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The Environmental Innovation Challenge is an exciting extracurricular competition that gives students the opportunity to come up with meaningful solutions to big problems the world faces today related to the environment. The competition is open to undergrads and grad students at accredited colleges and universities across the Cascadia Corridor – Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and British Columbia, as well as Alaska.
Top Teams participate in the Environmental Innovation Challenge Final Round on April 2, 2026, where they will pitch their ideas, demo their prototypes, and respond to judge questions.
For more information visit the website at eic.washington.edu.
Top Teams participate in the Environmental Innovation Challenge Final Round on April 2, 2026, where they will pitch their ideas, demo their prototypes, and respond to judge questions.
For more information visit the website at eic.washington.edu.
Why Should Students Participate?
What does it take to bring a new idea to the world? You will find out.
Prototype funding is available for demonstration models.
Receive feedback from top-level professionals from the community.
Work with an interdisciplinary team.
Prepare yourself for an impact career.
Win prizes up to $15,000 or more.
Special prizes this year include the Climate Action Prize and the Leo Maddox Innovation in Oceanography Prize.
Prototype funding is available for demonstration models.
Receive feedback from top-level professionals from the community.
Work with an interdisciplinary team.
Prepare yourself for an impact career.
Win prizes up to $15,000 or more.
Special prizes this year include the Climate Action Prize and the Leo Maddox Innovation in Oceanography Prize.
What is needed to enter the Environmental Innovation Challenge?
OPTIONAL
Prototype Funding Application (Please go here and look under "Prototype Funding" for more information).
Info Sessions (Virtual and In-Person options)
(Please go here and look under "Dates & Deadlines" for dates and to register).
ALL ENTRANTS
1. Register your team and teammates.
Current student teammates' contact information will be used to invite Team Members to complete their Profiles for the application. PLEASE NOTE: TEAM MEMBER PROFILES MUST BE COMPLETED BEFORE THE APPLICATION CAN BE SUBMITTED! We recommend notifying your team members of this requirement and encouraging them to submit their profile well before the deadline.
2. 5-7 page Business Summary (ENTRY DEADLINE Monday, Feb 9, 2026 @ noon)
NOTE: the 5-7 page business summary has 7 sections. View the submission checklist for all sections.
TOP TEAMS SELECTED FOR FINAL ROUND
Resource Night for Finalist Teams | Thursday, February 26, 2026 (attendance is mandatory)
Pitch Workshop for Finalist Teams | Thursday, March 12, 2026 (attendance is mandatory)
1-page business summary (due Sunday, March 30, 2026)
Pitch and present demo/prototype at the EIC Final Round | Thursday, April 2, 2026
Eligibility Questions? Contact Lauren Brohawn at brohal@uw.edu
Prototype Funding Application (Please go here and look under "Prototype Funding" for more information).
Info Sessions (Virtual and In-Person options)
(Please go here and look under "Dates & Deadlines" for dates and to register).
ALL ENTRANTS
1. Register your team and teammates.
Current student teammates' contact information will be used to invite Team Members to complete their Profiles for the application. PLEASE NOTE: TEAM MEMBER PROFILES MUST BE COMPLETED BEFORE THE APPLICATION CAN BE SUBMITTED! We recommend notifying your team members of this requirement and encouraging them to submit their profile well before the deadline.
2. 5-7 page Business Summary (ENTRY DEADLINE Monday, Feb 9, 2026 @ noon)
NOTE: the 5-7 page business summary has 7 sections. View the submission checklist for all sections.
TOP TEAMS SELECTED FOR FINAL ROUND
Resource Night for Finalist Teams | Thursday, February 26, 2026 (attendance is mandatory)
Pitch Workshop for Finalist Teams | Thursday, March 12, 2026 (attendance is mandatory)
1-page business summary (due Sunday, March 30, 2026)
Pitch and present demo/prototype at the EIC Final Round | Thursday, April 2, 2026
Eligibility Questions? Contact Lauren Brohawn at brohal@uw.edu
Confidentiality
Your submission into the competition is distributed to a large group of community professionals who act as judges.
We strongly encourage any team with concerns regarding intellectual property such as patent or copyright potential to either contact their University’s intellectual property office (for University-developed discoveries) or competent legal counsel (for non-University related discoveries) before submitting their proposal into the competition.
The University of Washington, the Buerk Center for Entrepreneurship, the Foster School of Business, and the organizers of the competition are not responsible for any proprietary information and/or intellectual property included in a submitted business summary.
