The Prize is not a conventional award. Every finalist enters a structured 12-month development program — receiving dedicated funding, expert mentorship, and hands-on support to develop their solution. The $1 million prize pool is awarded at the WISE 13 Summit at the close of that development year, not at the point of selection.
Year One identifies and selects finalists. Year Two develops and awards them.
Three stages to identify and confirm a cohort of finalists.
The Call for Applications opens globally on May 10, 2026 and closes on June 27, 2026. Any legally registered organization working in the field of education is eligible to apply. WISE holds open webinars throughout the application window to support prospective applicants.
- Application platform: Submissions are made via the WISE Prize application portal. All submitted applications are reviewed and graded by the WISE team.
- Open webinars: Multiple information sessions scheduled throughout the window — open to all prospective applicants worldwide.
- One submission per project: Different individuals from the same organization may submit separate applications for different educational activities; only one application per project is permitted.
- Previous applicants welcome: Past applicants, semi-finalists, and winners are eligible to apply, provided the submission is original work not previously recognized by WISE.
Following the close of applications, the WISE team conducts initial eligibility screening. WISE Leadership reviews consolidated scores with advisory support from Dalberg, selecting a group of semi-finalists to advance to the Three-Month Intensive.
- Internal review: All submissions are assessed against the five selection criteria — Credentials, Innovation, Feasibility, Scalability & Sustainability, and Contextualization.
- Balance across priorities and geographies: Shortlisting considers distribution across the five challenge priority areas and the geographic spread of applicants.
- Semi-finalist notification: Selected semi-finalists are notified directly and invited to proceed. Unsuccessful applicants are also informed at this stage.
Semi-finalists enter a 13-week structured process comprising three sequential components — Due Diligence, the Innovation Sprint, and Committee Review. Finalists are selected at the close of this stage and presented to QF Senior Leadership for final approval.
- Due Diligence: Rigorous verification including stakeholder interviews, financial review, and impact verification. The WISE team assesses the operational credibility of each semi-finalist's proposal.
- Innovation Sprint: A time-limited challenge — new to the 2026–27 cycle — testing each semi-finalist's adaptability and performance under real-working conditions. Judged by an independent jury.
- Committee Review: An external panel of international education experts evaluates semi-finalists following the Sprint, applying the five selection criteria to inform finalist recommendations.
- Finalist selection & approval: Finalists are selected at the close of the intensive process and presented to QF Senior Leadership for final approval before announcement.
The Innovation Sprint is a key differentiator of the 2026–27 cycle. Unlike a pitch competition or interview, it presents semi-finalists with a defined challenge and limited time to respond — testing how they think, adapt, and perform under pressure. It surfaces qualities that documents and interviews cannot: real-time problem-solving, collaborative instinct, and creative flexibility. The Sprint is assessed by an independent jury, adding an external and impartial perspective to finalist selection.
Two stages to develop finalist solutions and award the prize pool.
Every finalist receives $100,000–$125,000 USD in development funding and 12 months of structured support to design, test, and refine their Minimum Viable Product. The development year is active and intensive — not a passive grant.
- Development funding: $100,000–$125,000 USD per finalist — development capital available to all finalists regardless of their final placing at WISE 13.
- Tailored mentorship: 1-to-1 coaching, bi-monthly check-ins, and in-person workshops to guide solution development and facilitate peer learning across the finalist cohort.
- Qatar innovation ecosystem: Connections to WISE's local innovation partners that can support the piloting and growth of finalist solutions.
- Global network: Access to WISE's 60,000+ global community of education innovators, leaders, and practitioners.
- Quarterly progress reporting: Structured check-ins and regular reporting on solution progress throughout the development year.
All finalists present their developed solutions to a global audience at the WISE 13 Summit. The WISE Prize Jury evaluates the cohort and selects the top three projects. Winners are announced and prizes awarded at the Summit.
- Public presentations: All finalists present their MVPs and development-year progress to the WISE 13 global audience.
- Jury evaluation: The WISE Prize Jury deliberates and selects the top three solutions from the finalist cohort.
- Prize awards: Winners announced and prizes from the $1,000,000 USD prize pool awarded at the WISE 13 Summit (subject to T&Cs).
| Placing | Prize Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1st Place | $500,000 USD | Awarded at WISE 13 Summit — subject to T&Cs |
| 2nd Place | $300,000 USD | Awarded at WISE 13 Summit — subject to T&Cs |
| 3rd Place | $200,000 USD | Awarded at WISE 13 Summit — subject to T&Cs |
* All finalists receive $100,000–$125,000 USD development funding during Stage 04, regardless of placing. The $1M prize pool is awarded in addition, to the top three projects only.
All applications are assessed against these five criteria, applied consistently across every stage of the process.
Applications must address the challenge of delivering significant and measurable improvements in learning and/or life outcomes, and must address at least one of these five priority areas.
The WISE Prize is open to any legally registered organization working in education. Individuals are not eligible to apply.
- Universities, colleges, and academic networks
- Schools and school networks
- Civil society and community organizations
- Government and public agencies
- International and intergovernmental agencies
- Private-sector companies
- Non-profit entities
- Pre-primary, primary, secondary, tertiary
- EdTech and digital learning
- Vocational training and higher education
- Special needs and inclusive education
- Informal learning and lifelong learning
- Early childhood development
Answers to the most common questions from prospective applicants.
| 🟢 May 10, 2026 | Call for Applications opens. Submissions open via the WISE Prize application portal. Open webinars begin for prospective applicants. |
| 🔴 June 27, 2026 | Applications close. Hard deadline — no submissions accepted after this date. |
| 🔍 Jun–Aug 2026 | Eligibility screening and shortlisting. WISE team reviews all submissions; semi-finalists selected and notified. |
| ⚡ Aug–Nov 2026 | Three-Month Intensive. Due Diligence, Innovation Sprint, and Committee Review — a 13-week process culminating in finalist selection. |
| 📢 Q4 2026 | Finalist announcement. Following QF Senior Leadership approval, finalists are announced publicly. |
| 🚀 January 2027 | MVP Development Program begins. Finalists receive development funding and begin their 12-month structured support program. |
| 🏆 Q4 2027 | WISE 13 Summit. All finalists present. Jury deliberates. Winners announced and prizes awarded from the $1M prize pool (subject to T&Cs). |
WISE Prize for Education 2026–27 · wise-qatar.org/innovation/wise-prize-for-education
*Prize pool subject to terms and conditions. $100,000–$125,000 USD development funding is provided to all finalists; the $1M prize pool is awarded to the top three projects only.