QS ImpACT

What QS ImpACT does

QS ImpACT is a UK-registered global charity (Registered Charity 1198642), headquartered at 1 Tranley Mews, Fleet Road, London, founded in 2014 to operationalize UN Sustainable Development Goal-aligned youth engagement for people aged 18-35. It runs a portfolio of nine interconnected programmes: the QS ImpACT Awards (six sustainability categories, £5,000 prize pool), the Skills Challenge (games-for-good competition with £2,000 prize pool), the AI for ImpACT Challenge (ethical-AI hackathon series launching a virtual track in 2026), the Global Day of Action (annual climate-education challenge), the Youth Summit (two-day London summit co-located with the QS Reimagine Education Awards), Councils (local youth chapters), a $50,000 scholarship pool, the Impact Reports platform (1,300+ verified reports), and the Future17 SDG Challenge (multi-institutional university-industry collaboration). All programmes are free for participants; the organization monetizes through corporate sponsorship, strategic partnerships, and charitable donations.

Underlying technology comprises a digital platform for youth engagement, impact tracking, and program delivery, including virtual collaboration tools, a no-code/advanced-coding game-development environment for the Skills Challenge, and the AI for ImpACT hackathon infrastructure. The business model is a charity/government-and-corporate-funded hybrid: a long-tail consumer base of 10,000+ youth across 120+ countries participates free of charge, while enterprise sponsorship and donations from named partners — including Zoom (two-time Title Sponsor), QS Quacquarelli Symonds (parent ecosystem partner since 2020), CITIC Life Prudential, Imperial College London, Ajman University, Central Asian University, Arizona State University, the University of Pennsylvania, the University of Exeter, and IAE Paris-Est — cover program delivery, prize pools, and scholarships. Distribution is primarily digital/self-serve through qsimpact.org, augmented by university and corporate partner channels, the Youth Council grassroots network, and event-driven acquisition at flagship summits.

Name

QS ImpACT

Legal name

QS ImpACT

Website

https://qsimpact.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

QS ImpACT is a UK-registered global charity that runs free UN SDG-aligned programmes — scholarships, awards, skills challenges, hackathons, and a youth summit — for people aged 18-35 across 120+ countries, funded by corporate sponsorships, partnerships, and donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Development and Social Impact Programs

NAICS

Grantmaking and Giving Services (8132), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Development & Social Impact Programs (EDAIAGAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

International & Local Implementing NGOs (HLAJAKAD), Impact Investment & Social Finance Programs (BPADAOAJ)

Keywords

• Youth empowerment programs
• Sustainability education
• SDG-aligned programs
• Global youth scholarships
• Social impact programs

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Corporate Sponsorship: Revenue from corporations sponsoring specific programs, challenges, and events including title sponsorships, silver sponsorships, and co-hosting partnerships. Examples include Zoom as Title Sponsor of Skills Challenge, universities sponsoring hackathons.
2. Partnership Contributions: Strategic partnerships with organizations including universities, NGOs, and corporations that provide funding, resources, and in-kind support for program delivery.
3. Donations & Charitable Contributions: Registered charity (Charity 1198642) accepting donations to fund scholarships and global youth initiatives. £5,000 prize pool for Awards, £2,000 prize pool for Skills Challenge.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

QS ImpACT is a UK-registered global charity that delivers a portfolio of free, SDG-aligned programs (skills challenges, hackathons, awards, scholarships, councils, and global events) for young people aged 18-35 to develop sustainability skills and create measurable social impact. The charity operates with UNEP accreditation and partners with QS, Zoom, and universities worldwide to deliver its programs.

Product overview

QS ImpACT is a global charity operating as a platform of interconnected youth empowerment programmes focused on sustainability and the UN SDGs. The core portfolio includes the QS ImpACT Skills Challenge (games-for-good competition), AI for ImpACT Challenge (ethical AI hackathon), Global Day of Action (annual climate challenge), QS ImpACT Awards (sustainability awards with 6 categories), QS ImpACT Councils (local youth chapters), Youth Summit (global sustainability conference), QS ImpACT Scholarships ($50,000 scholarship pool), Impact Reports platform (impact documentation system), and Future17 SDG Challenge (university-industry collaboration). These programmes work together to equip young people with skills, opportunities, and recognition to become problem-solvers driving measurable SDG impact.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• QS ImpACT Skills Challenge

