The Schneider Go Green Challenge is Schneider Electric’s student competition on the energy transition, run online for teams anywhere in the world and administered by YouNoodle on the company’s behalf. Each team picks a real community facing an energy access, efficiency or reliability problem and designs a clean-energy solution for it that is commercially viable, environmentally sound and built to last. The 2026 edition opened for registration on 1 June 2026 and closes for proposals on 28 August 2026.
Ten teams are then paired with Schneider Electric mentors to turn the idea into a full business case, three reach the global final, and the winner is chosen at a virtual pitch on 7 December 2026. The challenge sits inside Schneider Electric’s Youth Education and Entrepreneurship programme, which runs in more than 60 countries with support from the Schneider Electric Foundation. Entry is free and the whole competition is conducted in English.
Benefits & funding
- A prize pool of EUR 10,000 for the top three teams: EUR 6,000 for first place, EUR 2,500 for second and EUR 1,500 for third, split evenly among the members of a winning team.
- Mentoring from Schneider Electric experts and senior leaders for the ten teams that reach the business-case phase.
- Access to the Go Green learning path on Schneider Electric University.
- Visibility with Schneider Electric and entry to its talent community. The organisers state that the challenge is not a job and does not guarantee employment.
- No registration fee.
Eligibility
- Currently registered students, full-time or part-time, in an undergraduate or graduate programme. Universities, colleges and vocational training institutions all count.
- Aged between 18 and 30 at the time of submission.
- Teams of at least two and at most four registered students.
- All members of a team must be studying in the same country. They may attend different institutions, study different subjects and be in different academic years.
- Team members do not have to be nationals or permanent residents of the country where they study.
- Each person may take part in only one team.
- Proficiency in English, the official language of the challenge.
- Gender-balanced teams are encouraged but not required.
Can you apply?
Here's who can apply
Decoded from the official rules. A free account checks them against your passport, degree and age in seconds.
Education required
Bachelor Enrolled · Master Enrolled · PhD Enrolled
Age requirement
18–30 yrs
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Application process
- 1Register through the challenge site and submit a résumé via the registration form.
- 2Form a team of two to four students who all study in the same country.
- 3Choose a real community and a specific energy access, efficiency or reliability problem it faces.
- 4Submit the Phase I proposal by 28 August 2026, 23:59 UTC: the problem, the proposed solution, and the environmental and social impact expected.
- 5If selected among the top ten, develop a full business case with a Schneider Electric mentor during October.
- 6If selected among the top three, present the solution and answer the executive jury’s questions at the virtual global final in December.
Program timeline
Registration opens
1 June 2026
Registration and Phase I proposal deadline, 23:59 UTC
28 August 2026
Proposal review; top ten teams selected
1–29 September 2026
Business-case development with Schneider Electric mentors
1–29 October 2026
Project review
2–13 November 2026
Top three teams announced
16 November 2026
Global final and awards, held virtually
7 December 2026