Ocean Exchange Collegiate Awards
Enriched accelerator · Found: 2026-03-10 22:06
Ocean Exchange Collegiate Awards recognize student innovations in ocean sustainability, blue technology, and marine conservation solutions.
Source: https://www.oceanexchange.org/collegiateawards/
Funding Details
- Funder
- Ocean Exchange
- Funding Goal
- To recognise and support student innovators developing solutions for ocean sustainability, blue technology, and marine conservation. Collegiate Awards provide non-dilutive prize money to undergraduate and graduate student-led companies working on breakthrough technologies for ocean health and the Blue Economy.
- Funding Amount
- USD 10,000 per Collegiate Award winner; two awards given annually; Guy Harvey Collegiate Award also available (amount unspecified) (10.000 € – 10.000 €)
- Deadline
- 2026-09-01 (Fixed)
- How to Apply
- Collegiate Awards Call for Solutions opens June 12, 2026. Deadline is late September 2026 (exact date TBC). Finalists present in person at Ocean Exchange event, October 25-27, 2026 in Fort Lauderdale, FL. Apply via regional portals at f6s.com.
- Target Region
- Global
- Contact
- Contact form at https://www.oceanexchange.org/contact/
- Last Checked
- 2026-05-07 05:39
Application Checklist
Eligibility
Project Scope
Constraints
Summary
The Ocean Exchange Collegiate Awards programme is a student-focused innovation prize running in parallel with the Ocean Exchange's main annual awards competition. It targets early-stage companies led by undergraduate or graduate student innovators working on ocean sustainability and Blue Economy solutions. Thematic scope mirrors the main Ocean Exchange criteria: alternative materials, CO2 reduction and sequestration, data and robotics, digitalization, energy, fisheries and marine habitat, vessel and port operations, and water treatment. Winning solutions in 2025 included packaging (Ignition Packaging) and marine technology (OctaPulse, Iluminar el Mar focused on marine life monitoring), indicating broad technology scope. Eligible activities are focused on technology innovation and solution development by student-led companies. The programme is competition-based: applicants register, submit their solution, and finalists present in person at the annual Ocean Exchange event. The prize is non-dilutive cash. Geographic scope is global. Applicants may come from any country but must register through regional portals. An entity and employee within the declared region may be required. Eligible applicants are student-led companies at an early stage of development, led by undergraduate or graduate students. This is not open to established organisations or non-profits without a student-led commercial entity dimension. Award amounts are USD 10,000 per Collegiate Award winner, with two awards given annually plus a separately sponsored Guy Harvey Collegiate Award. Event takes place in October in Fort Lauderdale, FL. Applications open June 12 with late-September deadline.
Historical Context
Ocean Exchange has been running Collegiate Awards alongside its main Neptune Awards since at least 2022. In 2025, Collegiate Award winners included Iluminar el Mar (Guy Harvey Award), Ignition Packaging, and OctaPulse. The award complements the main Neptune Awards cycle with a student-specific track. Two Ocean Exchange Collegiate Awards and one Guy Harvey Collegiate Award given in 2025.
Sources
- https://www.oceanexchange.org/collegiateawards/
- https://www.oceanexchange.org/awards/
- https://www.oceanexchange.org/register/
Similar Programs
| Program | Source | Shared Tags |
|---|---|---|
| Ocean Exchange Awards | accelerator | 5 |
| [PDF] INITIATIVES & PROJECTS - Fondation Prince Albert II de Monaco | family-office | 5 |
| The Earthshot Prize | International | 4 |
| Whitley Fund for Nature (Whitley Awards) | International | 4 |
| Schmidt Ocean Institute - Research Vessel & Grant Program | International | 4 |