Final Idea: The Final Idea is an improved and refined version of the Fresh Idea which only the Scholar Teams are required to complete. It provides a more detailed description of the team’s proposed solution and contains additional elements that the Participants are required to fill out.
Fresh Idea: The Fresh Idea is the detailed description of the proposed solution students need to work on and submit during the Submissions Phase of the competition. It is structured in eight (8) building blocks meant to help the students elaborate on specific aspects of their project. Students can start brainstorming for their Fresh Idea using the Fresh Idea Canvas.
Participant: Student between and including the ages of 13 and 19 officially registered for The Earth Prize.
Personal Data: Any information relating to an identified or identifiable natural person (or legal person, where the applicable data protection law so provides); an identifiable person is one who can be identified, directly or indirectly, in particular by reference to an identifier, such as name, an identification number, location data or an online identifier.
Petition: A formal written request, signed by all members of a team and their supervisor, appealing a decision made by the Adjudicating Panel during The Earth Prize competition.
Regions: The seven regions are the following: (1) Oceania & Southeast Asia, (2) Asia, (3) the Middle East, (4) Africa, (5) Europe, (6) North America, and (7) Central & South America.
Secondary Education Level: Any stage after primary education and before tertiary education.
Social Media Engagement Campaign: One of the components of the Regional Winners Phase, during which teams are required to create social media content for one post to be shared through The Earth Prize social media channels, with the aim of raising awareness about their Final Idea.
Successfully submitted submission: Any submission to The Earth Prize made during any of the competition’s phases that has met the baseline requirements to be accepted for consideration by The Earth Foundation team and or The Earth Prize Adjudicating Panel.
Team: Any individual Participant or group of up to five (5) Participants registered together for The Earth Prize competition.
Team Lead: A team member designated by all members to be responsible for creating the team if participants opt out of having a Supervisor. The Team Lead may also have additional responsibilities, such as coordinating mentoring sessions in the Regional Winners Phase and communicating with The Earth Prize team.
Tertiary Education Level: “Higher education”; also called “post-secondary education” at colleges and universities.
The Earth Foundation: The Swiss not-for-profit organization in charge of planning and executing The Earth Prize.
The Earth Prize Alumni: The Earth Prize Alumni is a membership organization offering a platform for networking and inspiration amongst its community of passionate and talented youth. The Earth Prize Alumni will strengthen ties among its members offering them support through access to educational content, mentorship, social events, and professional opportunities.
The Earth Prize Adjudicating Panel: A group of world-renowned experts who will be in charge of judging students’ submissions to The Earth Prize competition and determining The Earth Prize Regional Winners.
The Earth Prize Ambassador: An inspiring individual with a strong interest in environmental sustainability who will provide The Earth Prize Regional Winning teams with advice and guidance.
The Earth Prize Awards Ceremony: A live, virtual event to be held on April 22nd, 2025, where The Earth Prize Global Winner, along with the three (3) Mentors of the Year and the two (2) Educators of the Year, will be announced.
The Earth Prize Code of Conduct: A document that sets out the rules of behaviour for all individuals participating in The Earth Prize.
The Earth Prize Educators of the Year: The two teachers and/or educators who have made an outstanding contribution to education during The Earth Prize competition, as determined by The Earth Foundation’s Advisor, Mario Salomone.
The Earth Prize Mentor: A university student passionate about sustainability and entrepreneurship tasked with answering The Earth Prize Participants’ questions on The Earth Prize online platform and providing advice and support on Participants’ submissions.
The Earth Prize Mentor of the Year: The three (3) most engaged Mentors in The Earth Prize competition, as voted by The Earth Prize Participants.
The Earth Prize Official Rules: This document, which establishes and details the regulations governing all aspects of The Earth Prize.
The Earth Prize Regional Winner: A team representing each of the following regions—Oceania & Southeast Asia, Asia, the Middle East, Africa, Europe, North America, and Central & South America—whose submission has achieved outstanding standards according to The Earth Prize Adjudicating Panel.
The Earth Prize Submission Guidelines: A document detailing the required submissions for The Earth Prize Participants at each stage of the competition.
The Earth Prize Scholar: The Earth Prize Participant whose submission has reached outstanding standards according to the evaluation criteria set by The Earth Foundation team.
Age: The Earth Prize is open to all students worldwide born between the years 2005 and 2011.
Education Level: The Earth Prize is open to all students in the secondary education level and is not open to tertiary education students. Eligible institutions are schools or educational programs.
Location: Participants are accepted from anywhere in the world. There are no geographic restrictions.
Language: All registration and submission information must be in English.
Teams: Each Participant can be an individual student or a team of up to five (5) students collaborating on a submission. Participants from different classes and grades are welcome to form a team. Teams can also consist of students from different institutions.
