Now open: Iris Prize – Empowering Youth Led Initiatives with Funding, Mentorship ($5,000 to $15,000 grant) and Capacity Building

If you fall within the age range of 14-24 and have a concept or an established initiative aimed at safeguarding or rejuvenating nature in your community, we encourage you to apply for the Iris Prize. The Iris Prize acknowledges that nature restoration can take various forms, ranging from traditional land management to innovative technological solutions. By rewarding both new ideas and established projects, the prize aims to address the obstacles that often hinder young individuals from advocating for change related to nature.

There are three prize categories available in the Iris Prize

1. The Seed Prize: This prize, amounting to $5,000, is awarded to a young person or team with a groundbreaking idea to protect and/or restore nature in their local community. The age category for this prize is 14-24.

2. The Stem Prize: If you have an existing project that has been recently established on a small scale, you may be eligible for the Stem Prize. This prize amounts to $10,000 and is open to individuals or teams within the age category of 16-24.

3. The Iris Prize: Recognizing established projects with the potential for replication and scalability, the Iris Prize offers a reward of $15,000. This prize is also available to individuals or teams aged 16-24.

Eligible Projects in the Iris Prize

Youth and locally-led initiatives operating in areas identified as significant by their local communities.
Eligibility for consideration includes ideas, small-scale projects, or existing initiatives with growth potential and replicability.
Commitment to diversity and inclusion.
Geographical and thematic diversity is crucial to their mission. They prioritize initiatives in the Global South, which disproportionately needs their support and where their support can have a more significant impact while still considering exceptional projects from the Global North.

Eligibility Criteria for the Iris Prize

Your project or organization is led by young people aged 14 to 24. To be eligible for an Iris Prize, most of your leadership must be young people with project autonomy and decision-making power. Please do not apply if you are not within this age category.
You support the principle of protecting and restoring nature and the rights of those working to defend it.

They welcome projects that are either fiscally sponsored or associated with larger organizations, charities, or NGOs. However, it is essential that the young person leading the project retains complete autonomy and decision-making authority.
They prioritize ensuring the safety and wellbeing of their prize participants. If you are a minor in your country, please know that they require collaboration with a local organization or NGO to serve as a fiscal sponsor. This partner organization will be responsible for managing the financial grant, holding the funds, and providing financial support to you throughout the process.

APPLICATION for the Iris Prize

For more information, visit The Iris Project.
Deadline: April 30, 2024