Apply for Young Climate Prize 2026 - Free Entry

Young Climate Prize 2026: Fully Funded Trip to New York for Young Climate Leaders

Applications are open for the Young Climate Prize 2026, the third cycle of an international award and mentorship programme run by the New York-based nonprofit The World Around. The Prize identifies young people aged 13 to 25 who are already running practical climate solutions in their communities, pairs them with globally recognised mentors, and brings three winners to New York City to present their work on a major international stage.

If you're under 25, leading a climate-focused project with real-world traction, and looking for a platform that takes young leadership seriously, this is one of the most credible opportunities in the sector right now. Entry is free.

About The World Around

The World Around is a New York-based nonprofit working at the intersection of design, architecture, urbanism, and climate action. It convenes some of the most influential voices in the global design community through its Annual Summit, which has become a fixture on the international climate calendar. The Young Climate Prize is the organisation's flagship youth programme.

Since launching in 2022, the Prize has supported 50 young innovators from 35 countries, working on everything from waste management and alternative fuels to material innovation, urban biodiversity, and community-led adaptation. Cycle 03 builds on that track record and expands the cohort further.

What the Prize Offers

This isn't a one-off cash award. The Young Climate Prize is structured as a multi-stage programme with three layers of value:

For 25 Finalists Each finalist is paired with a mentor drawn from The World Around's Design Champions; an international network of recognised architects, urbanists, designers, and climate practitioners. Mentorship runs across a series of structured one-hour sessions designed to sharpen each finalist's project, test new ideas, and connect their work to a wider professional ecosystem.

Finalists also enter a three-month Design Academy, a virtual workshop series covering the practical skills most young climate leaders never get formal training in: storytelling, fundraising, public engagement, communications strategy, and scaling. Think of it as a compressed accelerator built specifically for climate-focused projects.

For 3 Winners At the end of the Academy, an international jury selects three winners across three distinct categories:

• Young Climate Designer — recognising design-led climate solutions

• Young Climate Visionary — recognising bold, long-horizon thinking

• Young Climate Voice — recognising communication, storytelling, and advocacy

All three winners receive a fully funded trip to New York City to present their work at The World Around's Annual Summit, in front of an audience that includes some of the most influential names in global design and climate.

For the Long Term Beyond the cycle itself, all finalists become part of the Young Climate Prize Fellowship, a three-year community offering continued network access, learning opportunities, and visibility. That long tail matters; it's what separates a one-time prize from a genuine career-shaping platform.

Who Should Apply

The Prize is open globally. There are no nationality restrictions, no university affiliation requirements, and no income filters. Here's what the panel is looking for:

• Age 13 to 25 at the time of application

• Founder or co-founder of a live, ongoing climate project (not just an idea on paper)

• Demonstrable impact in your community, whether that's local, regional, or hyperlocal

• Actively leading the project at the moment you apply

Group entries are welcome, with a maximum of three people per team. Every team member needs to meet the eligibility criteria individually.

Eligible projects can sit anywhere across the climate landscape; adaptation, mitigation, biodiversity, circular economy, sustainable food systems, climate justice, environmental education, urban resilience, you name it. The Prize places particular weight on design as a driver of climate solutions, which means projects with a strong creative, spatial, or material-innovation dimension tend to resonate well with the jury.

How to Apply

The application is refreshingly straightforward; The World Around has deliberately kept the barrier low so young people without grant-writing experience aren't shut out.

1. Record a two-minute video introducing your project. Keep it personal, specific, and grounded in what you're actually doing on the ground.

2. Upload supporting materials that show evidence of your work and its impact. Photos, design sketches, data, beneficiary testimonials, press coverage; whatever you have.

3. Submit through the official portal at theworldaround.submittable.com. Applications are accepted in English or Spanish.

4. Submit before the deadline: 30 June 2026, 11:59pm EDT.

Self-nominations are encouraged. You can also nominate someone else whose work you think deserves to be amplified.

What Makes a Strong Submission

A few practical notes drawn from how previous cycles have selected finalists:

• Lead with the project, not your CV. The jury cares more about what you're building than what you've collected on paper.

• Show measurable impact, even at small scale. Number of beneficiaries, hectares restored, tonnes of waste diverted, behaviour change documented; specifics travel further than slogans.

• Lean into the design angle if it fits. This Prize prizes creative practice; if there's a spatial, material, visual, or systems-design element to your work, surface it clearly.

• Be honest about constraints. Strong applications acknowledge what's not yet working and where mentorship would actually move the needle.

Key Details at a Glance

• Prize: The World Around Young Climate Prize 2026 (Cycle 03).

• Host: The World Around (New York-based nonprofit).

• Eligibility: Ages 13–25, global, individuals or teams of up to 3.

• Cost to Apply: Free.

• Languages Accepted: English or Spanish.

• Finalists: 25 receive mentorship and Design Academy access.

• Winners: 3 fully funded trips to NYC + Annual Summit stage time.

• Long-Term Benefit: 3-year Young Climate Prize Fellowship.

• Application Deadline: 30 June 2026, 11:59pm EDT.

• Apply Via: theworldaround.submittable.com/submit

Apply Here

Official source page: https://hafug.org/the-world-around-young-climate-prize-2026-fully-funded-to-new-york-city/

Application portal: https://theworldaround.submittable.com/submit

Programme home page: https://theworldaround.org/young-climate-prize

Climate prizes for young people are common; serious mentorship platforms that connect emerging leaders to the people actually shaping the global design and climate conversation are not. If you're under 25 and your project is real, this is worth the application effort. Get the two-minute video right, keep the language tight, and submit before the June deadline.

For more fully funded climate opportunities, fellowships, and prizes across the humanitarian and development sector, stay connected with Community For Development.