Each year, since 2011, the RELX Environmental Challenge has awarded projects that best demonstrate how they can provide sustainable access to safe water or sanitation. Awarding a $50,000 prize for the first place entry and a $25,000 prize for the second place entry, winners also receive free access for one year to ScienceDirect, our Scientific, Technical & Medical business’ database of full text, scientific information, including almost 250,000 articles since 2000 in Environmental Sciences.
The RELX Environmental Challenge is open to individuals and organisations operating in both the not-for-profit and for-profit sectors.
Clean Water or Sanitation Category
Projects must advance sustainable access to safe water where it is at risk and/or improve access to sanitation.
Ocean Category
Projects must support ocean health, marine ecosystems, or ocean-based solutions that contribute to environmental sustainability and resilience.
All submissions will be evaluated against the following criteria:
- Be replicable, scalable, and sustainable
- Set a benchmark for innovation
- Demonstrate practical applicability
- Address non-discrimination and equity of access
- Involve and positively impact a range of stakeholders
- Show strong local or community-level engagement
Awards:-
In 2026, as we celebrate 15 years of impact, the Challenge introduces an expanded prize structure. There will now be two awards of $75,000 each:
- One prize for Clean Water or Sanitation
- One prize for Ocean-related innovation
Deadline:- 12-07-2026
