Are you a Californian young innovator? The Wesly Foundation Prize for Young Innovators 2025–2026 is now accepting applications. Interested candidates are urged to click here to apply and learn more about this opportunity.
About Wesly Foundation Prize for Young Innovators
Opportunity Details
The Westly Prize for Young California Innovators honors talent, creativity, and the daring humanitarian spirit of aspiring social entrepreneurs.
Benefits of Wesly Foundation Prize for Young Innovators
- The Foundation will award up to three Grand Prizes of $40,000 each to individuals or teams of up to four members. Grand Prize winners who applied as individuals will receive $40,000; winners who applied as teams will split the $40,000 award amount among the team members. Honorable Mention winners will receive $5,000, to be split in the same manner.
Wesly Foundation Prize for Young Innovators Requirements
- Innovators may apply as individuals or as teams of up to four members. If you are applying as a team, at least 50% of the team must meet ALL eligibility requirements (e.g. at least one member of a two-person team, and at least two members of a three- or four-person team).
- An individual founder must be under the age of 28 years during the calendar year in which they apply. If a team of co-founders applies, at least half of the founding team must be under age 28 in the year they apply.
- Residence: Live, work, or attend school in California, or come from California and attend school elsewhere. An individual founder, or at least half of the co-founders, must be resident(s) of or live in California at the time of the application (and throughout the selection process).
- Role: Creator/founder or co-creator/founder. All co-founders must be listed on the application.
- Geographic scope of innovation: Any
- Issue Focus: Any, so long as the innovation addresses a community challenge and is grounded in a strong social purpose
- Stage of organization: Early-stage, but must have a working prototype
- Form of organization: Any, so long as social purpose is central
- At least one co-founder is able to present remotely on January 24 ,2026.
Application Date and Process
Click on the link to the application website to apply.
Application Deadline
17 October, 2025
Scholarship Application Portal
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Wesly Foundation Prize for Young Innovators
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