Adult Supervisor: Participants are strongly encouraged to have an assigned adult Supervisor for their team in order to register for The Earth Prize. Valid Supervisors include, but are not limited to, teachers or school administrators. If Participants have been signed up through an educational program, valid Supervisors can include program coordinators or educators. For individual participants or groups of homeschooled students, a parent may serve as the Supervisor. In either case, an official document certifying the Supervisor’s teacher status or the student’s authorised homeschooling status will be requested during registration. Participants who opt out of having a Supervisor are not eligible to receive one-on-one mentoring from The Earth Prize Mentors. However, if they advance to the Regional Winners Phase, they will receive mentoring, and a member of The Earth Prize team will participate in the session.
Participation: Past Participants are welcome to register for The Earth Prize again, as long as they meet the eligibility criteria. Projects submitted to The Earth Prize in a prior year which have been selected as The Earth Prize Winners or Runners-up will not be accepted.
Scope of Submissions: Submissions to The Earth Prize are expected to propose solutions aimed at accelerating positive change towards environmental sustainability. The Earth Prize will consider a wide range of solutions: local, national as well as global ones; new ideas with implementation potential as well as existing student projects; products, organisations, enterprises, as well as campaigns.
The Earth Prize is a multi-phase competition:
Registration for The Earth Prize is free of charge. No purchase is necessary to enter or to win. Participants will never be asked to make any payment at any stage of the competition.
Team Supervisors are not considered part of the team, and they are expected to serve as team facilitators only. Their duties will be limited to:
Teachers serving as Supervisors are encouraged but not required to integrate the online learning material into their own course. Supervisors are not required to dedicate a set amount of time per week to The Earth Prize either; however, they are encouraged to do so. Any work or project submitted must be the sole work of a team. Any work that has been copied, forged and/or lifted, and submitted as original work, will lead to the automatic disqualification of the team. Supervisors of Scholar and Regional Winning teams may need to take on additional responsibilities to oversee team members during their participation in the Scholars and Regional Winners Phase of the competition.
In case Participants opt-out from teacher supervision, they will need to assign a member of the team as a Team Lead. The Team Lead will be responsible for creating the team. In case the team becomes one of the Regional Winners, the Team Lead is responsible for the following:
To avoid conflicts of interest, no employee or contractor of, or individual affiliated to, The Earth Foundation, nor any of their relatives or close friends, are allowed to participate in The Earth Prize.
Participants and Supervisors are required to register for The Earth Prize using the online platform (www.theearthprize.org) by providing the following information:
Each Participant is required to provide their Supervisor's email address who will be invited to register as a Supervisor on The Earth Prize website. The Earth Foundation will also notify each Participant’s parent or legal guardian that their child has registered for the competition.
Participants under 18 or under the legal age of consent in their jurisdiction will need the approval of a parent or legal guardian in order to register or participate in The Earth Prize.
Upon completing registration, Participants and their Supervisors will be granted access to The Earth Prize Learning Portal - where they will be able to watch online learning material -, The Earth Prize Mentorship Portal - where they will be able to anonymously ask questions to The Earth Prize Mentors -, and The Earth Prize Submissions Portal - where they will be able to work on and submit their project.
At the end of the Registration Phase, all teams who have successfully completed their registration will be invited to the Submissions Phase. More detailed information about the Registration Phase requirements can be found in The Earth Prize Participant Submission Guidelines.
By 31st January, 2025 at 12h00 PM CET, Participants must confirm their participation in The Earth Prize by completing their (i) Student Verification Form and by submitting their (ii) Problem Definition and (iii) Motivation Statement. During the Submissions Phase, Participants will continue to have access to the online learning material and mentoring by university students. At the end of the Submissions Phase, teams will submit their Fresh Idea. More detailed information about the Submissions Phase requirements can be found in the The Earth Prize Participant Submission Guidelines.
Each team’s submission will be assessed initially by The Earth Foundation team and a carefully selected panel of expert reviewers.
The teams whose submissions have reached outstanding standards will be recognized with The Earth Prize Scholars distinction.
The Scholar teams enter the Scholars Phase of the competition. During this phase, they will be asked to work on the following elements: (i) Final Idea and (ii) Pitch Video. The Adjudicating Panel will evaluate the Scholar teams based on these elements and will propose seven teams to become the Regional Winners and enter the Regional Winners Phase.
The Adjudicating Panel has reviewed all Scholar submissions and proposes seven teams to proceed to the Regional Winners Phase.
The seven teams proposed to become The Earth Prize 2025 Regional Winners by the Adjudicating Panel will participate in 1:1 mentoring sessions with The Earth Prize Mentors and Ambassadors. Their Final Idea and Pitch Video will be presented to, and discussed with, the Adjudicating Panel in a final live presentation, which will include a live Q&A session.
