NO PURCHASE IS NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. A PURCHASE WILL NOT INCREASE YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING. ALL FEDERAL, STATE, LOCAL, AND MUNICIPAL LAWS AND REGULATIONS APPLY. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED.
The Moonshot Awards Competition (the "Competition") is designed to encourage self-starters and changemakers around the world ("Entrant(s)”) to learn how to use their ideas to change the world. Judges will choose the winning entries, and prizes will be awarded in accordance with these Competition rules.
The Competition is open to anyone who is at least fifteen (15) years old at the time of entry (see applicable age restrictions relating to individual awards in Article 8 below). Employees of Moonshot Platform Inc. and other companies associated with the promotion of the Competition, and their respective parents, subsidiaries, affiliates and advertising and promotion agencies, as well as the immediate family of each such employee, are not eligible. The Competition is subject to federal, state, and local laws and regulations.
The Competition is organized by Nadační fond Moonshot Platform, Školská 689/20, Nové Město, 110 00 Praha 1, Czech Republic, Identification number: 210 30 723, foundation fund incorporated under the law of the Czech Republic and registered in the Foundation Register maintained by the Municipal Court in Prague under the File No. N 2401, which is a subsidiary organization of the Moonshot Platform Inc., located at 201 N. Union Street Suite 110, Alexandria, Virginia, 22314.
Participation in the Competition constitutes Entrant's full and unconditional agreement to and acceptance of these Competition Rules and the decisions of the Organizer, which are final and binding. Participation by minor Entrants constitutes Entrant’s and Entrant’s Parent/Guardian full and unconditional agreement to and acceptance of these Competition Rules and the decisions of the Organizer, which are final and binding. Winning a prize is contingent upon complying with these Competition Rules and fulfilling all other requirements set forth herein.
The Competition begins on 4 April, 2025 at 12:00 a.m. ET and ends on 31 July, 2025 11:59 p.m. ET (the "Competition Period"). Entries that are submitted before or after the Competition Period will be disqualified. Submissions will be accepted online for the duration of the Competition Period.
Online: Enter by visiting our website www.moonshotplatform.org and following the directions provided to fill out the entry information, and submit. Entries are not limited to one per person. Entries without a completed Application form, as well as a completed and signed Under-18 Parent / Guardian Consent form if Entrant is a minor, will be disqualified. All entries become the property of the Organizer and will not be acknowledged or returned. There is no purchase required to enter.
Individuals aged 18-30 who apply to the Moonshot Awards by 7 May 2025, and submit their idea or project that positively impacts society or the environment—whether non-profit or for-profit—will be eligible for consideration to participate in the Moonshot Young Leaders Camp 2025.
Moonshot Platform is dedicated to equitable access and support, offering travel, room and board, and needs-based admission grants (upon request) to cover the costs for successful applicants.
Eligibility for participation in the Moonshot Young Leaders Camp 2026 is contingent upon entry into the Moonshot Awards 2025 and advancement to the final round thereof. Advancement to the final round of the Moonshot Awards 2025 shall automatically confer eligibility to attend the Moonshot Young Leaders Camp 2026.
All entries must meet the following criteria ("Entry Requirements"):
a. They must not be derogatory, offensive, threatening, defamatory, disparaging, libelous or contain any content that is inappropriate, indecent, sexual, profane, tortuous, slanderous, discriminatory in any way, or that promotes hatred or harm against any group or person, or otherwise does not comply with the theme and spirit of the Competition.
b. They must not contain content, material or any element that is unlawful, or otherwise in violation of or contrary to all applicable federal, state, or local laws and regulation including the laws or regulations in any state where the entry and supporting statement are created.
c. They must not contain any content, material or element that displays any third party advertising, slogan, logo, trademark, representation of characters indicating a sponsorship or endorsement by a third party, commercial entity or that is not within the spirit of the Competition, as determined by Organizer, in its sole discretion.
d. They must be original, unpublished works that do not contain, incorporate or otherwise use any content, material or element that is owned by a third party or entity.
e. They cannot contain any content, element, or material that violates a third party's publicity, privacy or intellectual property rights.
f. The project or idea entered is not the subject of any actual or threatened litigation or claim.
g. Incomplete entries or entries not complying with these Rules are subject to disqualification.
What will the jury evaluate me on?
The Moonshot Awards jury looks at each application holistically through a multitude of lenses and from several angles. We recognize each project is unique and prioritizes slightly different goals and approaches, but generally we evaluate projects based on 3 key areas and 5 specific criteria under our proprietary “V.I.T.I.V.” framework:
This criterion evaluates how closely the founder or idea-maker is connected to the problem they are addressing. We consider their personal story, motivation, and direct experience with the issue or community. Generally, we are looking for young changemakers who understand and have a personal connection to the problems they seek to solve.
