About this opportunity
Most environmental ideas in schools never leave the classroom. The Earth Prize is built to change that. It is a global competition, run by The Earth Foundation, that asks teenage students anywhere in the world to bring a real solution to an environmental problem, then puts mentors, a structured process and funding behind it.
The route is deliberately staged. You register, then submit an Earth Prize Blueprint that lays out the problem, your validation work and what you plan to do next. Projects that move forward become Scholar teams, each matched one to one with an Earth Prize Mentor to sharpen the work for the Scholar Submission. Seven Regional Winners are then selected, and each receives USD 10,000 to implement their project, from a total prize pool of USD 104,500. Public voting after that decides the Global Winner.
The
Eligibility
bar is refreshingly simple. You must have been born between 2007 and 2014, and you must currently be receiving education, whether at a school, through homeschool or another educational programme. You can go it alone or enter as a team of up to five students. If you are a minor, a parent or guardian provides consent before you get access to the community and the competition.
Registration for the 2027 edition is open until 10 January 2027, and the Blueprint itself is due by 31 January 2027. Mentoring sessions are available throughout on The Earth Foundation Discord community, which is where a lot of the quieter value of this competition sits.
What you receive
- USD 10,000 awarded to each of the seven Regional Winners to implement their project, from a total prize pool of USD 104,500
- One to one matching with an Earth Prize Mentor for Scholar teams preparing the Scholar Submission
- Ongoing mentoring through one to one sessions on The Earth Foundation Discord community
- A staged process that turns a school idea into a validated plan with a proof of concept
- Global visibility through regional winner announcements, public voting and the awards ceremony on 28 May 2027
- Free to register, with no published entry fee
Who can apply
- Open to teenage students worldwide
- Participants must have been born between 2007 and 2014
- Participants must currently be receiving education through a school, a homeschool arrangement or another educational programme
- Students may enter individually or as part of a team of up to five students
- Every team member must register individually before the team is formed, and the team then nominates a Team Lead
- Participants who are minors must supply parent or guardian details for consent before access is granted
Who should not apply
- Applicants born outside the 2007 to 2014 window are not eligible
- Students who are not currently receiving education are not eligible
- A team may not exceed five students
- Discord community access and competition participation are only granted once parental consent is received for a minor
- The provider states no specific nationality, residency or school accreditation requirement
Documents to prepare
- Completed registration through the Earth Prize onboarding page
- The Earth Prize Blueprint, following the Blueprint structure and covering validation and the stated building blocks
- Team member registration confirmations before a Team Lead submits on behalf of the team
- Parent or guardian consent details for any participant who is a minor
- Scholar Submission materials for teams selected at the Scholar stage, prepared with the matched mentor
How to apply
- Register for The Earth Prize 2027 on the official onboarding page at https://www.theearthprize.org/onboarding before 10 January 2027
- Join The Earth Foundation Community on Discord after registering to reach the exclusive content and mentoring sessions
- Decide whether you are entering as an individual or as a team of up to five students, and have every team member register first
- Nominate a Team Lead, who creates the team in The Earth Prize Submissions Portal and invites the members to join
- Read the full rules of the competition at https://www.theearthprize.org/rules and align your work to the six scored evaluation criteria
- Build and submit your Earth Prize Blueprint by 31 January 2027, with the Team Lead making one submission per team
- If selected as a Scholar team, prepare the Scholar Submission with your matched Earth Prize Mentor
Selection process
- Open registration runs until 10 January 2027
- Blueprint submissions close on 31 January 2027
- Projects in the Submissions Phase are independently reviewed three times by The Earth Foundation team and a panel of expert Reviewers
- Scholar teams are selected and announced on 3 March 2027, and the Scholar phase runs from 3 to 31 March 2027
- Regional Winners are evaluated between 31 March and 2 May 2027 and announced between 3 and 9 May 2027
- Public voting runs from 10 to 23 May 2027, and the awards ceremony is on 28 May 2027
Sources and verification
- Official source , Discovered by the opportunity automation module.
Questions applicants ask
Who can enter The Earth Prize 2027?
Teenage students anywhere in the world who were born between 2007 and 2014 and who are currently receiving education through a school, a homeschool arrangement or another educational programme.
When does registration close?
Registration is open until 10 January 2027. The provider publishes the date without a cut off time.
When is the actual project due?
Earth Prize Blueprint submissions close on 31 January 2027.
Can I compete alone?
Yes. You may enter as an individual or as part of a team of up to five students.
How much money is involved?
The competition carries a total prize pool of USD 104,500. Each of the seven Regional Winners receives USD 10,000 to implement their project. The provider states no separate figure for the Global Winner.
How are entries judged?
Projects are reviewed against six scored evaluation criteria, and each project is independently reviewed three times by The Earth Foundation team and a panel of expert Reviewers.
Does a student need a school to apply?
The student must be receiving education, but that can be through a school, a homeschool arrangement or another educational programme. The provider states no school accreditation requirement.
Important disclaimer
Nextali researches and curates useful opportunities to make discovery easier. Before applying, verify every timeline, requirement, fee and application link on the official provider website. Do your own research into the organisation, its background and the authenticity of the offer. Nextali does not guarantee selection, funding or the conduct of third party providers.
