MOONSHOT AWARDS 2026 CONTEST RULES
NO PURCHASE IS NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. A PURCHASE WILL NOT INCREASE YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING. ALL FEDERAL, STATE, LOCAL, AND MUNICIPAL LAWS AND REGULATIONS APPLY. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED.
The Moonshot Awards Competition (the "Competition") is designed to encourage self-starters and changemakers around the world ("Entrant(s)”) to use their ideas to change the world. Judges will choose the winning entries, and prizes will be awarded in accordance with these Competition rules.
1. Eligibility
The Competition is open to anyone who is at least fifteen (15) years old as of July 1, 2026 (see additional applicable age restrictions relating to individual awards in Article 8 below) and no older than 30 years old as of July 1, 2026 (Eligible birthdates between June 30, 1995 and July 1, 2011). Employees and staff of Moonshot Platform Inc., Nadační fond Moonshot Platform, and other companies associated with the promotion of the Competition, and their respective parents, subsidiaries, affiliates and advertising and promotion agencies, as well as the immediate family of each such employee or staff member, are not eligible. The Competition is subject to federal, state, and local laws and regulations.
2. Organizer
The Competition is organized by Nadační fond Moonshot Platform, Školská 689/20, Nové Město, 110 00 Praha 1, Czech Republic, Identification number: 210 30 723, a foundation fund incorporated under the law of the Czech Republic and registered in the Foundation Register maintained by the Municipal Court in Prague under the File No. N 2401, which together with Moonshot Platform Inc., a U.S.-based 501(c)(3) charitable organization, located at 201 N. Union Street Suite 110, Alexandria, Virginia, 22314, jointly forms the Moonshot Platform.
3. Agreement To Competition Rules
Participation in the Competition constitutes Entrant's full and unconditional agreement to and acceptance of these Competition Rules and the decisions of the Organizer, which are final and binding. Participation by minor Entrants constitutes Entrant’s and Entrant’s Parent/Guardian full and unconditional agreement to and acceptance of these Competition Rules and the decisions of the Organizer, which are final and binding. Winning a prize is contingent upon complying with these Competition Rules and fulfilling all other requirements set forth herein.
4. Competition Period
The Competition begins no earlier than 15 April 2026 at 12:00 a.m. Eastern Time and ends on 30 September 2026 at 11:59 p.m. ET (the "Competition Period").
Submission Period: The Submission Period begins no earlier than 15 April 2026 and ends on 10 July 2026 at 11:59 pm Pacific Standard Time (the “Submission Period”). Entries that are submitted before or after the Submission Period will be disqualified. Submissions will be accepted online for the duration of the Submission Period.
Evaluation Period: The Evaluation Period begins no earlier than 1 May 2026 and ends on 30 September 2026 (the “Evaluation Period”). During the Evaluation Period, Entrants may be contacted by representatives of the Competition Organizer and may be asked to submit additional documentation and materials and to attend interviews with judges and members of the evaluation panel. These additional requests constitute requirements for remaining in consideration.
5. How To Enter
All entries must be made online through a dedicated application portal. Use of the dedicated IT infrastructure may be subject to the provider’s specific terms and conditions. Acceptance of such T&C is a prerequisite for participation in the Competition.
Enter by visiting our website www.moonshotplatform.org and following the directions provided to fill out the entry information, and submit.
Entries are not limited to one per person. Entrants may submit multiple applications provided that each entry forms a unique and distinct Application that may be considered on its own merits. Multiple applications that appear to be by the same person for the same project shall be disqualified.
Entries without a completed Application form, as well as a completed and signed Under-18 Parent / Guardian Consent form if Entrant is a minor, will be disqualified. All entries become the property of the Organizer and will not be acknowledged or returned.
There are three Main Category Awards: Idea, Startup, and Non-Profit, each targeting different stages of project development from concepts needing launch support to registered operations aiming to grow.
There are five Thematic Impact Awards: Learning Award, Borderless Award, AI for Good, Art of Humanity and Health Award, each recognizing projects within specific domains.
Further information regarding the award categories is provided in Section 8 of these Competition rules.
All applications must be submitted in one Main Category Award. Each application can also be submitted for up to two Thematic Impact Awards.
There is no purchase required to enter.
How to participate in Moonshot Young Leaders Camp 2027 (July 2027)?
