A Free Contest Pays Kids Up To $1,500 For Ideas. Entries Close December 13.

If your child likes to invent things, fix problems, or argue that something "should work better," there is a contest open right now that was built for them.

On September 9, the Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship, better known as NFTE, launched the 2026-27 World Series of Innovation. It is free, it happens online, and it is open to young people ages 5 to 24 anywhere in the world. Kids can enter alone or as a team.

Winners can earn cash prizes from $300 to $1,500. Other teams earn global recognition for their ideas. Entries are due December 13, 2026, at 11:59 PM Eastern time, and winners will be announced in spring 2027.

That gives families about 10 weeks from today. It is enough time to do a thoughtful project without cramming, as long as you start soon. This guide explains how the contest works, how to pick a challenge, and a week by week plan you can follow at the kitchen table.

NFTE is a nonprofit founded by Steve Mariotti in 1987. It says it has reached nearly 2 million learners with entrepreneurship education. This summer it announced a merger with BUILD, another youth entrepreneurship organization, and this year's contest is the first under that bigger family of brands.

The World Series of Innovation asks young people to come up with creative solutions to real problems. Every challenge connects to one of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, a list of big global goals like good health, quality education, and decent work.

Companies and foundations sponsor each challenge. That is part of what makes this contest interesting for kids. The problems are not made up for a worksheet. They are questions real organizations care about.

Submissions are accepted in five languages: English, Spanish, Arabic, Simplified Chinese, and Hindi. That makes it a good option for multilingual families too.

The contest is split into two leagues by age.

Imagination League, ages 5 to 12

• Aflatoun Kidpreneurs Challenge, tied to decent work and economic growth
• MetLife Foundation Good Health and Well-Being Challenge, tied to good health

Impact League, ages 13 to 24

• EverBank Smart Hustle Challenge, tied to quality education
• MetLife Foundation Good Health and Well-Being Challenge, tied to good health
• Fifth Third Bank Skills for Success Challenge, tied to quality education
• Intuit Food Truck Innovation Challenge, tied to decent work and economic growth
• EY Responsible AI Challenge, tied to peace, justice, and strong institutions

Full details for each challenge, including the exact question and rules, are on the contest site. Read the prompt closely before your child picks. The challenge names give you a hint, but the actual question is what the judges will use.

The best challenge is the one your child already has feelings about. Passion shows up in the work.

Try this quick exercise. Read the challenge names out loud, then ask three questions:

1. Which one made you think of a real problem you have seen? Maybe a friend who struggles with homework, or a local food truck that always has a long line.
2. Who could you talk to about it? A good entry usually includes the voices of real people with the problem. Pick a topic where your child can actually interview someone.
3. Could you explain your idea to a grandparent in one minute? If not yet, that is fine. It is a goal to work toward.

For younger kids, the Kidpreneurs Challenge is a natural fit if they already love selling crafts or running a lemonade stand. For teens, the Food Truck challenge works well for hands-on thinkers, and the Responsible AI challenge suits kids who are curious or worried about how AI is used.

NFTE says participants use the design thinking process to build their ideas. It has five steps. Here they are in kid-friendly words:

1. Empathize. Understand the people with the problem. Talk to them. Ask what is hard, what they have tried, and what they wish existed.
2. Define. Write the problem in one clear sentence. For example: "Kids at my school forget assignments because the reminders are all in different apps."
3. Ideate. Brainstorm lots of ideas, even silly ones. Aim for 20 before choosing.
4. Prototype. Make a simple version. It can be a drawing, a cardboard model, a paper app screen, or a role play.
5. Test. Show it to real people and ask what works and what does not. Then improve it.

The steps are simple, but most first-time entries skip the talking and testing parts. That is where your child can stand out.

Here is a pace that fits around school and activities. Plan on about one to two hours per week.

• Week 1 (early October): Read all challenge prompts together. Pick one. Decide if your child will enter solo or with friends.
• Week 2: Make a list of five people who face the problem. Write five interview questions.
• Weeks 3 and 4: Do the interviews. Take notes on exact words people use. Look for surprises.
• Week 5: Write the one sentence problem statement. Brainstorm at least 20 ideas.
• Week 6: Pick the strongest idea. Explain why it beats the others.
• Week 7: Build a simple prototype.
• Week 8: Test it with at least three people. Write down what they said.
• Week 9: Improve the idea and prepare the submission using the format the contest asks for.
• Week 10 (early December): Final review, practice explaining the idea out loud, and submit a few days before the deadline so a slow internet connection does not cause panic.

If you like planning tools, Foundra offers project resources for young founders and their families, but a paper calendar on the fridge works just as well. The important part is that each week has one small, clear job.

Many kids will want to use AI chatbots for brainstorming or writing. NFTE publishes an AI use policy on the contest website. Read it together before starting, so your child knows what is allowed.

Here is a good family rule no matter what: use AI as a helper, not the author. It can be fine to ask a chatbot for questions to consider or to check spelling. It is not fine to let it write the idea or invent interviews.

Judges want to see how your child thinks. Real interviews, messy early drawings, and honest notes about what did not work show that much better than polished text anyone could generate.

If your child picks the EY Responsible AI Challenge, this conversation becomes part of the project itself. What rules should people follow when they use AI? Who could be harmed if it is used carelessly?

The hardest part for parents is holding back. Here is how to help without taking over:

• Ask questions instead of giving answers. "Who else has this problem?" works better than "You should build an app."
• Handle logistics. Drive to an interview, set up a video call with a relative who is a nurse or a teacher, or print prototype materials.
• Protect the schedule. Pick a regular time each week, like Sunday afternoon.
• Celebrate progress, not just prizes. Most entries will not win cash. Every entry teaches problem solving, interviewing, and presenting, which are skills that last.

When the contest ends, keep the notebook. It is a real record of your child learning how entrepreneurs think.

Who can enter the World Series of Innovation? Young people ages 5 to 24 from anywhere in the world can enter, either individually or on a team. It is free.

When is the deadline? Submissions are due December 13, 2026, at 11:59 PM Eastern time. Judging and announcements happen from February to April 2027.

How much can kids win? Cash prizes range from $300 to $1,500. Other teams receive global recognition for their ideas.

Which challenges are open to younger kids? Ages 5 to 12 compete in the Imagination League, which has the Aflatoun Kidpreneurs Challenge and the MetLife Foundation Good Health and Well-Being Challenge.

Can kids use AI to help with their entry? NFTE publishes an AI use policy on the contest site. Read it first. A good rule is to use AI only as a helper and keep the ideas, interviews, and final work your child's own.

1. Big Ideas Start Here: NFTE Launches 2026-2027 World Series of Innovation for Young Changemakers Ages 5-24, GlobeNewswire, September 9, 2026
2. 2026-27 World Series of Innovation, New Challenges Launch Sept. 9, NFTE
3. World Series of Innovation home page, NFTE
4. Big Ideas Start Here: NFTE Launches 2026-2027 World Series of Innovation, NFTE News