Final Idea: The Final Idea is an improved and refined version of the Fresh Idea which only the 10 Finalist teams are required to complete. It provides a more detailed description of the team’s proposed solution and contains three (3) 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 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.
Secondary Education Level: Any stage after primary education and before tertiary education.
Social Media Engagement Campaign: One of the elements of the Finalists Phase, during which teams are encouraged to create social media content 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.
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 Code of Conduct: A document that sets out the rules of behavior for all individuals participating in The Earth Prize.
The Earth Prize Adjudicating Panel: A group of world-renowned experts who will be in charge of judging Participants’ submissions to The Earth Prize competition and determining The Earth Prize Finalists, The Earth Prize Winner, and the three The Earth Prize Runners-up.
The Earth Prize Ambassador: An inspiring individual with a strong interest in environmental sustainability who will provide an assigned Earth Prize Finalist team with advice and guidance in a one-on-one call ahead of their final presentation to the Adjudicating Panel.
The Earth Prize Canvas: A fill-in template where the The Earth Prize Participants can provide an overview of their Fresh Idea in a very clear and visual way.
The Earth Prize Awards Ceremony: A live, virtual ceremony held on April 22nd, 2024 where The Earth Prize Winner and Runners-up, as well as the 3 (three) The Earth Prize Mentor of the Year and Educator of the Year, will be announced.
The Earth Prize Code of Conduct: A document that sets out the rules of behavior for all individuals participating in The Earth Prize.
The Earth Prize Educator of the Year: A teacher and or educator who has 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 Participant 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.
Ages: The Earth Prize is open to all students worldwide born between the years 2004 and 2010.
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 educational institutions or educational programs.
Geography: 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 as long as they attend the same institution.
Adult Supervisor: Participants must 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. If an individual or a group of homeschooled students wishes to participate, a parent may serve as Supervisor. In either case, an official document certifying the Supervisor’s role as a teacher or the student’s authorized homeschooling status will be requested during registration.
Participation: Past Participants are welcome to register for The Earth Prize again, as long as they meet the eligibility criteria and present a different project. Projects submitted to The Earth Prize in a prior year and 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, organizations, enterprises, as well as campaigns.
The Earth Prize is a multi-phase competition:
3.1 Registration Phase (1st September 2023 at 12h00 PM CET - 30th November 2023 at 12h00 PM CET)
3.2 Submissions Phase (Registration Completion - January 31st 2024)
3.3 The Earth Prize Scholars Announcement (14th February 2024)
3.4 Finalists Phase (29th February 2024 at 12h00 PM CET - 3rd April 2024 at 12h00 PM CET)
3.5 The Earth Prize Awards Ceremony (22nd April 2024)
4.1 Cost
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.
4.2 Withdrawal
4.3 Role of the Team Supervisors
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. The Supervisors of Finalist teams might be required to perform additional duties related to the supervision of team members during their participation in the Finalist Phase of the competition.
4.4 Conflict of Interest
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.
5.1 Registration Phase
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.
5.1.1 Upon Registration
Upon completing registration, Participants and their Supervisors will be granted access to The Earth Prize Learning Portal - where they will be able to watch the 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.
5.1.2 Registration Confirmation
By 30th November, 2023 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. 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.
5.2 Submissions Phase
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.
5.2.1 At the end of the Submissions Phase
Each team’s submission will be reviewed initially by The Earth Foundation team, and subsequently by The Earth Prize Adjudicating Panel, based upon internal evaluation criteria and scoring rubrics.
5.2.2 The Earth Prize Scholars Announcement
All Participants whose submissions have reached outstanding standards will be recognized with The Earth Prize Scholars distinction. All Scholars will be automatically invited to be part of The Earth Prize Alumni.
5.2.3 After the Scholars Distinction Announcement
The Adjudicating Panel will select the top ten (10) teams from The Earth Prize Scholars pool to be recognized as The Earth Prize Finalists.
5.4 Finalists Phase
The ten (10) best teams, as selected by the Adjudicating Panel out of The Earth Prize Scholars pool, will be invited onto the Finalists Phase of The Earth Prize. During this phase, they will be asked to work on the following elements: (i) Final Idea, (ii) Pitch Video, and (iv) Presentation of the Final Idea to the Adjudicating Panel. These elements will be presented to, and discussed with, the Adjudicating Panel in a final live presentation, which will include a live Q&A session. Additionally, Finalists will work on a Social Media Engagement Campaign to drive interest in their project. More detailed information about the Finalists Phase requirements can be found in the Participant Submission Guidelines.
5.4.1 At the end of the Finalists Phase
During The Earth Prize Awards Ceremony, The Earth Foundation team will announce The Earth Prize Winner and the three (3) The Earth Prize Runners-up. During the ceremony, the three (3) The Earth Prize Mentors and Educator of the Year will also be announced.
6.1 Registration Phase
All registered teams who have successfully completed their Student Verification Form, Problem Definition and Motivation Statement, will be automatically invited to the Submissions Phase.
6.2 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 Earth Foundation team, will be recognized as The Earth Prize Scholars.
6.3 Finalists Phase
The top ten (10) submissions will be evaluated on each of the following elements separately: (i) Final Idea, (ii) Pitch Video, (iv) Presentation of the Final Idea to the Adjudicating Panel, and (v) Q&A session. As determined by the Adjudicating Panel, the best Final Idea will be recognized as The Earth Prize Winner. The Adjudicating Panel will select three (3) additional Final Ideas to be recognized as The Earth Prize Runners-up. These recognitions will be announced in The Earth Prize Ceremony on Friday, April 22nd, 2024. The Adjudicating Panel will choose The Earth Prize Winner and The Earth Prize Runners-up without establishing the classification of the other finalists. In case of a tie, the Adjudicating Panel will resort to the evaluation of the team’s Social Media Engagement Campaign.
7.1 At the end of the Registration Phase
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”.
7.2 The Earth Prize Scholars Announcement
All Participants whose Fresh Ideas have reached outstanding standards as determined by the Adjudicating Panel will be recognized as “The Earth Prize Scholars”. Each Participant will receive a special certificate from The Earth Prize.
7.2.1 The Earth Prize Scholar Fresh Ideas’ Development Opportunities
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 organizations outside The Earth Foundation which could offer said opportunities to the Scholar students.
7.2.2 Scholars’ selection for the Villars Institute/GSEM Fresh Idea development program*
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).
7.3 During the Finalists Phase
The top ten (10) teams will be recognized as “The Earth Prize Finalists” and invited to the Finalists Phase of The Earth Prize. Each member of these the Finalists teams will receive a special certificate from The Earth Prize.
7.4 At the end of the Finalists Phase
7.5 Payment of Prizes
The payment of the prize monies is detailed in, and conditional to, the stipulations set forth in The Earth Prize Terms and Conditions.
7.6 Contingency clause for the Winner and Runners-up
Participants recognized with The Earth Prize Winner and Runner-up awards 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’ or Runners’-up names, likeness, voice, opinions, country of residence for promotional purposes in any media without (delete:further) 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.
10.1 Transfer of Control over 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 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.
15.1 Registration Phase
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.
15.2 Submissions Phase
The review of the Adjudicating Panel is final. No petitions for additional review are allowed.
15.3 Scholar Distinction Announcement
The review of the Adjudicating Panel is final. No petitions for additional review are allowed.
15.4 Finalists Phase
The review of the Adjudicating Panel is final. No petitions for additional review are allowed.
The Earth Foundation reserves the right to disqualify and (delete: or) 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 (delete: or) 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.
17.1 Recognition and Marketing Rights
17.2 Media Rights and Data Access
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 (delete: commercially) 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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