Quantifiable outcome

• 383,000+ people impacted globally through youth-led initiatives
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• QS Quacquarelli SymondsflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020QS ImpACT is part of the broader QS ecosystem. Partnership since 2020 allows connection of impact-driven youth with world-class educational opportunities, scholarships, global exposure, and career development pathways. QS provides platform, network, and resources.
• Zoom Communications, Inc.flagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerTwo-time Title Sponsor of QS ImpACT Skills Challenge. Provides digital infrastructure enabling thousands of youth from 47+ countries to participate in games-for-good competition, keeping the program 100% free for participants.
• Ajman UniversitycoreGTM or Marketing PartnerStrategic partnership sponsoring AI for ImpACT Challenge. Supports both in-person hackathon in London and 2026 virtual AI hackathon, bridging academic theory with real-world AI solutions for SDGs.
• Imperial College LondoncoreGTM or Marketing PartnerSilver Sponsor for AI for ImpACT Hackathon at Youth Summit 2025. Provided world-class space at their London campus and access to expert educators for real-world AI solutions for SDGs.
• Central Asian UniversitycoreGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsored Live Impact SDG Pitch Challenge at Youth Summit 2025, empowering teams to transform creative ideas into powerful one-minute pitches for global experts.
• CITIC Life PrudentialcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to design and deliver a bespoke points-based certification programme for Chinese youth, enabling translation of SDG contributions into formally recognized achievement for academic requirements.
• UNEPflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerOfficial UNEP accreditation for the organization, indicating alignment with UN environmental priorities and standards for sustainability initiatives.
• Earth QuestcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership for Global Day of Action providing high-quality, youth-friendly resources that empower education about the planet and climate protection for children.
• OliominorOthersConsumer goods partner contributing to sustainability ecosystem.
• Carbon ReminorOthersSustainability-focused corporate partner.
• Arizona State University (ASU)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducation partner supporting Skills Challenge and other programs with innovation focus.
• University of Pennsylvania (UPenn)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch and education partner in global sustainability initiatives.
• IAE Paris-Est (UPEC)coreGTM or Marketing Partner2025 Award sponsor; academic partner with student participation in Skills Challenge.
• University of ExetercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner2025 Award sponsor; leading UK university partner in Future17 SDG Challenge consortium.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• The Diana Award: UK charity established in memory of Princess Diana that runs youth recognition and anti-bullying programmes. Comparable in UK base, youth focus, and award/recognition-driven program model.
• Restless Development: UK-headquartered global charity that places and develops young people (18-35) as leaders in sustainable development across Africa and Asia. Highly comparable in mission (youth-led SDG action), target demographic, and global program model.
• DoSomething.org: US-based youth nonprofit driving social-impact campaigns and recognition programs. Comparable in target audience (young changemakers), skills/awards model, and digital-first program delivery.

Others

• NetHope: Consortium of leading global NGOs and technology partners (including UN bodies) working on digital development. Comparable in NGO/donor ecosystem, UN-affiliated validation, and global program delivery infrastructure.

Emerging players

• TakingITGlobal: Youth-driven digital community and platform for global civic engagement and SDGs. Comparable in youth digital community, SDG focus, and impact-reporting model.
• HundrED: Global non-profit identifying and scaling impactful K-12 and youth education innovations. Comparable in global education innovation curation, SDG alignment, and partnerships with universities.
• Social Shifters: Global non-profit that supports young people (18-30) launching social enterprises addressing the SDGs. Comparable in target demographic, challenge/award format, and global brand activation.

Broad incumbents

• Ashoka: Global network supporting the world's leading social entrepreneurs, including a strong youth focus (Ashoka Young Changemakers). Comparable in mission, global reach, and network-based program delivery, but larger and more established.
• UNICEF Generation Unlimited: UN-led global partnership preparing young people (18-35) for education, employment, and engagement. Comparable in youth skills/recognition model, SDG alignment, and UN institutional validation.
• Global Citizen: Global advocacy and youth-activation platform focused on ending extreme poverty and advancing the SDGs. Comparable in youth mobilization, SDG focus, and corporate sponsor/partnership model.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/QSImpACT
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/qs-impact
• Instagraminstagram.com/qsimpact?igsh=MTJqbmI0dHcwMndodQ==

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about QS ImpACT