Global Challenges Grant

About this grant

MIT Solve is a social impact organization that runs open innovation challenges to find, fund, and scale solutions to the world's most pressing problems. The Global Challenges programme — including the 10th Anniversary Global Challenge — invites innovators from around the world to propose solutions addressing urgent global problems while building approaches that scale responsibly over the next decade. Over ten years, Solve has run more than 100 challenges, received over 28,200 applications from 190+ countries, forged over 1,000 partnerships, and mobilized more than $85 million in funding to 460 solutions. Solver teams are supported through funding, in-kind resources, mentorship, and connections to a global network of partners. The programme covers impact areas including Climate, Economic Prosperity, Health, Learning, Indigenous Communities, Youth Innovation, and Innovative Financing. Solve works with purpose-driven organizations, philanthropists, corporations, foundations, and investors to match Solver teams with the resources they need to grow their impact.

Eligibility

Applicants must be innovators or teams proposing technology-enabled or social solutions to global challenges. Solve accepts applications from individuals and organisations worldwide, with past applicants coming from more than 190 countries. There are no stated restrictions on organisation type, though Solve supports both for-profit and non-profit hybrid models. Applicants should be working on solutions aligned with one or more of Solve's impact areas: Climate, Economic Prosperity, Health, Learning, Indigenous Communities, Youth Innovation, or Innovative Financing. Specific eligibility requirements vary by individual challenge.

How it's scored

Applications are reviewed by Solve's network of judges, partners, and reviewers who assess solutions based on their potential for transformational impact, scalability, and alignment with the challenge's focus area. Solve uses a research-backed platform and methodology to vet and select Solver teams. Specific scoring criteria, weightings, and panel composition are not disclosed on this page and may vary by challenge.

Key requirements

• ✓Address one or more of Solve's open challenge areas (climate, health, learning, economic prosperity, etc.)
• ✓Demonstrate a viable solution or approach to an urgent global problem
• ✓Be willing to engage with Solve's network for scaling support, connections, and in-kind resources

Recent past awardees

Knowing who's won the last rounds tells you whether you're in the strike zone.

• Littoral
• Musa
• Yeti Confetti for Refugees
• NaTakallam
• Renewable Rebirth
• NABU Multilingual Reading App and Web Reader

Frequently asked questions

Who can apply for Global Challenges?

Eligibility covers organisations in GLOBAL; startup, nonprofit, social-enterprise, individual, community-group, indigenous-community, consortium. See the eligibility criteria above for the full conditions.

Relevant sectors

About this sector

Climate adaptation funding helps communities, infrastructure and businesses prepare for heat, flooding, drought and sea level rise. Most of it is public and multilateral money, often targeted at vulnerable regions and delivered with local government. Calls usually ask for a climate risk assessment and evidence that local people shaped the plan.