RELX Environmental Challenge 2026
RELX (UK) Limited
📌About the Event
The RELX Environmental Challenge 2026 is a global innovation competition for practical environmental solutions focused on clean water, sanitation, and ocean sustainability. In 2026, the challenge marks 15 years of impact and has expanded its prize structure to support two winning projects with US$75,000 each. It is suitable for innovators, startups, NGOs, researchers, student teams, and organizations working on scalable environmental solutions.
ℹ️ Event Details
- Theme: Environmental innovation for clean water, sanitation, and ocean health
- Mode of conduct: Online application submission
- Application platform: Through the official RELX Environmental Challenge application portal
- Categories:
- Clean Water or Sanitation: Projects improving sustainable access to safe water or sanitation
- Ocean Innovation: Projects supporting ocean health, marine ecosystems, or ocean-based environmental sustainability
- Best suited for: Early-stage, practical, scalable, and community-focused environmental solutions
- Global eligibility: Open internationally, subject to local laws and restrictions
📅 Important Dates
- Applications open: 13 March 2026, 09:00 GMT
- Application deadline: 12 July 2026, 23:59 GMT
- Shortlist announcement: In or after August 2026
- Winner announcement: In or after October 2026
🎯 Eligibility & Rules
- Eligibility:
- Open to applicants aged 21 years or above at the time of entry
- Applicants must have internet access and an email account
- Open to:
- Individuals
- Teams of individuals
- Educational institutions
- Non-profit organizations
- For-profit organizations / corporations
- RELX employees, directors, officers, immediate family members, household members, and related promotion agencies are not eligible.
- Submission rules:
- Entries must be submitted only during the official challenge period
- One entry per person or organization is allowed
- The proposal must be the participant’s original work
- Incomplete, late, duplicate, forged, or non-compliant applications may be disqualified
- Applicants should not submit confidential or proprietary information, as submissions are not treated as confidential.
- Evaluation criteria:
- Innovation: The project should set a benchmark for innovation
- Scalability: The solution should be replicable, scalable, and sustainable
- Practical applicability: The idea should solve a real-world environmental problem
- Equity: The project should support non-discrimination and fair access
- Stakeholder impact: It should benefit a wide range of people or communities
- Community engagement: Strong local or community-level involvement is preferred.
🏆 Benefits for the Participants
- Total prize pool: At least US$150,000
- Clean Water or Sanitation category winner: US$75,000
- Ocean Innovation category winner: US$75,000