Eligibility for participation in the Moonshot Young Leaders Camp 2027 is contingent upon entry into the Moonshot Awards 2026 and advancement to the final round thereof and on the availability of places within the Camp.
Advancement to the final round of the Moonshot Awards 2026 is an eligibility criteria and shall not automatically confer eligibility to attend the Moonshot Young Leaders Camp 2027. Offering placement at the Moonshot Young Leaders Camp 2027 is at the sole discretion of the Competition Organizer.
6. Entry Requirements
All entries must meet the following criteria ("Entry Requirements"):
- They must not be derogatory, offensive, threatening, defamatory, disparaging, libelous or contain any content that is inappropriate, indecent, sexual, profane, tortuous, slanderous, discriminatory in any way, or that promotes hatred or harm against any group or person, or otherwise does not comply with the theme and spirit of the Competition.
- They must not contain content, material or any element that is unlawful, or otherwise in violation of or contrary to all applicable federal, state, or local laws and regulation including the laws or regulations in any state where the entry and supporting statement are created.
- They must not contain any content, material or element that displays any third party advertising, slogan, logo, trademark, representation of characters indicating a sponsorship or endorsement by a third party, commercial entity or that is not within the spirit of the Competition, as determined by Organizer, in its sole discretion.
- They must be original, unpublished works that do not contain, incorporate or otherwise use any content, material or element that is owned by a third party or entity.
- They cannot contain any content, element, or material that violates a third party's publicity, privacy or intellectual property rights.
- The project or idea entered is not the subject of any actual or threatened litigation or claim.
- They must be made in English.
- Incomplete entries or entries not complying with these Rules are subject to disqualification. An Application is considered complete only if the Entrant has provided all requested information, including that requested during the Evaluation Period.
7. Evaluation Process
We evaluate every applicant holistically through your written answers, your video, and in the interview stage, in conversation with you. We know every project is unique and no two applicants take the same path. But across all categories, we are looking for three things in Round 1, and a deeper version of those same three things in Round 2.
In Round 1, we evaluate:
- Proximity. Are the people affected by this problem real and present to you? We are not looking for a biographical connection. We are looking for relational and epistemic proximity: you understand this problem deeply, the community you are serving is specific and named, and your motivation is authentic rather than adopted.
- Demonstrated Initiative. Have you already started? We are looking for evidence of action before recognition: steps you have taken, things you have built or tested, momentum you have created with limited resources. A compelling idea with no evidence of movement is not enough.
- Impact Potential. What changes if this solution succeeds? We assess both your capacity to inspire others and your venture’s potential to create change at scale. We also consider the cost of inaction: what does the community lose if this is not built?
In Round 2, we go deeper:
The same three dimensions evolve into a more sophisticated assessment. Proximity deepens into Leadership: can you bring others with you? Initiative deepens into Craft: have you developed real mastery, including the ability to tell the truth about your work with specificity and conviction? Impact potential deepens into Innovation, Scale, and Transfer: is your solution genuinely differentiated, can it grow, and can the model be adopted beyond your immediate context?
In the interview, we are looking for: your authenticity, your leadership presence, your openness to learning and growth, your alignment with Moonshot’s values, and whether you are the kind of person this community will be glad to have for life. The interview is not a pitch, it is a conversation. We are not trying to catch you, but understand you.
We are not only investing in your solution, we are investing in you, in who you are becoming and in the kind of leader you will be for the decades ahead.
8. Prize and Category Descriptions
Moonshot Idea Award
Moonshot ideas are catalysts of change.
Ideas have the power to set the course of the future. We aim to find and support those ideas which can change the course of history for the better. Moonshot Platform supports the sparks of innovation across fields - ranging from the natural sciences, humanities, arts, and technology.
Do you have a revolutionary idea? One that could change the world - or your community - as you know it? And make life better for people or the planet? We want to hear it - we want to help you realize it.
Main topic: A Moonshot idea advancing the fulfillment of one or more of the Sustainable Development Goals, with a working prototype, plan, or proof of concept.
Eligibility: A young person aged 15 to 30 by 1 July 2026.
Prize: $10,000 USD equity-free grant.
Exclusion: Registered organizations are excluded. No individuals over age 30.
Moonshot Start-Up Award
Start-ups are the future of business.
Small in size, but massive in impact potential, these mission-driven organizations can break molds, fix intractable problems, and innovate for a more positive future. We aim to help them change a piece of the world in a positive way, especially by reaching those who have yet to receive any formal support or funding.
