Deadline: April 30, 2024
Are you aged 14-24? Do you have an idea or an established project protecting or restoring nature in your local community? Apply now for the Iris Prize 2024. The Iris Project awards three grants each year in conjunction with a locally-delivered capacity building programme and peer-to-peer mentoring facilitated by their Advisory Panel.
They 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.
Award
The prizes are structured as such, and awarded alongside a bespoke capacity-building programme for each of their winners:
- Seed prize – $5,000 (Ages 14 – 24): Awarded to a young person or team with a groundbreaking idea to protect and/or restore nature in their local community.
- Stem Prize – $10,000 (Ages 16 – 24): Awarded to an existing project established recently and on a small scale.
- Iris Prize – $15,000 (Ages 16 – 24): Awarded to an established project with the potential to replicate and scale.
Eligibility
- Your project or organisation 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. 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 organisations, charities, or NGOs. However, it is essential that the young person leading the project retains complete autonomy and decision-making authority.
- They prioritise ensuring the safety and well-being of their prize participants. If you are under a minor in your country, be aware that they require collaboration with a local organisation or NGO to serve as a fiscal sponsor. This partner organisation will be responsible for managing the financial grant, holding the funds, and providing financial support to you throughout the process.
Application
For more information, visit Iris Prize.
