Deadline: December 17, 2025
Applications are now open for the Global Citizen Prize: Cisco Youth Leadership Award to recognize an individual aged 18-30 who has contributed meaningfully with technology to help end extreme poverty.
The award includes a US $250,000 prize paid to the organization to which the individual contributes. Applications are open to individuals from all over the world, except those residing in countries and entities subject to sanctions by the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) or other United States government entities that may restrict the transfer of prize money.
The award is given to an individual, but the monetary prize is allocated to their nominated organization, which must be a registered legal entity such as a non-profit, for-profit, B-corp, or social enterprise.
The application process consists of four parts: About You (Personal and Organization Information), Pitch, Description of how your work aligns with the Judging Criteria, and Supplemental Organizational Details.
All submissions will be reviewed against five judging criteria: Impact, Vision, Catalyst, Global Citizenship, and Technology Innovation. Impact measures a demonstrated track record of measurable results at scale over the last 3–5 years advancing one or more Global Goals.
Up to five finalists will be selected and will be required to submit three letters of recommendation from a colleague, a funder or operational partner, and a person impacted by their work.
These letters, or short video endorsements under two minutes, must be less than six months old and presented on an official letterhead with an original signature. Supplemental information may also be requested from finalists, and failure to provide the required documents by the deadline may result in disqualification.
Applications close on December 17th, 2025, at 5:00 PM PT, and finalists will be notified on or around February 2nd, 2026.
For more information, visit Global Citizen.