Deadline: October 17, 2022
Applications for the Westly Prize for Young Social Innovators 2022-2023 are now open. The Westly Prize for Young California Innovators honors talent, creativity, and the daring humanitarian spirit of aspiring social entrepreneurs.
Westly Foundation believes that small bets and a growth mindset lead to breakthrough innovations. Since 2012, they have awarded cash prizes to Westly Prize finalists once a year to early-stage, young social innovators in California with novel solutions to community challenges.
Innovations in any of the following categories are eligible for consideration:
- Arts
- Civic Engagement
- Education
- Energy
- Environment
- Food Production/Distribution
- Health
- Safety
- Technology/Tech for Good
- Transportation
- Youth Development
Award
- The Foundation will award up to three Grand Prizes of $40,000 each to individuals or teams of up to four members. Grand Prize winners who applied as individuals will receive $40,000; winners who applied as teams will split the $40,000 award amount among the team members.
- Honorable Mention winners will receive $5,000, to be split in the same manner.
Eligibility
- An individual founder or at least half of the founding team must be resident(s) of or live in California at the time of the application and throughout the selection process.
- Out-of-state residents enrolled in a California school are eligible. California residents attending school in a different state are also eligible.
- An individual founder must be under the age of 28 years during the calendar year in which they apply. If a team of co-founders applies, their average age must be less than 28 during the calendar year in which they apply.
- A team of co-founders may not exceed four founding members in applying.
- An innovation must be the idea of the applying individual or individuals listed as co-founders in the application.
- An individual who leads the effort to build out the innovation, but did not come up with the innovation directly, is not eligible to apply.
- Only one individual or one team may be nominated or apply for the same innovation.
- Prize awards are unrestricted and will be paid in U.S. dollars to the successful individuals (which may affect the taxes of these individuals) or as a donation to a charitable organization of the winners choosing.
- Prize awards are given in recognition of the social impact of the innovations.
Application
The deadline to submit your application is October 15, 2022 at 11:59 P.M. Pacific Standard Time (PST), unless that date falls on a weekend. If October 15 falls on a Saturday or Sunday, applications are due the following Monday at or before 11:59 P.M. (PST).
For more information, see FAQ and visit Westly Prize.
