ThePrize
Our annual award, The Iris Prize, highlights the vision and innovation of young leaders who are building a sustainable future, often in the face of extraordinary obstacles. We don’t just fund ideas – we provide the tools, resources, and networks young environmentalists need to scale their impact and inspire change within their communities. Focused primarily in the Global South, we support projects that demonstrate how local action can drive global change.
Award categories.
We recognise that nature restoration takes a variety of forms – from traditional land stewardship to innovative technological solutions. As such, The Iris Prize rewards new ideas and established projects, hoping to overcome the circumstantial barriers that too often prevent young people from being able to advocate for nature-related change.
The Iris Prize
$15,000
Awarded to an established project with the potential to replicate and scale.
The Stem Prize
$10,000
Awarded to an existing project established recently and on a small scale.
The Seed Prize
$5,000
Awarded to a young person or team with a groundbreaking idea to protect and/or restore nature in their local community.
How to apply.
Applications open March 4th, 2026
![earthday.org-01[1]](https://theirisproject.org/wp-content/uploads/earthday.org-011-320x160.png)
Our Collaborators
Each year, our team and Advisory Panel create a shortlist of applicants for each prize, which is then reviewed by our Judging Panel who select the winners. You can find out more information about them below.
Desmond AlugnoaCo-Founder of the Green Africa Youth Organization (GAYO)
Dayana BlancoUru Uru Team Member
Yen ParicoCo-founder Eco-Jipe Programme
Francisco Lara FletesPolitical Scientist and past Iris Project Advisor
Kate RothschildIris' Mother, Environmental Philanthropist & Music Industry Executive
Marina MelanidisFounder Youth4Nature
Sam BencheghibCo-Founder of Sungai Watch
Stanley AnigboguFounder of LightEd
FAQs
Got questions about the Prize or how to apply? Here are the answers to some of our frequently asked questions.
Can I print-out the application form and fill it in offline?
Yes, you can. A PDF version of the form can be downloaded in English, Spanish, French, Portuguese, and Arabic.
Do you only support projects that already exist?
We will consider any project for the Iris Prize which supports our core principles; namely championing the protection and restoration of nature, and rights of those working to defend it. We recognise that nature restoration takes a variety of forms – from traditional land stewardship, to innovative technological solutions. As such, the Iris Prize will look to reward new ideas and established projects, hoping to overcome the circumstantial barriers that too often prevent young people from being able to advocate for nature-related change.
How can I apply?
Provided you fulfil our awards criteria, you are eligible to apply for an Iris Prize. You can either fill out an application yourself or ask a nominating partner to support you to do so. Go to our website’s ‘How to Apply’ section to learn more.
Why young people?
Young people are at the centre of a global movement calling for urgent action to address the climate and ecological emergency. While this movement has brought hope to many, we recognise that young people must be more effectively compensated for their efforts, with less than 1% of institutional climate funding being directed towards youth-led projects. They are being given all the responsibility for “saving the world” but reap none of the rewards. The Iris Project hopes to address this through the provision of grant funding and mentorship that can harness young people’s potential whilst rewarding them financially for their work.
Why nature?
We believe that the protection and restoration of nature should form a central part of any strategy seeking to mitigate the impacts of climate change. Whilst this should not be treated as an alternative solution to the rapid and urgent decarbonisation of the global economy, we recognise the multitude of benefits that locally-led nature restoration can bring, especially when approaches are grounded in justice, equity and inclusion.
What do you mean by 'Capacity-Building'?
Building someone’s ability to deliver on the objectives of their project. All prize winners will receive individualised capacity-building support, helping them maximise their project impact; this could take the form of anything from media training to financial support for our prize winners’ families to enable them to spend more time on their projects. All winners and runners-up are invited to join the youth-led CoalitionWILD 6-month Leadership Development accelerator programme.
How do you manage risk?
We are wholly committed to championing the protection and restoration of nature and the rights of those working to defend it. We understand that this commitment does not come without risk, and we want to ensure that the rights and lives of our prize winners and their families are more important than their project. We are a responsive assistance partner of Open Briefing which means anyone in The Iris Project ecosystem can access fully-funded holistic security, mentoring and/or psychological well-being support at any time of the year. We want to ensure that – should it come to it – our support can rapidly be delivered whenever they might need it. If anyone in The Iris Project ecosystem feels they may be at risk they can email prize@theirisproject.org.
Do applications have to be in English?
We do not want language to become a barrier to prize funding. As such we accept applications in any language and have translated the application form into Spanish, French, Arabic and Portuguese. We also accept both audio and written submissions.
How are you reviewing applications?
Our thorough selection process involves meticulous reviews of applications against our eligibility and scoring criteria. The Advisory Panel and The Iris Project team collaborate in small groups to ensure a comprehensive and unbiased assessment for each prize category. They nominate five to seven outstanding projects, creating a shortlist of twenty initiatives for evaluation by our expert Judging Panel. After the Judging Panel’s verdict, the Advisory Panel and The Iris Project collaborate for final decisions, prioritising thematic and geographical diversity among award-winning projects. Shortlisted candidates must provide two references for added validation to enhance transparency and credibility.