Ultimately, protection of sensitive materials is the sole responsibility of the individual or team participating in the competition.
We strongly encourage any team with concerns regarding intellectual property such as patent or copyright potential to either contact their University’s intellectual property office (for University-developed discoveries) or competent legal counsel (for non-University related discoveries) before submitting their proposal into the competition.
The University of Washington, the Buerk Center for Entrepreneurship, the Foster School of Business, and the organizers of the competition are not responsible for any proprietary information and/or intellectual property included in a submitted business summary.
Ultimately, protection of sensitive materials is the sole responsibility of the individual or team participating in the competition.
Photo and Video Disclaimer
By attending Buerk Center for Entrepreneurship events in-person, online, or otherwise—participants grant the Buerk Center permission to the rights of their image, likeness, and recorded voice, without payment or consideration, for non-commercial use. Participants must understand that there is no time limit on the validity of this release, nor are there any geographic limitations on where these materials may be distributed. Students, judges, mentors, and all other related parties to events may request photos for use following the event in question. Requests will be handled on a case-by-case basis. Attribution/Courtesy must be included with all photo/video use. The Buerk Center retains the right to request photos/videos be removed from third-party websites, distributed materials, and/or similar media. University of Washington licensing and other media-related policies related to the UW Brand can be found at https://www.washington.edu/brand/
Rules
Teams entering must have at least one full-time or part-time student on the team who is enrolled in a degree-seeking program at an accredited college or university in the Cascadia Corridor - Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and British Columbia, as well as Alaska. If you graduated the summer quarter prior to the year of the competition or later, you are considered a current student in the competition.
The competition entry must be developed during the student’s tenure at the college or university. Students working with outside entrepreneurs must create their own original business plan and have responsibility for their own portion of the business.
The Buerk Center recognizes that there are a variety of AI programs available to assist with written work and visual models or presentations. While these programs are useful tools, they are not a replacement for human creativity, originality, and critical thinking. However, within limited circumstances and with proper attribution, AI programs may be used as a tool by Teams to prepare for our competitions. Our full policy and use guidelines are available on our website ( eic.washington.edu).
All submissions to the Environmental Innovation Challenge must live up to the higher ideals of the University of Washington. The team’s idea must be appropriate for a university-sponsored event. The Buerk Center for Entrepreneurship reserves the right to disqualify any entry that is its judgment violates the letter or the spirit of the competition or exceeds the bounds of social convention.
If the team or company entering the competition is revenue positive, actual annual revenue cannot exceed $250k. (Please note this is different than the company’s projected revenue. This rule does not apply to projected revenue.)
Eligible students can form a team with alumni and other non-students, but only currently eligible students may pitch and engage with judges during the Final Round. Eligible students must also have a leadership role on the Team, an ownership stake in the business, or the potential for equity or employment.
Only eligible student team members are eligible to earn prize money. No payments will be made to non-students.
Note: The Director of the Buerk Center for Entrepreneurship reserves the right to make the final determination of the eligibility of submitted business ventures.
The competition entry must be developed during the student’s tenure at the college or university. Students working with outside entrepreneurs must create their own original business plan and have responsibility for their own portion of the business.
The Buerk Center recognizes that there are a variety of AI programs available to assist with written work and visual models or presentations. While these programs are useful tools, they are not a replacement for human creativity, originality, and critical thinking. However, within limited circumstances and with proper attribution, AI programs may be used as a tool by Teams to prepare for our competitions. Our full policy and use guidelines are available on our website ( eic.washington.edu).
All submissions to the Environmental Innovation Challenge must live up to the higher ideals of the University of Washington. The team’s idea must be appropriate for a university-sponsored event. The Buerk Center for Entrepreneurship reserves the right to disqualify any entry that is its judgment violates the letter or the spirit of the competition or exceeds the bounds of social convention.
If the team or company entering the competition is revenue positive, actual annual revenue cannot exceed $250k. (Please note this is different than the company’s projected revenue. This rule does not apply to projected revenue.)
Eligible students can form a team with alumni and other non-students, but only currently eligible students may pitch and engage with judges during the Final Round. Eligible students must also have a leadership role on the Team, an ownership stake in the business, or the potential for equity or employment.
Only eligible student team members are eligible to earn prize money. No payments will be made to non-students.
Note: The Director of the Buerk Center for Entrepreneurship reserves the right to make the final determination of the eligibility of submitted business ventures.