The Global Schools Prize

✓ The Varkey Foundation (“VF”) is launching a US$1million Global Schools Prize (“Prize”) to recognise and celebrate exceptional schools from around the world – institutions that are reimagining what’s possible in education. The Global Schools Prize will identify ten outstanding category winners, from a longlist, who will each be awarded $50,000. One extraordinary school will receive the Global Schools Prize of $500,000. The Prize money can only be used for purposes or activities that further the charitable objects of VF and will be subject to further terms and conditions of grant issued by VF. Submissions may be made from 10 September 2025 until 31 January 2026. The winners will be announced at a prize ceremony in May 2026. The selection process will be audited by MediaSense and PriceWaterhouseCoopers (or such other firm as VF selects).

✓ government-run and privately funded schools that teach students up to the age of 18, in every country in the world, subject to local laws, and that are going above and beyond to deliver quality education
✓ The Prize is open to all types of schools in every country in the world, subject to any restrictions under the laws of England and Wales on VF sending funds to the country in which the school is based. A “school” under these Terms and Conditions means an educational institution that students of compulsory school age (or between the ages of 4 - 18) are required to attend under local laws. This is not intended to include for example pre-schools or nurseries, or further or higher education institutions such as higher education colleges or universities. A school is eligible regardless of whether it is a state/local authority maintained school, or a fee-paying school (sometimes known as a private or independent school), and regardless of whether there is an admissions criteria for students, or a specialist focus such as a faith school or a special school.
✓ The Applicant must not be prohibited from participating in the Contest or receiving the Prize under the applicable law of their country.
✓ The Applicant must not under its local laws be insolvent, bankrupt, placed into receivership, administration or liquidation, have a petition presented for its winding up, have entered into any arrangement or composition for the benefit of its creditors, or be unable to pay its debts as they fall due.
✓ The Applicant, including any connected person of an Applicant as defined below, must not have conducted itself (by act or omission) in such a way as to bring the educational profession, VF, its affiliates, any GEMS Education group company, or their respective directors, officers, employees, agents, and subsidiaries (“VF Parties”) into disrepute or to have been adversely prejudicial to the interests of any of them (as may be determined at the sole discretion of VF). This includes (without limitation) a school being placed under special measures (or the equivalent under local laws), being under investigation by a regulator in its jurisdiction, or material safeguarding related investigations or incidents involving the Applicant or a connected person of an Applicant (such as a school teacher being in post despite being disqualified or barred from working with children);

(A connected person of an Applicant includes the following in relation to the Applicant:
✓ Any member of the governing body and school leadership team (including any committees), any staff member and contractor, any volunteer, and any connected group organisation of the Applicant, such as a parent or subsidiary company of the Applicant as defined under local laws).

How to enter
To enter, complete the application form and follow the instructions on our Prize Platform

Selection Criteria:
The judges will evaluate applications based on the following criteria for 10 different categories:
✓ AI Transformation: Acknowledges schools that have effectively and inclusively integrated AI into teaching and learning, improving learning outcomes and teaching students how to use the technology responsibly.

Post-selection
✓ The Prize will identify 10 category winners who will each be awarded $50,000. An overall winner will receive the Global Schools Prize and $500,000. For the avoidance of doubt, all obligations on winners apply to the overall winner and all 10 category winners.
✓ The Prize money can only be used for purposes or activities that further the charitable objects of VF (as agreed by VF) and will be subject to further terms and conditions of grant issued by VF. It is anticipated that usually the Prize monies will be ring-fenced to expenditure necessary to build the school’s capacity to deliver educational projects, such as purchasing school equipment and improving infrastructure.
✓ VF may, in relation to each winner, impose such additional conditions in respect of the Prize monies as are necessary in the reasonable opinion of VF to protect the VF Parties and/or to ensure that the Prize monies are used only for charitable activities. The Prize monies shall not be paid unless and until VF is satisfied that such payment will be used for proper expenditure in the delivery of the agreed purpose and may at the discretion of VF be paid in instalments.
✓ For the period of one (1) year from the date of the award of the Prize, or if longer for as long as Prize monies remain unspent by the winner, the winner shall (and shall use all reasonable endeavours to ensure that its connected persons shall) not conduct itself (by act or omission) nor associate itself with any person or organisation who conducts itself (by act or omission), in such a way as to bring the educational profession or any of the VF Parties into disrepute (as may be determined at the sole discretion of VF). The definition of connected persons and the examples given under section 2 of these Terms and Conditions above apply.● The winner shall not use any Prize money for the following purposes:
(i) making any payment to or for the benefit of a connected person of an Applicant (applying the definition under section 2 above);
(ii) paying for any expenditure commitments of the Applicant entered into before the award of the Prize, unless agreed in writing by VF;
(iii) any activities which do not further VF’s charitable objects for the public benefit;
(iv) any illegal activity (including without limitation bribery or corruption); or
(v) any political or quasi-political activity including, without limitation, being a member of or making a donation directly or indirectly to any political party or trade union organisation.
✓ The winner must provide satisfactory evidence to VF that it has a bank account held by and in the name of the school institution. The VF will only remit funds to a bank account in the name of the school institution, with at least two authorised signatories (and VF will require evidence to this effect before transferring the funds to the winner). The VF will not remit funds to a bank account in the name of an individual, or another institution/organisation. This is subject to any other requirements that the winner may be bound by in the country it resides in. The winner shall not without the prior written consent of VF transfer any part of the Prize monies to bank accounts which are not ordinary business accounts within the clearing bank system.
✓ The winner shall promptly repay to VF any money incorrectly paid to it either as a result of an administrative error or otherwise. This includes (without limitation) situations where either an incorrect sum of money has been paid or where Prize monies have been paid in error before all conditions attaching to the Prize monies have been complied with by the winner.
✓ The winner will provide VF with written notice of any proposed public speaking engagement, the issue of a press or public statement or the giving of an interview or other publicity event in whatever media (in person, or online or via digital or social media) (“Publicity”) that is to occur. The winner shall brief and consult with VF (and, where required by VF, its public relations adviser) on the proposed form, nature and content of the Publicity and shall make the changes to the Publicity required by VF to ensure that the Publicity is not likely to bring any VF Party into disrepute or be adversely prejudicial to the interests of any VF Party (as may be determined at the sole discretion of VF).

✓ $50,000 award for top 10 schools
✓ $500,000 Global Schools Prize for the overall winner to scale its impact.