MIT Solve Global Learning Challenge 2027
By MIT Solve
Check your eligibility
Sign up and we'll tell you whether your startup qualifies for this grant.
Quick Answer
A US$10,000 (about ₹9.5 lakh) grant for every selected team plus prizes of up to US$150,000, for tech-based solutions to the 2027 Global Learning Challenge.
- Funding amount
- Varies
- Funding type
- Competition
- Provider
- MIT Solve
- Application deadline
- 2d — 6 Nov 2026
- Location
- International
About this competition
MIT Solve runs open innovation challenges that look for tech-based solutions from anyone, anywhere in the world. The 2027 Global Learning Challenge asks: how can we close global education gaps while improving outcomes for every learner?
For 2027, Solve is particularly interested in solutions that:
- Strengthen teachers' practice with evidence-grounded tools that support teachers' judgment rather than automate it
- Work in emergency or low-resource settings, including low-bandwidth, offline or low-cost designs and tools for school or district systems
- Assistive or multilingual technology for learners with disabilities or learners using non-dominant languages
- Better assessment of what learners know and can do, including formative assessment, diagnostics or early screening
Every Solver team gets a US$10,000 (about ₹9.5 lakh) Solver Award grant funded by Solve, and Solver teams receive an average of about US$40,000 (about ₹38 lakh) each after selection from a pool of more than US$1 million in prize funding. Extra prizes are open to selected teams, including the AI for Humanity Prize (up to US$150,000, about ₹1.43 crore, for at least one team), the Crescent Enterprises AI for Social Innovation Prize (up to US$100,000 across as many as four teams), the E Ink Innovation Prize (US$75,000 across up to three teams) and the Seeding the Future Prize for climate-positive food systems (US$150,000 for one or more teams). Some prizes, such as the Citizens and Morgridge prizes, are only for teams based or working in the United States.
Selected teams join a nine-month Solver program with capacity-building workshops, leadership coaching, in-kind and pro bono resources, monitoring and evaluation support, media exposure and Solve's network. The program takes about 25 hours over nine months, plus four days at Solver Orientation in Cambridge, MA (April) and four days at Solve Challenge Finals in New York City (September).
Applications close on 6 November 2026 at 12:00 pm EST (10:30 pm IST). Finalists are told in February and pitch live online before judges pick the Solver class.
Eligibility
See if you're eligible
Full eligibility criteria — entity type, stage, sector, founder profile and registration requirements — plus your fit for this program. Sign up to view.
Organizers
Prizes & Awards
What You Get
Every Solver team gets a US$10,000 (about ₹9.5 lakh) Solver Award grant funded by Solve, and Solver teams receive an average of about US$40,000 (about ₹38 lakh) each after selection from a pool of more than US$1 million in prize funding. Extra prizes are open to selected teams, including the AI for Humanity Prize (up to US$150,000, about ₹1.43 crore, for at least one team), the Crescent Enterprises AI for Social Innovation Prize (up to US$100,000 across as many as four teams), the E Ink Innovation Prize (US$75,000 across up to three teams) and the Seeding the Future Prize for climate-positive food systems (US$150,000 for one or more teams). Some prizes, such as the Citizens and Morgridge prizes, are only for teams based or working in the United States. Selected teams also get a nine-month support program: workshops on topics like marketing, public relations, business models and measurement, leadership coaching, in-kind and pro bono resources such as software licences and legal services, events to pitch and connect, and media and speaking opportunities.
- Disbursement
- Lump Sum
- Bootstrap friendly
- Yes
Timelines & Process
Selection Process
Solve staff and community screen applications first. Expert reviewers then score them on alignment, potential for impact, feasibility, innovative approach and human-centred design, and the top solutions become semifinalists. The Challenge Leadership Group scores semifinalists; finalists are told in February and pitch live online, after which judges choose the Solver class. Scalability, partnership potential and technical feasibility are weighed from the finalist stage. If you advance in more than one Global Challenge, you pick one.
Application Process
- 1
Submit solution
Start a solution on solve.mit.edu and submit it before the deadline.
You - 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
How to apply
Four steps from draft to disbursement — one action each.
- 1
Submit on the official portal
Use the official application link and verify all details before final submission.
- 2
Follow up
Reach out 5–7 days after submitting to confirm receipt and ask about the review timeline.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who can apply?
Solve seeks tech-based solutions from anyone, anywhere in the world: individuals, teams and organisations, including for-profit and non-profit ventures.
What stage must my solution be at?
At least Prototype stage, meaning an initial working version. Concept-stage ideas are only reviewed under the Indigenous Communities Fellowship.
How much funding do Solvers get?
Every selected team gets a US$10,000 Solver Award grant from Solve. Solver teams receive an average of about US$40,000 each after selection, from a prize pool of more than US$1 million.
When is the deadline?
6 November 2026 at 12:00 pm EST (10:30 pm IST).
Do I have to travel?
Selected teams attend four days of Solver Orientation in Cambridge, MA in April and four days of Solve Challenge Finals in New York City in September.
I was a Solver before. Can I apply again?
Yes, but only with a new solution. A solution Solve already selected cannot be submitted again.
Sources
Data on this page is compiled from official program and provider references.
