Call for Applications: Wege Prize 2026 for Innovators ($65,000 total prize)

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About Wege Prize

The Challenge

Over the course of nine months, Wege Prize teams will compete to advance through up to four distinct phases of competition, growing their ideas from a preliminary proposal into a robust and feasible solution informed by research, market analysis, and real-world prototyping and testing. Each step of the way, they will be guided by direct feedback from a panel of expert judges who will help them strengthen their ideas, push the limits of possibility, and support bringing their plans into fruition.

Broadly speaking, the challenge of Wege Prize is to:

• Build a strong and diverse team: Teams with the greatest disciplinary and institutional diversity will likely have a higher probability of success.
• Identify a "wicked" problem to address: A "wicked" problem is highly complex problem that involves multiple stakeholder groups and is especially resistant to resolution. Efforts to solve one aspect of the problem often reveal or create other obstacles that must be addressed as well.
• Develop a compelling circular solution: Whether they take the form of a product, service, business, or something else, solutions should be driven by the three core principles of the circular economy.

• Sponsor Organisation: Wege Foundation

Benefits of Wege Prize

• 1st Place: $30,000 (USD)
• 2nd Place: $20,000 (USD)
• 3rd Place: $10,000 (USD)
• Finalist Award (×2): $2,500 (USD)

Wege Prize Requirements

Teams

To be eligible to participate in Wege Prize, teams must:

• Have exactly five (5) members (no more, no less)
• Represent at least three (3) different academic disciplines (in terms of each participant's current program of study-previously completed degree programs are not considered)
• Represent at least two (2) different institutions of higher education* (colleges, universities, or separate colleges/schools within a larger university) *For instance, a team member from Example University's School of Engineering and a team member from Example University's School of Earth Sciences would be considered as representing two different institutions

Individuals

To be eligible to join a Wee Prize team, individuals must:

• Be currently enrolled in a undergraduate, graduate, or post-graduate degree program program at a college, university, or equivalent institution of higher education anywhere in the world. (Teams can be composed of a mix of undergraduate, graduate, and post-graduate students if they so choose.)
• Be enrolled as a full-time (or equivalent) student for the duration of the competition. (If you are graduating before May of 2026, you must be enrolled as a student through at least December 15, 2025.

Application Date and Process

Planning Ahead:Team Application Checklist

1. Verify that your team meets the individual and team participation requirements.
    

1. Carefully review the Wege Prize 2026 Design Brief.
    

2. Gather the following information from all five (5) of your team members:

   • Legal name

   • Preferred name

   • Email address

   • Country of citizenship

   • Current country of residence

   • College/university currently attending

   • Major of study, degree type, and student status (level of study, date of expected degree completion)

   • Headshot (selfies and/or phone pictures are fine!)
      

3. Prepare your team’s answers to the questions below (contained in the application):

   • Explain the wicked problem your team is interested in addressing. (3-5 sentences)

   • Help us understand the systemic nature of the problem. What social, technological, ecological, and other key factors impact the problem? (500 words maximum)

   • How could addressing this wicked problem support the development of a circular economy? (500 words maximum)

   • Who are the key stakeholders in this wicked problem and how would you engage and/or co-create with them? (500 words maximum)

   • How do you plan to involve mentors and/or subject matter experts in your design process? (500 words maximum)

   • How could addressing this wicked problem support the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals? (Choose 1-3 specific goals to focus on – 500 words maximum)

   • What are your next steps? (500 words maximum)

If you have any questions along the way, email [email protected].

Application Deadline

05 October, 2025

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