Have you started a company that's ready to take on a huge challenge? Do you have a compelling business plan that's ready to take off? Are you ready to put your ideas to the test and change the future?
Main topic: Youth-led operations advancing the fulfillment of one or more of the Sustainable Development Goals, with initial market traction and a path to profitability, looking to eventually scale.
Eligibility: A young person aged 15 to 30 by 1 July 2026, leading a for-profit organization or venture that is advancing the SDGs. The young leader can be any C-level position or Founder.
Prize: $10,000 USD equity-free grant.
Exclusion: Organizations with secured external funding or investment of $250,000 USD or more.
Moonshot Non-Profit Award
Non-profits are the backbone of community action and support.
Often at the forefront of advocacy, service delivery, and emergency response at the grassroots level, non-profit organizations usually fill in the gaps left by public and private institutions, especially in support of the most vulnerable communities. We aim to provide young leaders in this space with the support and funding they need to improve, scale up their program delivery, and increase their longer-term impact.
Have you started or are you leading a non-profit to address a social, community, or environmental challenge?
Main topic: Youth-led non-profits addressing any of the Sustainable Development Goals, which have initial success, a plan for sustainable growth, and are looking to increase their impact.
Eligibility: A young person aged 15 to 30 by 1 July 2026, leading a non-profit organization that is advancing one or more of the SDGs. The young leader can be in any C-level position or a Founder.
Prize: $10,000 USD equity-free grant.
Exclusion: Organizations with secured external funding of $250,000 USD or more.
Moonshot Learning Award
Learning is fundamental.
From the COVID-19 pandemic to the advent of generative AI, the ways in which we learn have been upended over the decade. New approaches to learning are already shaping young people’s experiences, and will continue to be required to prepare young people for the future of work, democracy, and society. Adapting educational practices and systems to be future fit, while also ensuring learners across the globe have access to the resources they need to learn effectively, requires new ways to harness technology, spark creativity, and provide services. Learning happens inside and outside of traditional school settings, and we believe learning is a lifelong practice. Moonshot is committed to supporting changemakers who are shifting the way that teaching and learning happen - for individuals and society.
Main topic: Proof of concept or more advanced practices in educational methods and or access.
Eligibility: A founder or idea maker aged 15 to 30 by 1 July 2026.
Prize: $5,000 equity-free grant.
Exclusion: Organizations with secured external funding of $250,000 USD or more.
Moonshot Borderless Award
Borders can both unite and divide us.
Geopolitical challenges adversely affect the lives of billions, especially those living in conflict-affected areas, many of whom face both internal and transnational displacement.
Entire ethnic and cultural groups are forced to flee their homes seeking safety, protection, and assistance, relying on the often ill-equipped global community to provide temporary and permanent solutions. Global trends on refugees, internally displaced persons and stateless persons are exacerbated by ongoing conflicts, civil wars, and political instability.
Globally, indigenous peoples and ethnic minorities face discrimination, high poverty rates, landlessness, malnutrition, and other inequities and disparities in educational attainment, health outcomes, and economic opportunities.
Given the scale of humanitarian need, we look to support initiatives that serve marginalized minority communities and / or communities in emergency situations - applying a "by or with the people, for the people principle."
Main topic: Proof of concept or further-developed solution or intervention addressing the specific needs and challenges of refugees, IDPs, or an ethnic minority.
Eligibility: A founder or idea maker aged 15 to 30 by 1 July 2026.
Prize: $5,000 equity-free grant.
Exclusion: Organizations (including start-up ventures) with secured external funding of $250,000 USD or more.
Moonshot AI for Good
AI is here to stay. What future will it bring?
The emergence of new technology has transformed human society for millenia. But AI has already redefined human interactions and experiences and the long-term impacts of this reshaping are as yet unknown. This technology and its rapid advances bring untold opportunities to develop solutions in education, healthcare, commerce, science and more. It also brings monumental challenges and questions around intractable social issues of access, justice, equity, and more. We invite entries that harness the power of AI for good, leading the way to a more ethical and prosperous future for all.
Main topic: Proof of concept or further-developed solution using AI technology to benefit society, support community development, and / or protect the environment.
Eligibility: An innovator, engineer, scientist, or coder aged 15 to 30 by 1 July 2026.
Prize: $5,000 equity-free grant.
Exclusion: Organizations (including start-up ventures) with secured external funding of $250,000 USD or more.
