RELX Environmental Challenge

The RELX Environmental Challenge is a global corporate responsibility initiative sponsored by RELX that supports innovative projects addressing environmental sustainability through water, sanitation, and ocean-focused solutions. Established in 2011, the challenge has historically focused on sustainable access to safe water and sanitation for vulnerable populations. In 2026, the program marks its fifteenth year and expands its structure to include two distinct award categories: one dedicated to Clean Water or Sanitation and one dedicated to Ocean-related innovation. The challenge is designed to identify practical, scalable, and sustainable projects that can improve environmental resilience while also advancing related social priorities such as health, education, equity, and human rights. The competition is open internationally and welcomes applications from both nonprofit and for-profit sectors, including individuals, teams, and organizations. For the 2026 cycle, RELX will award two prizes of $75,000 each, creating a total funding pool of at least $150,000. One award will support a project related to clean water or sanitation, while the second award will support a project advancing ocean health, marine ecosystem protection, or ocean-based environmental sustainability solutions. The funding is intended to help winning applicants launch, sustain, or expand their proposed projects in accordance with the challenge criteria. In addition to the financial awards, winners may receive special access to RELX products and services, including scientific research resources and environmental information databases that can support project implementation and research activities. Prize funds are distributed as single payments and are not transferable. Any unclaimed portion of an award may be forfeited according to the official rules. The challenge places strong emphasis on innovation combined with practical applicability. Applications must demonstrate how proposed solutions can realistically operate in the communities or environments they are intended to serve. RELX specifically states that projects should be replicable, scalable, and sustainable over time. Applicants are also evaluated on whether their work promotes non-discrimination and equitable access, engages local stakeholders, and creates meaningful community-level impact. Early-stage projects are preferred, indicating that RELX seeks to support emerging ideas with growth potential rather than only established initiatives. Projects may focus on technology, community systems, environmental restoration, sanitation infrastructure, marine conservation, education, or related environmental interventions, provided they clearly align with one of the two award categories and demonstrate measurable impact potential. Eligibility requirements are broad and internationally inclusive. Applicants must be at least 21 years old at the time of entry and must have access to the internet and an email account during the challenge period and prize award period. Applications may be submitted by individuals, teams, or organizations operating in either the nonprofit or for-profit sectors. Organizations may include educational institutions, corporations, or nonprofit entities. The rules specify that the submitting individual must be authorized to represent the organization or team and distribute any awarded funding. Employees, directors, officers, and immediate family members associated with RELX and its affiliated entities are excluded from participation. The competition is void where prohibited by law, and applicants are responsible for ensuring compliance with local employment or legal restrictions applicable in their jurisdiction. The 2026 application cycle opened on 13 March 2026 at 09:00 GMT and closes on 12 July 2026 at 23:59 GMT. Applications must be submitted through the official RELX Environmental Challenge application portal. Incomplete, late, duplicate, or improperly submitted applications may be disqualified. RELX indicates that only one application per individual is permitted, and multiple submissions using different identities or email addresses may result in disqualification. The official application process requires applicants to complete the online submission form and provide proposal materials outlining the environmental problem addressed, the proposed innovation, implementation approach, stakeholder involvement, and expected impact. The official rules also require that all submitted work be original and not infringe on intellectual property rights or third-party materials without authorization. Applications are reviewed first by the RELX Environmental Challenge advisory group, which includes relevant internal experts and external specialists in water, sanitation, sustainability, and environmental issues. The advisory group evaluates submissions against the published judging criteria and narrows applications to a shortlist of semifinalists. Shortlisted applicants may be invited to present their proposals to an expert judging panel composed of internal and external judges. RELX expects to announce the shortlist in or after August 2026, with winners announced in or after October 2026. All judging decisions are final and not subject to appeal. RELX reserves broad rights to modify, suspend, or terminate the challenge if necessary and also retains extensive usage rights for submitted application materials, including publicity and promotional use. Questions regarding the challenge may be directed to environmental.challenge@relx.com.

Projects should clearly demonstrate practical applicability scalability sustainability and measurable community impact. Strong applications directly address equity of access stakeholder involvement and innovation benchmarks while presenting realistic implementation plans for environmental outcomes.