Explore our challenge prizes
Want to help solve some of society’s biggest problems? You’re in the right place
This could be your opportunity to help solve some of the world’s biggest problems.
Challenge Works supports smart ideas and ingenious solutions, wherever they come from. We believe inventors can come from any background or sector, so we work to break down barriers, support long-term success and nurture innovation talent every step of the way.
We have worked with thousands of innovator teams and dozens of funders to find solutions to problems, draw attention to societal issues, and bring about real change.
Read on to find out more about our current and past portfolio of challenge prizes.
Varanasi City Challenge
We are looking for innovators to create innovative, data-driven solutions that make crowded areas of Varanasi’s old city of Kashi safer and more accessible for all.
Aqualunar Challenge
The Aqualunar Challenge will reward UK-led water purification innovations that will benefit both Earth and Space. We need your help to pioneer technology and innovation that will purify water on the moon.
Manchester Prize Round 1
The first Manchester Prize was awarded to Polaron, an artificial intelligence technology that dramatically accelerates the development of new advanced materials from decades to just a day.
Longitude Prize on ALS
The Longitude Prize on ALS will open up data and utilise AI to identify and validate targets for transformative drug discovery.
Smart Data Discovery Challenge
The Smart Data Discovery Challenge called on individuals, innovators, entrepreneurs, academia and civil society to join us in identifying innovative ways in which Smart Data could make a difference for consumers, small businesses and wider society.
Water Discovery Challenge
The Water Discovery Challenge (‘Discovery’) was a £4 million competition for bold and ingenious innovation that can help solve the biggest challenges facing the water sector today and in the future.
Water Breakthrough Challenge 4
The fourth round of the Water Breakthrough Challenge ‘Breakthrough 4’ was part of the Ofwat Innovation Fund, a pioneering programme unleashing waves of innovation in the water sector.
Afri-Plastics Challenge
Helping communities through Sub-Saharan Africa to reduce marine plastics by developing and scaling innovative solutions to plastic mismanagement.
The Sustainable Cities Challenge
The Sustainable Cities Challenge aims to harness the power, creativity and energy of innovation to improve access to safe, equitable and sustainable mobility solutions for all. Through two stages, the global Sustainable Cities Challenge will award $9 million to improve mobility solutions in cities around the world.
Flying High Urban Drones Prize
Water Breakthrough Challenge 3
The fourth round of the Water Breakthrough Challenge ‘Breakthrough 3’ was part of the Ofwat Innovation Fund, a pioneering programme unleashing waves of innovation in the water sector.
Mombasa Plastics Prize
The Mombasa Plastics Prize encouraged young innovators in Mombasa County to develop solutions that tackle the problem of marine plastic waste mismanagement within informal settlements.
Challenge prizes
Discover how challenge prizes work, why they attract the right innovators and how they can help solve urgent problems where solutions are lacking.