Moonshot Art for Humanity
Is it art that makes us human?
Art has the power to transcend boundaries, evoke profound shared emotions, and transform lives and entire societies. Powerful art reflects and creates, challenges and validates, makes bold statements and asks necessary questions. We are in an era of both profound societal disruption and unprecedented technological proliferation. What is the role of art in protecting and empowering our humanity? Whether it’s a film that helps bridge gaps between enemies, or a performance piece that expresses inner beauty, or a sculpture depicting a modern injustice to awaken our inner conscience, we’re looking for groundbreaking artists exploring what it means to create human-centered art in an age of uncertainty and disruption. We are looking for art and artists that nurture our innermost humanity. How do we protect and nurture our hearts amidst great upheavals? How do we champion the timeless depth, joy, and soul of the human spirit amidst all of the rapid and often chaotic changes in today’s world?
Main topic: An artistic endeavor that spotlights our inner humanity and human spirit in the midst of a technological revolution and/or societal upheaval.
Eligibility: A young creator, performer, poet, playwright or author, filmmaker or visual artist in any medium aged 15 to 30 by 1 July 2026.
Prize: $5,000 equity-free grant.
Exclusion: Only original pieces and productions. The use of AI technology in the creation or generation of any piece must be explained and described in the artist's statement.
Moonshot Health Award
Health is foundational.
Healthcare innovations teach us more about ourselves everyday. Groundbreaking advances are bringing solutions to mental and physical wellbeing challenges. Yet, intersectional disparities in access to healthcare persist within every society and between nations. Emerging technologies are leveraging big data to transform medical research. Meanwhile, global health intervention and healthcare delivery systems are threatened by underfunding or a lack of political will. Patient outcomes, healthcare access, and public health are all on the line. In this award category, we invite promising solutions to transforming healthcare today - and for a healthier future for all.
Main topic: Innovations that enhance health outcomes and wellbeing for individuals and communities, including technological or other innovations that improve healthcare delivery and accessibility.
Eligibility: A founder, scientist or medical practitioner with a proof of concept, aged 15 to 30 by 1 July 2026.
Prize: $5,000 equity-free grant.
Exclusion: Organizations (including start-up ventures) with secured external funding of $250,000 USD or more.
9. Winner Notification
The Organizer will attempt to notify the potential winners via telephone or email latest by 30 September 2026 regarding the outcome of the application for the Awards. If the potential winner cannot be contacted within five (5) days after the date of the first contact attempt, the Organizer may select an alternate potential winner in the winner’s place from the remaining eligible entries.
The winners are obliged, if their placement is communicated to them in advance, to observe a non-disclosure agreement until the Award ceremony, i.e. until the actual announcement of their placement on the day of the Award Ceremony, which will be in November 2026.
If the potential winner is a minor, or is at least 18 but still considered a minor in his/her jurisdiction of residence, the Organizer reserves the right to award the prize in the name of his/her Parent/Guardian, who will be required to fulfill any other requirements imposed on the winner set forth herein. Potential winners must continue to comply with all terms and conditions of these Competition Rules, and winning is contingent upon fulfilling all requirements. In the event that a potential winner is disqualified for any reason, the Organizer reserves the right to award the applicable prize to an alternate winner from among remaining eligible entries.
10. Prize payment and Due Diligence
Following the Evaluation period in which potential winners are selected, the Organization shall undertake additional due diligence measures and may require verification or the submission of additional documents from Entrants who are potential winners. Prize payment will take place during the first quarter of 2027 (between January and 31 March 2027), and is contingent upon winners passing due diligence verifications.
11. Elimination
Any false information provided within the context of the Competition by the Entrant concerning identity, mailing address, telephone number, email address, ownership of rights, or non-compliance with these Rules or the like may result in the immediate elimination of the entrant from the Competition. If such falsification or misrepresentation is discovered after a potential winner is identified or after a winner is named, the Organization reserves the right to disqualify the Entrant and retract the status and the prize.
12. Third Party Content
The Organizer also reserves the right to request photographs, graphic or other material relating to Entrants and their entered projects for the purpose of media coverage. By providing materials, the Entrant confirms that these materials are original, that by publishing them, the promoter of the Competition / the Organizer will not incur any obligation to third parties, nor will the copyright and other rights or legitimate interests of third parties (including the right to protection of personality or reputation of third parties) be affected.
