MIT Solve 10th Anniversary Global Challenge for Emerging Leaders Worldwide (Up to $100,000 Unrestricted Prize Funding)

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Applications are open for MIT Solve 10th Anniversary Global Challenge. For the 10th Anniversary Global Challenge, MIT Solve is seeking 10 exceptional solutions built for the next decade: solving urgent problems and proving credible pathways to scale, whether through markets, policy, procurement, or platforms.

MIT Solve is interested in innovations that put people first, and pair technological ingenuity with trust and sustainable economics.

MIT Solve Global Challenge Focus Areas

Across health, climate, learning, and economic prosperity, solutions must respond to rapidly changing realities and operate at the speed of need. MIT Solve is particularly seeking innovations that advance:

A zero-carbon, equitable world and practical adaptation for communities already living with climate impacts
Economic opportunity, security and mobility through jobs and livelihoods, financial inclusion, and small business growth
Better health outcomes and stronger systems-care delivery, workforce, supply chains, prevention, and resilience
Learning for all—delivering measurable learning gains in a modern world, particularly for those with different learning needs
Indigenous communities in strengthening sovereignty and meeting their social, environmental, and economic goals

Benefits

The ten winners get a big stage and serious support. They’ll be featured at the Solve Challenge Finals in New York City during UN General Assembly and NY Climate Week in September 2026, with travel costs covered. There, they’ll pitch their work directly to a room of Solve’s global community, including investors and funders — and each winner will receive at least $100,000 in unrestricted prize funding, meaning they can use it however they need.
But the funding is just the start. Winners will gain access to MIT’s innovation ecosystem, including specialized mentorship, pro-bono legal support, discounted access to technology, and connections to the network of past Solver teams. Solve supports our portfolio for the long-term, with more funding opportunities, skills training, media exposure, and speaking engagements on an ongoing basis.

MIT Solve Global Challenge Prizes

The AI for Humanity Prize
- The AI for Humanity Prize is open to solutions leveraging data science, artificial intelligence, and/or machine learning to benefit humanity. The prize is made possible by The Patrick J. McGovern Foundation, a philanthropy committed to advancing AI and data solutions to create a thriving, equitable, and sustainable future for all. Up to $150,000 will be awarded to one Solver team from the 2026 10th Anniversary Global Challenge.
The E Ink Innovation Prize
- The E Ink Innovation Prize is open to solutions that address problems of global importance in any of Solve’s areas of impact, with particular interest in sustainability, education, or intercultural understanding. The prize is funded by E Ink, a corporation that advances healthy solutions and a sustainable future using ultra-low power, daylight readable displays. $100,000 will be awarded to one Solver team selected for the 2026 10th Anniversary Global Challenge, or from Solve’s existing portfolio of alumni teams. E Ink may also opt to provide materials and technical support to its prize recipients if they plan to use ePaper materials.
The Citizens Workforce Innovation Prize
- The Citizens Workforce Innovation Prize seeks to accelerate the development of solutions that will prepare people for today’s opportunities and the workplace of future, advance new ways of working, and drive economic impact within communities. Funded by Citizens, the prize furthers the company’s commitment to helping communities meet today’s demands while positioning themselves well for the future. A $100,000 prize will be awarded to at least one US-based Solver team selected for the 10th Anniversary Global Challenge, or from Solve’s existing portfolio of alumni teams.
The Collegium Prize for Innovation
- The Collegium Prize for Innovation is open to scale-ready solutions using innovative technology to improve mental health and/or transform mental health care and services for communities around the world. The prize is made possible by Collegium, a Boston-area pharmaceutical company passionate about improving the health and well-being of the communities where they live and work, and making an impact beyond their portfolio of medicines. One selected Solver team from the incoming 2026 class or from Solve’s alumni portfolio will be awarded $100,000. Collegium is the proud MIT Solve Global Health Anchor Supporter.
The Seeding the Future Prize for Climate-Positive and Equitable Food Systems
- The Climate-Positive and Equitable Food Systems Prize, sponsored by the Seeding the Future Van Lengerich Foundation, recognizes high-impact innovations that advance equitable, resilient, and climate-positive food systems worldwide. The Seeding the Future Foundation is a nonprofit organization that seeds and supports scalable, high-impact initiatives that advance sustainable food systems and equitable access to safe, nutritious, and trusted food globally. A prize of $100,000 will be awarded to one Solver team selected for MIT Solve’s 10th Anniversary Global Challenge.