Application Deadline: October 5, 2025
LOCATION: USA
The Wege Prize is an annual competition that ignites game-changing solutions for the future by inspiring college/university students around the world to collaborate across institutional, disciplinary, and cultural boundaries to redesign the way economies work.
ELIGIBILITY:
Team Requirements:
To be eligible to join a Wege Prize team, individuals 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.
Individual Requirements:
To be eligible to participate in the Wege Prize, teams must:
Be currently enrolled in an undergraduate, graduate, or postgraduate degree 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 postgraduate 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.
Read the 2026 Design Brief: Downloadable PDF Version
BENEFIT:
Participants contend for $65,000 (USD) in total cash prizes with innovative solutions that are powered by human-centered design, underpinned by a shift to renewable energy, and built on the three core principles of the circular economy.
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