The seven Regional Winners will be announced on The Earth Prize website and social media.
The public will be able to vote their favourite idea out of the seven Regional Winners.
During The Earth Prize Awards Ceremony, The Earth Foundation team will announce The Earth Prize Global Winner between the seven Regional Winners as voted by the public. During the event, the three (3) Mentors and two (2) Educators of the Year will also be announced.
All registered teams who have successfully completed their registration process on the website by 30th November, will be automatically invited to the Submissions Phase.
All successfully submitted Fresh Ideas will be evaluated according to the criteria stipulated by The Earth Foundation. Teams whose submissions have reached outstanding standards according to these criteria, as determined by the final score ranking, will be recognized as The Earth Prize Scholars.
The Scholar teams will be asked to submit their Final Idea which is an improved and refined version of the Fresh Idea and will be evaluated on the following elements: (i) Final Idea and (ii) Pitch Video. The Adjudicating Panel will propose seven teams to become The Earth Prize Regional Winners.
The seven Regional Winners will participate in 1:1 mentoring sessions and present their Final Idea and Pitch Video in a live session with the Adjudicating Panel, which includes a live Q&A. The Adjudicating Panel will confirm the Regional Winner selection or request to interview alternate teams.
The public will vote for their favourite idea among the seven Regional Winners and decide on The Earth Prize 2025 Global Winner. The Global Winner will be announced during The Earth Prize Awards Ceremony on Earth Day 2025.
All teams that have successfully registered for the competition are invited to participate in the Submissions Phase of The Earth Prize. They will be recognized as “The Earth Prize Participants”.
All Participants whose Fresh Ideas have reached outstanding standards as determined by the final score ranking, will be recognized as “The Earth Prize Scholars”. Each Participant will receive a special certificate from The Earth Prize.
With the goal of further increasing the impact of The Earth Prize Scholars’ projects and ideas, The Earth Foundation will seek out opportunities within and beyond its ecosystem to help students further develop their Fresh Ideas and bring them to life. At the discretion of The Earth Foundation team, selected Scholar ideas may be shared with individuals and organisations outside The Earth Foundation which could offer said opportunities to the Scholar students.
All teams recognized as The Earth Prize Scholars will be considered to have their solutions developed into comprehensive business plans by The Earth Foundation’s trusted partners. The Scholars’ ideas and intellectual property remain the sole property of each team, and any development is for the benefit of the team and their ideas’ implementation. Further details will be directly discussed with selected Scholar teams. (*Geneva School of Economics and Management at the University of Geneva).
The prize money may only be used by the Team for actions and activities that have the objective of implementing or scaling the Team’s project. Any use of the funds must align with these guidelines and may require prior approval from The Earth Foundation. The prize money shall be disbursed in two (2) separate installments, payable directly to the Team or to the legal guardian(s) of any minor member(s) of the Team, as applicable. In the event that this method of disbursement is not suitable or feasible, The Earth Foundation, in consultation with the Team, shall determine an alternative arrangement to ensure the secure and appropriate transfer of the prize funds. The first installment shall be transferred as soon as practicable following the execution of this Agreement. The second installment shall be disbursed three (3) months after The Earth Foundation receives confirmation of the project’s initial implementation results, as reported by the Team.
The Team acknowledges and agrees that The Earth Foundation reserves the right to conduct quarterly reviews of the project, both during and after the full disbursement of the prize money. The Team further commits to providing regular updates on the development, progress, and outcomes of the project, including any significant achievements or changes, in a timely and transparent manner.
Participants recognized with The Earth Prize Regional Winner award must comply with these Official Rules, The Earth Prize Terms and Conditions and The Earth Prize Code of Conduct. Winning is contingent upon fulfilling all requirements.
Except for where prohibited, Participants in The Earth Prize competition will be required to consent to The Earth Foundation’s and its sponsors’ use of the winning Participants’ names, likeness, voice, opinions, and country of residence for promotional purposes in any media without payment or consideration.
The Earth Foundation and or its sponsors reserve the right, in their sole discretion, to cancel, modify, or suspend The Earth Prize and any of these Official Rules for any reason deemed legitimate which may include, but are not limited to virus or bugs, unauthorized human intervention, technical failures, or any factor beyond The Earth Foundation’s reasonable control which corrupts the administration, security, fairness, integrity, or proper operation of The Earth Prize. In such an event, The Earth Foundation reserves the right to award The Earth Prize among the eligible entries received up to the time of impairment. The Earth Foundation reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to disqualify any individual it finds to be tampering with the entry process or the operation of The Earth Prize, or to be acting in violation of these Official Rules or any other promotion or in an unsportsmanship like or disruptive manner (see The Earth Prize Code of Conduct). Any attempt by any person to deliberately damage The Earth Prize’s website or undermine the legitimate operation of The Earth Prize may be in violation of criminal and civil laws, and should such an attempt be made, The Earth Foundation and its sponsors reserve the right to seek damages from any such person to the fullest extent permitted by the law. The Earth Foundation’s failure to enforce any term of these Official Rules shall not constitute a waiver of any right or remedy.
