The Challenge, launched in partnership with the IKEA Foundation in January 2024, asked designers and innovators for creative climate solutions to radically redesign the world we live in through a circular and regenerative lens.
Photo: (from top left) Nominated projects Urban Lungs for Cities, Coral Rescue, A Bite of Extinction and Captain Fanplastic
The nominated projects include a wide range of ideas and start-ups, from neighbourhood initiatives to rejuvenate local food systems to solar-powered innovations designed for communities in need.
Selection
As many as 17 countries are represented in this year’s shortlist, including Japan, Turkey, India, Kenya, Brazil, Mexico, the UK and the Netherlands. All applications were reviewed by a Selection Committee of 28 circularity and design experts worldwide, including Taina Campos (industrial designer), Amit Gupta (Founder and Editor, StirWorld), and Coen Persijn (Programme Manager, Stichting DOEN).
The nominated projects won over the Selection Committee by exceeding expectations across the competition’s five criteria: impact, creativity & design, feasibility, scalability, and teamwork.
What’s next
All 33 nominated projects can now be viewed online via the Challenge platform. Over the next month, an international jury will review their projects and announce 10 winning projects across all categories on 28 May. Winners will receive €5.000 in funding and launch into a full-steam-ahead development programme.