-being across the employee lifecycle.
What strong entries show: Clear implementation, adoption, manager capability and evidence of impact on experience or outcomes.
To strengthen your entry: Include what changed (policies, processes, training), adoption and measurable or clearly evidenced improvement.
Outstanding Inclusion initiative for mental health and well-being
Who this is for: Initiatives improving mental health and well-being through an inclusion lens, removing barriers and making support accessible and relevant, including neurodiversity, menopause, people of determination, and localisation or Emiratisation, as well as culturally or linguistically inclusive support.
What strong entries show: Clear barriers identified, inclusive design, improved access and participation, and credible outcomes.
To strengthen your entry: Show how the initiative was shaped with the people it supports and evidence of improved accessibility, engagement or outcomes.
Best ESG project that supports well-being and mental health
Who this is for: ESG-aligned projects where mental health and well-being outcomes are central to the impact.
What strong entries show: Clear governance, stakeholder benefit, sustainability and measurable well-being impact.
To strengthen your entry: Explain the ESG link, delivery approach and outcomes with evidence of accountability.
Best well-being support in a charity or non-profit (Free to enter)
Who this is for: Charities and non-profits supporting the mental health and well-being of staff, volunteers and or the communities they serve.
What strong entries show: Credible delivery, strong engagement and meaningful impact with evidence.
To strengthen your entry: Include reach, adoption, safeguarding where relevant and outcomes or evidence of change.
G) Technology
Most supportive technology company
Who this is for: Technology organisations demonstrating strong mental health and well-being support for their own people and workplace culture.
What strong entries show: Psychological safety, sustainable ways of working, robust support systems and evidence of benefit.
To strengthen your entry: Show adoption across teams, manager capability and measurable or clearly evidenced outcomes.
Most innovative mental health tech
Who this is for: Organisations building technology-led mental health and well-being solutions, including apps, platforms, AI tools, wearables, telehealth or digital support tools.
What strong entries show: A clear problem solved, responsible design, adoption and evidence of impact.
To strengthen your entry: Include validation, pilots, user uptake, feedback, safeguards and outcomes or evidence of benefit.
H) Creative and communications
Outstanding well-being support in the creative sector
Who this is for: Creative and design organisations supporting the mental health and well-being of their workforce in high-pressure creative environments.
What strong entries show: Practical support people use, culture change and evidence of improved well-being or experience.
To strengthen your entry: Show how support works during peak workload periods and what changed as a result.
Best well-being support in PR and communications
Who this is for: PR and communications agencies or in-house teams delivering meaningful mental health and well-being support for their people and culture.
What strong entries show: Responsible approach, strong engagement and credible outcomes.
To strengthen your entry: Include delivery detail, reach and evidence of impact beyond awareness where possible.
I) Hospitality, tourism, events and wellness
Outstanding well-being support in hospitality, tourism and events
Who this is for: Hospitality, tourism and events organisations supporting mental health and well-being for teams working in guest-facing, shift and peak-demand environments.
What strong entries show: Support suited to shift work and peak seasons, strong engagement and credible outcomes.
To strengthen your entry: Show how support reaches frontline teams during peak periods and outcomes or evidence of impact.
Outstanding well-being initiative in sports, fitness and wellness
Who this is for: Sports, fitness and wellness organisations delivering initiatives with meaningful mental health and well-being impact for members, participants, staff or communities.
What strong entries show: Credible delivery, accessibility, strong engagement and evidence of positive outcomes.
To strengthen your entry: Show participation, how people access support, and outcomes or evidence of impact linked to objectives.
J) Industry, mobility, consumer and built environment
Outstanding well-being support in the energy industry
Who this is for: Energy organisations across oil and gas, utilities, renewables and energy services supporting mental health and well-being for their workforce.
What strong entries show: Support suited to safety-critical and shift-based environments, strong frontline reach, uptake and credible outcomes.
To strengthen your entry: Show reach across sites, manager capability, uptake and outcomes or leading indicators linked to objectives.
Outstanding well-being support in industry and supply chain
Who this is for: Manufacturing, engineering, industrial services, logistics, freight, warehousing and supply chain organisations supporting mental health and well-being across operational teams.
What strong entries show: Practical support reaching frontline and distributed teams with evidence of improved well-being or culture.
To strengthen your entry: Include delivery across sites, adoption and participation, and evidence of impact linked to objectives.
Outstanding well-being support in construction and real estate
Who this is for: Construction, development, property, facilities and real estate organisations supporting mental health and well-being across site-based and office-based roles.
What strong entries show: Credible support aligned to operational and client-facing pressures, adoption and evidence of benefit.
To strengthen your entry: Show delivery across site and office roles and outcomes or evidence of impact.
Outstanding well-being support in mobility, aviation and travel
Who this is for: Mobility, aviation and travel organisations supporting mental health and well-being in high-pressure, safety-critical or irregular-hours environments.
What strong entries show: Support suited to irregular hours and safety-critical roles, strong access and evidence of benefit.
To strengthen your entry: Show reach, uptake and outcomes or leading indicators linked to objectives.
Outstanding well-being support in retail and consumer goods
Who this is for: Retail and consumer goods organisations supporting mental health and well-being across frontline, customer-facing and operational teams (excluding prescription pharmaceuticals).
What strong entries show: Frontline reach, manager capability, strong adoption and evidence of improved workforce outcomes.
To strengthen your entry: Show delivery across locations, uptake and outcomes or leading indicators linked to objectives.
Special Award: Year of the Family Award
Special Award: Year of the Family Award
Who this is for: Initiatives supporting families, parents and caregivers through practical mental health and well-being support in workplaces and communities.
What strong entries show: Meaningful support design, real uptake and credible outcomes for employees and or families.
To strengthen your entry: Explain who it was for, what need it addressed, how it was delivered and include uptake, feedback and outcomes linked to objectives.
Force Majeure
Good luck
For inquiries please email awards@mentl.space
To enter directly visit https://mentl.awardsplatform.com