For the duration of the competition, all Personal Data processed by The Earth Foundation and or its affiliates or providers will remain under The Earth Foundation’s control. The provider shall abide by all of The Earth Foundation’s instructions on the processing of the Personal Data.
In the case, during The Earth Prize competition, certain Personal Data will be transferred from The Earth Foundation’s control to an affiliate’s control, the affiliate warrants and undertakes that:
All Participants, Mentors, and Supervisors agree to comply with The Earth Prize Code of Conduct. Failure to act in strict compliance with the Code of Conduct permits The Earth Foundation in its sole discretion to disqualify, expel and ban any Participant, Mentor, or Supervisor from the competition.
The Earth Foundation is not responsible for any (i) incorrect or inaccurate information, whether caused by Participants, printing errors, or by any equipment or programming associated with, or utilized in, The Earth Prize; (ii) technical failures of any kind, including, but not limited to, the malfunctions, interruptions, or disconnections in phone lines or network, hardware or software; (iii) unauthorized human intervention in any part of the entry process of The Earth Prize; (iv) technical or human error which may occur in the administration of The Earth Prize or the processing of the Participants; (v) undeliverable or damaged electronic mail; or (vi) any injury or damage to persons or property, including, but not limited to, Participants’ computers, which may be caused, directly or indirectly, in whole, or in part, from Participants’ participation in The Earth Prize, receipt, possession or use or misuse of any Prize, or from downloading any material from The Earth Foundation or any other sponsor’s website(s), regardless of whether the material was prepared by The Earth Foundation, any of its sponsors or a third party, and regardless of whether the material is connected to a sponsor’s website by a hyperlink. If, for any reason, a Participant’s submission is confirmed to have been erroneously deleted, lost, or otherwise destroyed, or corrupted, the Participant’s sole remedy is another submission.
The Earth Foundation and its entities and advertising and promotion agencies assume no liability and are not responsible for, and the Participants hereby forever waive any rights to any claim in connection with, errors and or ambiguity in: (a) The Earth Prize; (b) any related advertising or promotions of The Earth Prize; and or (c) these Official Rules. In the event of any ambiguity(ies) or error(s) in these Official Rules, The Earth Foundation reserves the right to modify these Official Rules for clarification purposes or to correct any such error(s) without materially affecting the Terms and Conditions of The Earth Prize.
Winner List requests will only be accepted after The Earth Prize Winner and Runners-up have been officially announced by The Earth Foundation. For the Winner List, send an email with the subject line: “The Earth Prize, Winner List Request” to info@theearthprize.org.
Teams may petition for a second review of their registration and preliminary submission ONLY if they were disqualified from moving on to the Submissions Phase due to an eligibility issue that the team believes was a mistake.
The review of the Adjudicating Panel is final. No petitions for additional review are allowed.
The review of the Adjudicating Panel is final. No petitions for additional review are allowed.
The review of the Adjudicating Panel is final. No petitions for additional review are allowed.
Votes will be tallied and publicised.
The Earth Foundation reserves the right to disqualify and ban from future participation in The Earth Prize competition any Participant, Team, Mentor, or Supervisor who fails to comply with The Earth Prize Code of Conduct. The Earth Foundation also reserves the right to disqualify and ban from future participation in The Earth Prize competition any Participant, Team, Mentor, or Supervisor on any other grounds and without prior notice. The Earth Foundation also reserves the right to refuse the prize money to any individual, team, or school who will have been suspected of, or caught for, violations to The Earth Prize Code of Conduct or any of The Earth Prize Official Rules.
At any time, a Participant can refuse to permit The Earth Foundation to collect further Personal Data in association with The Earth Prize and can request that The Earth Foundation delete from its records the Personal Data it has collected in connection with The Earth Prize. A request to delete records may lead to a withdrawal from The Earth Prize competition. A Participant can contact The Earth Foundation to request access to, change, or delete personal information by sending an email to The Earth Foundation at info@earth-foundation.org. A valid request to delete personal information will be accommodated within a reasonable time. In addition to the foregoing, The Earth Foundation will exercise reasonable efforts to delete personal information belonging to the Participants when it is no longer needed for the purpose for which it was collected.
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