This criterion assesses the originality of the solution in conjunction with its accessibility. We are looking for novel approaches to big challenges. This does not just mean brand new ideas or full scale innovation, but also creative applications of existing solutions to address specific challenges in new or more accessible ways.
This criterion evaluates the potential impact of the project. For non-profits, this includes
considering the opportunity cost: what it could cost the community in the upcoming period and
the future if this solution is not developed. For startups, this involves balancing initial cost vs long-term impact to understand the potential and efficiency of the solution at scale.
At the same time, from our experience, we know the founding team is a key make-or-break factor that determines the success of a project, and thus, we look at the applicant / leader / initiator too. It isn’t just about coming up with ideas—it’s about the work required to see them through.
As such, we look for entrepreneurs, community workers, and leaders who show to us that they have what it takes to become global drivers of change whether they find success with this project or a future one. Some common key traits among the most successful applicants are:
Moonshot ideas are catalysts of change.
Ideas have the power to set the course of the future. We aim to find and support those ideas which can change the course of history for the better. Moonshot Platform supports the sparks of innovation across fields - ranging from the natural sciences, humanities, arts, and technology.
Do you have a revolutionary idea? One that could change the world - or your community - as you know it? And make life better for people or the planet? We want to hear it - we want to help you realize it.
Main topic: A Moonshot idea advancing the fulfillment of one or more of the Sustainable Development Goals, with a working prototype, plan, or proof of concept.
Eligibility: A young person aged 15 to 25 by 1 July 2025.
Prize: $10,000 USD equity-free grant.
Exclusion: Registered organizations are excluded. No individuals over age 25.
Start-ups are the future of business.
Small in size, but massive in impact potential, these mission-driven organizations can break molds, fix intractable problems, and innovate for a more positive future. We aim to help them change a piece of the world in a positive way, especially by reaching those who have yet to receive any formal support or funding.
Have you started a company that's ready to take on a huge challenge? Do you have a compelling business plan that's ready to take off? Are you ready to put your ideas to the test and change the future?
Main topic: Youth-led operations advancing the fulfillment of of one or more of the Sustainable Development Goals, with initial market traction and a path to profitability, looking to eventually scale.
Eligibility: A young person aged 18 to 30 by 1 July 2025, leading a for-profit organization or project that is advancing the SDGs. The young leader can be any C-level position or Founder.
Prize: $10,000 USD equity-free grant.
Exclusion: Organizations with secured funding or investment of $250,000 USD or more.
Non-profits are the backbone of community action and support.
Often at the forefront of advocacy, service delivery, and emergency response at the grassroots level, non-profit organizations usually fill in the gaps left by public and private institutions, especially in support of the most vulnerable communities. We aim to provide young leaders in this space with the support and funding they need to improve, scale up their program delivery, and increase their longer-term impact.
Have you started or are you leading a non-profit to address a social, community, or environmental challenge?
Main topic: Youth-led non-profits addressing any of the Sustainable Development Goals, which have initial success, a plan for sustainable growth, and are looking to increase their impact.
Eligibility: A young person aged 18 to 30 by 1 July 2025, leading a non-profit organization that is advancing one or more of the SDGs. The young leader can be in any C-level position or a Founder.
Prize: $10,000 USD equity-free grant.
Exclusion: Organizations with secured external funding of $250,000 USD or more.
Learning is fundamental.
From the COVID-19 pandemic to the advent of generative AI, the ways in which we learn have been upended over the last half decade, and new approaches to learning will be required to prepare young people for the future of work, democracy, and society. Adapting educational practices and systems to be future fit, while also ensuring learners across the globe have access to the resources they need to learn effectively, requires new ways to harness technology, spark creativity, and provide services. Learning happens inside and outside of traditional school settings, and we believe learning is a lifelong practice. Moonshot is committed to supporting changemakers who are shifting the way that teaching and learning happen - for individuals and society.
Main topic: Proof of concept or more advanced practices in educational methods and or access.
Eligibility: A founder or idea maker aged 18 to 30 by 1 July 2025.
Prize: $5,000 equity-free grant.
Exclusion: Organizations with secured external funding of $250,000 USD or more.
Borders can both unite and divide us.
Geopolitical challenges adversely affect the lives of billions, especially thsoe living in conflict-affected areas, many of whom face both internal and transnational displacement.
Entire ethnic and cultural groups are forced to flee their homes seeking safety, protection, and assistance, relying on the often ill-equipped global community to provide temporary and permanent solutions. Global trends on refugees, internally displaced persons and stateless persons are exacerbated by ongoing conflicts, civil wars, and political instability.