By submitting the material, the Entrant further declares that:
(a) the Entrant has unlimited rights to grant other persons the right to use the photograph to an unlimited extent and
(b) the persons depicted in the photograph have consented to the publication of the photograph in the Competition.
(c) the Entrant will take responsibility for any dispute by a Third Party with respect to the use or publication of the materials provided by the Entrant, should any arise.
13. Taxes
Any taxes associated with participation or winning in the Competition are solely the responsibility of the Entrant, or of the minor Entrant and their Parent/Guardian, or of the organization (including start-up venture) represented by the Entrant throughout the Application process.
14. General Conditions
In the event that the operation, security, or administration of the Competition is impaired in any way for any reason, including, but not limited to fraud, virus, bug, worm, unauthorized human intervention or other technical problem, or in the event the Competition is unable to run as planned for any other reason, as determined by Organizer in its sole discretion, the Organizer may, in its sole discretion, either (a) suspend the Competition to address the impairment and then resume the Competition in a manner that best conforms to the spirit of these Competition Rules or (b) terminate the Competition. The Organizer reserves the right in its sole discretion to disqualify any individual it finds to be tampering with the entry process or the operation of the Competition or to be acting in violation of these Competition Rules or in an unsportsmanlike or disruptive manner. Any attempt by any person to damage the website or undermine the legitimate operation of the Competition may be a violation of criminal and civil law, and, should such an attempt be made, the Organizer reserves the right to seek damages (including attorney's fees) and any other remedies from any such person to the fullest extent permitted by law. Failure by the Organizer to enforce any provision of these Competition Rules shall not constitute a waiver of that provision.
15. Release And Limitations Of Liability
By participating in the Competition, Entrants (and their Parent/Guardian, if Entrant is a minor) agree to release and hold harmless the Organizer, and each of their respective parents, subsidiaries, affiliates, advertising and promotion agencies, other companies associated with the Competition, and each of their respective officers, directors, employees, shareholders, representatives, and agents (the Released Parties) from and against any claim or cause of action arising out of participation in the Competition or Awards (including any travel or activity related thereto), including, but not limited to: (a) any technical errors associated with the Competition, including lost, interrupted or unavailable Internet Service Provider (ISP), network, server, wireless service provider, or other connections, availability or accessibility or miscommunications or failed computer, satellite, telephone, cellular tower or cable transmissions, lines, or technical failure or jumbled, scrambled, delayed, or misdirected transmissions or computer hardware or software malfunctions, failures or difficulties; (b) unauthorized human intervention in the Competition; (c) mechanical, network, electronic, computer, human, printing or typographical errors; (d) application downloads, (e) any other errors or problems in connection with the Competition, including, without limitation, errors that may occur in the administration of the Competition, the announcement of the winner, the cancellation or postponement of the event, the incorrect downloading of the application, the processing of entries application downloads or in any Competition-related materials; or (f) injury, death, losses or damages of any kind, to persons or property which may be caused, directly or indirectly, in whole or in part, from Entrants’ participation in the Competition or attendance at the Awards (including any travel or activity related thereto). Entrant further agrees that in any cause of action, the Released Parties liability will be limited to the cost of entering and participating in the Competition, and in no event shall the Entrant be entitled to receive attorney's fees. Released Parties are also not responsible for any incorrect or inaccurate information, whether caused by site users, tampering, hacking, or by any equipment or programming associated with or utilized in the Competition. Entrant waives the right to claim any damages whatsoever, including, but not limited to, punitive, consequential, direct, or indirect damages.
15. Disputes
Except where prohibited, each Entrant agrees that any and all disputes, claims and causes of action arising out of, or connected with, the Competition or any prize awarded shall be resolved individually, without resort to any form of class action, and exclusively by the appropriate court located in the Czech Republic. All issues and questions concerning the construction, validity, interpretation and enforceability of these Competition Rules, Entrants rights and obligations, or the rights and obligations of the Organizer in connection with the Competition, shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the Czech Republic, without giving effect to any choice of law or conflict of law rules, which would cause the application of the laws of any jurisdiction other than Czech Republic.
These rules may be unilaterally changed by the Organizer at any time. Any changes will be published on the Moonshot Platform website immediately after the change and will take effect upon publication unless otherwise specified.
16. Privacy
Information collected from Entrants is subject to the Organizer's privacy policy and to the privacy policy of the provider of the Application Platform on which Entrants must submit their applications.
