PRIMA Young Innovators Award 2026

The PRIMA Young Innovators Award 2026 is a Recognition Prize27, rewarding the creativity, leadership, and determination of young innovators28 from Southern Mediterranean Countries who are shaping a more sustainable future for the region.

The Award aims to:

• Recognise young innovators who have personally led or significantly contributed to the conception and implementation of a solution aligned with PRIMA’s mission;
  Promote youth leadership, initiative and problem-solving capacity in addressing Mediterranean sustainability challenges;
• Support innovations that demonstrate clear relevance to local Mediterranean contexts and respond to real societal, environmental and economic needs;
• Encourage initiatives with measurable or credible expected impacts on environmental sustainability, livelihoods, or social inclusion;
• Foster replication, scalability and youth empowerment, including inspiring and mentoring other young innovators, with particular attention to women innovators.

The PRIMA Young Innovators Award 2026 will be awarded following a contest procedure and a transparent evaluation process, as described in the Rules of Contest (RoC) published on the PRIMA website at the time of call launch. Two equivalent recognition prizes will be awarded to the two highest-ranked eligible applications following evaluation. Each prize amounts to EUR 10,000.

The prizes:

• are not category-based;
• are not designated as first and second prizes;
• cannot be split, combined, or reallocated.

Awardees will benefit from high visibility and recognition, including media coverage, public acknowledgement and networking opportunities. The RoC will be published on the PRIMA website once the PRIMA 2026 calls are officially launched.

Applicants must fulfil all of the following conditions:

• Be natural persons aged between 18 and 35 years at the deadline for submission;
• Be nationals and residents of one of the PRIMA Participating States bordering the Mediterranean Sea (Southern Mediterranean Countries), namely Algeria*, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco*, Tunisia, or Türkiye;
• Submit an application either:
  • as an individual young innovator, or
  • as a group of young innovators through a joint application, provided that all applicants fulfil all eligibility criteria.

The Award is addressed exclusively to natural persons. Applications based on affiliation with or representation of a company, organisation, or other legal entity are not foreseen and are not eligible.

In the case of joint applications submitted by a group of persons:

• One applicant shall be designated as the lead participant for administrative and financial purposes;
• Eligibility checks shall be carried out on all applicants. If one applicant does not meet the eligibility criteria, the group shall be invited to replace that applicant; failing this, the entire application shall be rejected;
• The prize shall be awarded jointly to all eligible applicants;

The prize payment shall be made exclusively to the lead participant, in accordance with the applicable rules. Any recovery of amounts shall be subject to the applicable legal framework and, where relevant, to the agreement of PRIMA-IS. In practice, recoveries should be limited to cases of misrepresentation or fraud and will, in principle, be addressed to the lead participant. Any joint and several responsibilities of other applicants shall be assessed on a case-by-case basis and subject to agreement by the Legal Service.

The following applicants are not eligible:

• Employees of PRIMA;
• Members of PRIMA governance or advisory bodies (Board of Trustees, Steering Committee, Scientific Advisory Committee);
• Applicants who have already received an EU or Euratom prize for the same activity.

The proposed solution should have been conceived, developed, and/or implemented within one of PRIMA PS.

An independent panel of experts will evaluate all eligible applications. The award will be granted to the young innovator(s) who best demonstrate the following criteria, based on the solution they have conceived, developed and/or implemented, which serves as supporting evidence across all criteria.

1. Innovator’s Leadership and Creative Contribution

The extent to which the applicant(s):

• • Have played a leading role in the conception, development, and implementation of the proposed solution;
  • Demonstrate creativity, initiative, and problem-solving capacity in addressing Mediterranean challenges;
  • Show personal commitment, vision, and the ability to mobilise ideas, skills, or stakeholders to deliver the solution.

2. Relevance of the Innovator’s Work to Mediterranean Challenges

The extent to which the applicant(s), through their innovation:

• • Address key Mediterranean challenges related to sustainable agriculture, resilient food systems, water management, and/or the responsible use of natural resources;
  • Demonstrate a clear understanding of Mediterranean socio-environmental contexts, with the solution developed and/or implemented in at least one Mediterranean country;
  • Show an innovative approach (technological, organisational, social, business-related, or community-driven) compared to existing practices.

3. Impact Achieved or Expected through the Innovator’s Initiative

The extent to which the applicant(s) can demonstrate that their initiative has generated, or is expected to generate, tangible impacts, such as:

• • Environmental benefits (e.g. reduced water or energy use, improved resource efficiency, lower emissions);
  • Economic benefits (e.g. income generation, cost reduction, improved livelihoods, or market access);
  • Social benefits (e.g. improved nutrition, job creation, social inclusion, gender equality, improved access to resources or services).
    Applicants are encouraged to provide qualitative and/or quantitative evidence (e.g. indicators, data, or testimonials) to support their claims.

4. Potential for Growth, Replication, and Youth Empowerment

The extent to which the applicant(s):

• • Demonstrate the potential to scale up or replicate their initiative in other Mediterranean contexts;
  • Show awareness of feasibility aspects (technical, social, organisational, and/or economic);
  • Contribute to youth empowerment, including the involvement, inspiration, or mentoring of other young people, and the potential to foster youth-led innovation and leadership in the Mediterranean region.

Recognition prizes

Prize contests will be launched in Q1 2026 and remain open until Q2 2026.

Prize Amount(s): Two awards of EUR 10,000 each
Total Budget: EUR 20,000

At the time of the call launch, applicants will have access to the official RoC, which will specify:

• The admissibility and eligibility conditions
• The award criteria, in line with those set out in this Work Programme
• The submission process, including required formats, supporting documentation and deadlines
• The evaluation and award procedure and prioritisation rules (e.g. in the case of an ex aequo)

Adopted Annual Work Programme 2025

Rules of Contest (RoC) 2025

Call text Award Woman Greening Food Systems Award in the Mediterranean Region. 

Award Greening Food-Part I Administrative

Award Greening Food-Part II Technical Application

For any further information do not hesitate to contact us at: Mohamed Wageih : mohamed.wageih@prima-med.org