The Competition

The Earth Prize is a $104,500 environmental sustainability competition open to teenage students worldwide. It recognizes and awards students who develop the best solutions to accelerate positive change towards environmental sustainability.

THE BASICS

HOW TO APPLY

Registration for The Earth Prize 2027 is open until 10th of January 2027. Complete registration online via our onboarding page, and join our Earth Foundation Community on Discord, where you'll gain access to exclusive content and mentoring.

ELIGIBILITY

Participants must have been born between 2007 and 2014 and be currently receiving education through a school, homeschool arrangement, or other educational programme.

THE TIMELINE

OPEN REGISTRATION PHASE

until 10th Jan 2027

Start your journey by registering via The Earth Prize onboarding page. Registration is open from January 11, 2026 until January 10th, 2027.

Participants who are minors will also be asked to provide a parent or guardian's details so that parental consent can be obtained. Access to The Earth Foundation Discord Community and participation in the competition are only granted once this consent has been received.

Form your team

You can choose to participate individually or as part of a team of up to five students (including yourself) from any class, grade, or school.

Once all team members have registered individually online, you will nominate a Team Lead. The Team Lead will create the team in The Earth Prize Submissions Portal and invite each member to join.

Mentoring

Do you have a question? Is something unclear? Do you need guidance? Throughout the competition, a global community of mentors — students, professionals, researchers, educators, retirees, and other passionate volunteers — will provide support through one-to-one mentoring sessions on The Earth Foundation Discord Community.

SUBMISSIONS PHASE

until 31st Jan 2027

The Earth Prize Blueprint

Ready to bring your idea to life? Submit your Earth Prize Blueprint — a validation-first framework that guides you through seven building blocks, from proving your problem is real to pitching your solution on video. Submissions close January 31st 2027.

Note: the Team Lead makes one submission per team, adding teammates to the project as contributors. All team members must be registered with us.

SCHOLAR SELECTION

1st - 25th Feb 2027

Reviews

Each project is reviewed by The Earth Foundation team and a panel of expert Reviewers, independently reviewed three times.

THE EARTH PRIZE SCHOLARS ANNOUNCEMENT

3rd March 2027

Scholars

35 of the teams will be selected to become The Earth Prize Scholars and move on to the next phase of the competition.

Check out The Earth Prize Scholars

SCHOLAR PHASE

3rd - 31st March 2027

Scholar Submission

Scholars will now work on their Scholar Submission, an improved and refined body of work building on their Earth Prize Blueprint, consisting of a Project Update, a Budget & Next Steps plan, a Structured Video, and an IP Self-Serve Worksheet.

Mentors

Scholar teams will be matched 1:1 with The Earth Prize Mentors, who will support and guide them in preparing their Scholar submission.

REGIONAL WINNER PHASE

31st March - 2nd May 2027

Adjudicating Panel

The Adjudicating Panel will evaluate the Scholar Teams based on their Scholar Submission, alongside their original Earth Prize Blueprint, and will propose select teams to become the Regional Winners and enter the Regional Winners Phase.

THE EARTH PRIZE REGIONAL WINNERS ANNOUNCEMENT

3rd - 9th May 2027

Regional Winners

The Earth Prize 2027 Regional Winners are announced on The Earth Prize website and social media. Each of the seven Regional Winners is awarded USD 10,000 to implement their project.

PUBLIC VOTING PHASE

10th - 23rd May 2027

Public Voting

The public will be able to vote for their favourite idea among the seven Regional Winners. Individual vote counts are not made public.

THE EARTH PRIZE AWARDS CEREMONY

28th May 2027

Ceremony

Global Winner announced among the seven Regional Winners, as voted by the public. The Ceremony celebrates Regional Winners, Mentors, Educators, Ambassadors, and the wider team.

Do you still have questions?

EVALUATION CRITERIA

REGISTRATION PHASE

All teams that have successfully completed their registration on our website will automatically enter the Submissions Phase of the competition.

SUBMISSION PHASE

At the Submissions Phase, The Earth Prize Blueprint will be evaluated according to the following six criteria, scored out of 25 points in total:

Students should follow The Earth Prize Blueprint when developing their project — read the Blueprint for more detail on what to submit.

Problem Validation5 points

Is there clear evidence, research and real conversations with the people affected, that this problem exists and matters to them?

Proof of Concept5 points

Has the team built or tested something tangible, learned from it, and shown it in front of real users, or if that’s not yet possible, do they have a credible plan to get there?

Solution Quality4 points

Does the idea respond directly to the validated problem, stand apart from what’s already out there, and reflect a check for existing patents, trademarks, or copyright?

Next Steps & Commitment4 points

Has the team mapped out concrete next steps and identified who they need on their side, partners, allies, or supporters, to make them happen?

Feasibility & Planning4 points

Is there a specific, itemised financial plan, and a realistic sense of what could go wrong and how the team would handle it?

Communication & Inspiration3 points

Does the pitch communicate the idea clearly, and leave people feeling inspired and confident in the team behind it?

Regional Winners Phase

At the Regional Winners Phase, the Adjudicating Panel evaluates each Scholar Team's Scholar Submission, alongside their original Earth Prize Blueprint, to select the seven (7) Regional Winners. Submissions are scored against the same six criteria used at Submission Phase, redefined against the Scholar-stage materials.

THE ADJUDICATING PANEL

Agustín Ocaña Escobar

Chair of the Panel

Agustín Ocaña Escobar is the Chairperson and Founder of the Global Youth Coalition (GYC), an organization dedicated to youth empowerment, climate action, and sustainable development. His leadership has driven youth engagement across international climate platforms, including the UNFCCC and COP summits.

With a background in Biotechnology Engineering, Education, and Corporate Social Responsibility, Agustín merges technical expertise with a passion for social impact. He also serves as Global Head of Advocacy for Youthinkgreen Germany, focusing on sustainable energy and youth leadership.

Through GYC’s programs like the Global Youth Climate Training (GYCT) and Reeforesting4Peace (R4P), Agustín has mobilized thousands of young changemakers for environmental projects. Based in Hong Kong with a global reach, he collaborates with institutions like Oxford University and grassroots movements to promote resilience and sustainability. His work also explores AI in climate action, advocating for ethical and impactful technology solutions.

Agustín’s visionary leadership inspires youth worldwide.

Count me in

Registrations open soon, get ready to join the next wave of changemakers.

NEED SOME INSPIRATION?

Meet The Earth Prize 2025 Winners
and Runners-up