Deadline: 05-Oct-2025
The Wege Prize invites student teams from across the globe to engage in a phased design process, moving from idea generation to actionable solutions.
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.
The competition focuses on solving “wicked problems” such as environmental degradation, resource scarcity, or waste mismanagement, through practical applications of the circular economy. By doing so, it encourages students to think beyond short-term fixes and design solutions that can have lasting global impact. With global recognition, mentorship, and financial support, Wege Prize empowers student innovators to design the systems and solutions needed for a sustainable future.
Focus: How can they create a circular economy? Each team must leverage its transdisciplinary makeup to collaboratively design and propose a product, service, system, or other solution to a wicked problem of their choosing that can help them transition from a linear economic model to a circular economic model.
Benefits: Broadly speaking, the challenge of Wege Prize is to build a strong and diverse team, as those with the greatest disciplinary and institutional diversity are likely to have a higher probability of success. Teams must identify a wicked problem to address, meaning a highly complex problem involving multiple stakeholder groups and resistant to simple solutions, where solving one aspect often reveals additional challenges. Participants are expected to develop a compelling circular solution, which may take the form of a product, service, business, or other innovation, driven by the three core principles of the circular economy.
Three Core Principles: Eliminate waste and pollution by treating them as design flaws to be solved rather than unavoidable outcomes. Circulate products and materials by designing them for reuse, repair, and re-manufacturing, ensuring that materials stay in circulation rather than entering landfills. Regenerate their natural systems by creating closed-loop solutions that enhance water and nutrient cycles and contribute to the renewal and recovery of entire ecosystems.
Wege Prize teams will contend for $65,000 (USD) in total cash prizes, awarded by the panel of judges. The prize distribution includes $30,000 (USD) for first place, $20,000 (USD) for second place, $10,000 (USD) for third place, and $2,500 (USD) each for two finalist awards.
Eligibility Requirements: To be eligible to participate in Wege Prize, teams must have exactly five members, represent at least three different academic disciplines in terms of each participant’s current program of study, and represent at least two different institutions of higher education, including separate schools or colleges within a larger university. Individual participants must be currently enrolled in an undergraduate, graduate, or post-graduate degree program at a recognized institution of higher education anywhere in the world, and must remain enrolled full-time (or equivalent) for the duration of the competition, through at least December 15, 2025, if graduating before May 2026.
Judging Criteria: Teams will be judged on the depth of research, including how thoroughly they have studied and analyzed the problem, researched existing solutions, consulted stakeholders and experts, and considered systemic impact. Collaboration will be assessed based on the strength and balance of the transdisciplinary team, cross-boundary teamwork, and stakeholder engagement. Innovation and implementation will focus on whether the solution accelerates a circular economy, its technological, economic, and financial feasibility, cultural sensitivity, proven need, systemic considerations, and prototyping. Presentation will be evaluated on organization, visual appeal, clarity of narrative, and the ability to provide immediate and thoughtful responses to judges’ questions. The deadline for applications is 5 October 2025.
For more information, visit Wege Prize.