Globally, indigenous peoples and ethnic minorities face discrimination, high poverty rates, landlessness, malnutrition, and other inequities and disparties in educational attainment, health outcomes, and economic opportunities.
Given the scale of humanitarian need, we look to support iniaitives that serve marginalized minority communities and / or communities in emergency situations - applying a "by or with the people, for the people principle."
Main topic: Proof of concept solution (or further) or intervention addressing the specific needs and challenges of refugees, IDPs, or an ethnic minority.
Eligibility: A founder or idea maker aged 18 to 30 by 1 July 2025.
Prize: $5,000 equity-free grant.
Exclusion: Organizations with secured external funding of $250,000 USD or more.
AI is here to stay. What future will it bring?
The emergence of new technology has transformed human society for millenia. But AI is redefining human interactions and experiences in the space of less than a generation. This technology and its rapid advances bring untold numbers of opportunities to develop solutions in education, healthcare, commerce, science and more. It also brings monumental challenges and questions around intractable social issues of access, justice, equity, and more. We invite changemakers to share their innovations which are harnessing the power of AI for good, leading the way to a more ethical and prosperous future for all.
Main topic: Proof of concept (or further) development in the use of AI technology to benefit society, support community development, or protect the environment.
Eligibility: An innovator, engineer, scientist, or coder aged 18 to 30 by 1 July 2025.
Prize: $5,000 equity-free grant.
Exclusion: Organizations with secured external funding of $250,000 USD or more.
Is it art that makes us human?
Art has the power to transcend boundaries, evoke profound shared emotions, and transform lives and entire societies. Powerful art reflects and creates, challenges and validates, makes bold statements and asks necessary questions. We are now entering a new era of societal disruption and unprecedented technological proliferation. In this time, what is the role of art in protecting and empowering our humanity? Whether it’s a film that helps bridge gaps between enemies, or a performance art piece that expresses our inner beauty, or a sculpture depicting a modern injustice to awaken our inner conscience, we’re looking for groundbreaking artists exploring what it means to create human-centered art in an age of disruption. We are looking for art and artists that nurture our innermost humanity. How do we protect and nurture our hearts amidst great upheavals? How do we champion the timeless depth, joy, and soul of the human spirit amidst all of the rapid and often chaotic changes in today’s world?
Main topic: An artistic endeavor that spotlights our inner humanity and human spirit in the midst of a technological revolution and/or societal upheaval.
Eligibility: A young creator, performer, poet, playwright or author, filmmaker or visual artist in any medium aged 15 to 30 by 1 July 2025.
Prize: $5,000 equity-free grant.
Exclusion: Only original pieces and productions. The use of AI technology in the creation or generation of any piece should be explained and described in the artist's statement.
Health is foundational.
Healthcare innovations teach us more about ourselves everyday. Groundbreaking advances are bringing solutions to mental and physical wellbeing challenges. And yet, intersectional disparities in access to healthcare persist in every society and between countries. As emerging technologies are leveraging bog data to transform medical research, and global health intervention and healthcare delivery systems are being threatened or dismantled, patient outcomes, healthcare access, and public health are all on the line. In this award category, we hope to discover vital solutions to transforming healthcare today - and for a healthier future for all.
Main topic: Innovations that enhance health outcomes and wellbeing for individuals and communities, including innovations that improve healthcare delivery and accessibility.
Eligibility: A founder, scientist or medical practitioner with a proof of concept, aged 18 to 30 by 1 July 2025.
Prize: $5,000 equity-free grant.
Exclusion: Organizations with secured external funding of $250,000 USD or more.
The Organizer will attempt to notify the potential winners via telephone or email latest on 31 May 2025 for those who have been selected to attend the Moonshot Young Leaders Camp 2025 and by 31 August 2025 regarding the outcome of the application for the Awards. If the potential winner cannot be contacted within five (5) days after the date of the first contact attempt, the Organizer may select an alternate potential winner in the winner’s place from the remaining eligible entries.
The winners are obliged, if their placement is communicated to them in advance, to observe a non-disclosure agreement until the Award ceremony, i.e. until the actual announcement of their placement on the day of the Award Ceremony.
If the potential winner is a minor, or is at least 18 but still considered a minor in his/her jurisdiction of residence, the Organizer reserves the right to award the prize in the name of his/her Parent/Guardian, who will be required to fulfill any other requirements imposed on the winner set forth herein. Potential winners must continue to comply with all terms and conditions of these Competition Rules, and winning is contingent upon fulfilling all requirements. In the event that a potential winner is disqualified for any reason, the Organizer reserves the right to award the applicable prize to an alternate winner from among remaining eligible entries.
