Call for Entries: Young Inventors Prize

Aimed at individuals 30 and under, the Prize showcases the transformative power of youth-driven solutions and recognises the remarkable young people paving the way to a more sustainable future.

Prize Information

• In each edition, they spotlight ten Tomorrow Shapers: young innovators whose work in the field of sustainability deserves recognition. During the ceremony, they will celebrate their contributions, reward three Tomorrow Shapers with three special prizes and let the public choose their favourite.
• Each of the ten Tomorrow Shapers will receive a certificate and a monetary prize of EUR 5 000. In addition, each of the three winners of the special prizes will receive an additional EUR 15 000, a trophy and a winner’s certificate. The winner of the People’s Choice will receive an additional EUR 5 000.
• A Tomorrow Shaper may only be selected by the jury members as winner of one extraordinary prize. The same Tomorrow Shaper, however, can be winner of one of the special prizes and the People’s Choice prize at the same time.

Eligibility Criteria

• The Young Inventors Prize is open to any public/published initiative, by an individual or a group of individuals worldwide with a maximum age of 30 years at the time of the Award ceremony. The initiative should clearly demonstrate how it intends to solve a problem within the UN Sustainable Development Goals framework by using a solution from any field of technology.
• Candidates may be of any nationality – this prize is not limited to individuals with EPO Member State nationality.
• Only public/published initiatives will be considered as this avoids the risk of unwillingly disclosing information that may impact future patent applications.
• Each nomination must be accompanied by supporting information. Examples of supporting documents include granted patents or utility models, published scientific papers, business plans, videos or documentaries, or web articles. Please note that not all supporting documentation carries the same weight. For example, a granted patent is a clear statement of originality and potential technological impact, whereas ideas disclosed on a blog may not necessarily be so. The jury will use the hierarchy below when assessing proposals.

For more information, visit European Patent Office.