Any false information provided within the context of the Competition by the Entrant concerning identity, mailing address, telephone number, email address, ownership of rights, or non-compliance with these Rules or the like may result in the immediate elimination of the entrant from the Competition.
The Organizer also reserves the right to request photographs, graphic or other material relating to Entrants and their entered projects for the purpose of media coverage. By providing materials, the Entrant confirms that these materials are original, that by publishing them, the promoter of the Competition / the Organizer will not incur any obligation to third parties, nor will the copyright and other rights or legitimate interests of third parties (including the right to protection of personality or reputation of third parties) be affected.
By submitting the material, the Entrant further declares that:
(a) the Entrant has unlimited rights to grant other persons the right to use the photograph to an unlimited extent and
(b) the persons depicted in the photograph have consented to the publication of the photograph in the Competition.
Any taxes associated with participation or winning in the Competition are solely the responsibility of the Entrant, or of the minor Entrant and their Parent/Guardian.
In the event that the operation, security, or administration of the Competition is impaired in any way for any reason, including, but not limited to fraud, virus, bug, worm, unauthorized human intervention or other technical problem, or in the event the Competition is unable to run as planned for any other reason, as determined by Organizer in its sole discretion, the Organizer may, in its sole discretion, either (a) suspend the Competition to address the impairment and then resume the Competition in a manner that best conforms to the spirit of these Competition Rules or (b) terminate the Competition. The Organizer reserves the right in its sole discretion to disqualify any individual it finds to be tampering with the entry process or the operation of the Competition or to be acting in violation of these Competition Rules or in an unsportsmanlike or disruptive manner. Any attempt by any person to damage the website or undermine the legitimate operation of the Competition may be a violation of criminal and civil law, and, should such an attempt be made, the Organizer reserves the right to seek damages (including attorney's fees) and any other remedies from any such person to the fullest extent permitted by law. Failure by the Organizer to enforce any provision of these Competition Rules shall not constitute a waiver of that provision.
By participating in the Competition, Entrants (and their Parent/Guardian, if Entrant is a minor) agree to release and hold harmless the Organizer, and each of their respective parents, subsidiaries, affiliates, advertising and promotion agencies, other companies associated with the Competition, and each of their respective officers, directors, employees, shareholders, representatives, and agents (the Released Parties) from and against any claim or cause of action arising out of participation in the Competition or Awards (including any travel or activity related thereto), including, but not limited to: (a) any technical errors associated with the Competition, including lost, interrupted or unavailable Internet Service Provider (ISP), network, server, wireless service provider, or other connections, availability or accessibility or miscommunications or failed computer, satellite, telephone, cellular tower or cable transmissions, lines, or technical failure or jumbled, scrambled, delayed, or misdirected transmissions or computer hardware or software malfunctions, failures or difficulties; (b) unauthorized human intervention in the Competition; (c) mechanical, network, electronic, computer, human, printing or typographical errors; (d) application downloads, (e) any other errors or problems in connection with the Competition, including, without limitation, errors that may occur in the administration of the Competition, the announcement of the winner, the cancellation or postponement of the event, the incorrect downloading of the application, the processing of entries application downloads or in any Competition-related materials; or (f) injury, death, losses or damages of any kind, to persons or property which may be caused, directly or indirectly, in whole or in part, from Entrants’ participation in the Competition or attendance at the Awards (including any travel or activity related thereto). Entrant further agrees that in any cause of action, the Released Parties liability will be limited to the cost of entering and participating in the Competition, and in no event shall the Entrant be entitled to receive attorney's fees. Released Parties are also not responsible for any incorrect or inaccurate information, whether caused by site users, tampering, hacking, or by any equipment or programming associated with or utilized in the Competition. Entrant waives the right to claim any damages whatsoever, including, but not limited to, punitive, consequential, direct, or indirect damages.
Except where prohibited, each Entrant agrees that any and all disputes, claims and causes of action arising out of, or connected with, the Competition or any prize awarded shall be resolved individually, without resort to any form of class action, and exclusively by the appropriate court located in the Czech Republic. All issues and questions concerning the construction, validity, interpretation and enforceability of these Competition Rules, Entrants rights and obligations, or the rights and obligations of the Organizer in connection with the Competition, shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the Czech Republic, without giving effect to any choice of law or conflict of law rules, which would cause the application of the laws of any jurisdiction other than Czech Republic.
These rules may be unilaterally changed by the Organizer at any time. Any changes will be published on the Moonshot Platform website immediately after the change and will take effect upon publication unless otherwise specified.
Information collected from Entrants is subject to the Organizer's privacy policy.
