Kluz Prize for PeaceTech 2026: $20,000 Grant for Established Technology Projects Advancing Peace and Human Dignity

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Kluz Prize for PeaceTech 2026: $20,000 Grant for Established Technology Projects Advancing Peace and Human Dignity

The Kluz Prize for PeaceTech is an international award for people, organizations, and initiatives using technology and data to advance peace and protect human dignity. The 2026 competition is the fifth annual Kluz Prize for PeaceTech. The selected winner receives a $20,000 grant in recognition of accomplishments in the field and to support the further advancement of the project. Applications are currently open, and the official deadline is 10 August 2026 at 9:00 AM EDT.

This is an opportunity for work that already exists in the world. The organizers are looking for established projects with demonstrated impact, not new concepts that an applicant hopes to build later. A strong application therefore explains a real peace-related problem, shows how the technology is being used, provides evidence of results or a credible measurement plan, and describes a practical next step that the award would support.

Key details

The award ceremony is scheduled for 23 September 2026. The application form asks whether the applicant or a representative can attend in New York City, and states that travel expenses will be covered for one representative if the project is awarded the Prize. Availability to attend is part of the form, so applicants should consider that question before submitting.

What PeaceTech means here

The organizers define PeaceTech as the intentional use of technologies and data to save lives, safeguard human dignity, prevent, mitigate, or recover from conflict, enable accountability, and help people live with dignity, agency, and security. This definition is deliberately wider than a narrow category such as conflict software. It focuses on purpose, use, and effect: the applicant needs to show how the technology serves peace, security, accountability, or human dignity in a real context.

The official FAQ gives examples of work that can fit this field. They include artificial intelligence and machine learning for conflict prediction, decision support, mediation, and assessment of social problems; predictive models that identify early signals of conflict; satellite and drone imaging for prevention, reconstruction, monitoring, or communication; and digital communication platforms that foster dialogue or help mediate disputes. Digital education for peacebuilding, crowdsourcing and citizen reporting for conflict mapping, 3D printing for urgent supplies in conflict-affected regions, biometrics for fair democratic processes or targeted aid, and robotics for surveillance or aid delivery are also listed.

These examples are not a required checklist. A project can use a different technology and still be relevant if the peace connection is clear. The application should explain who uses the system, what problem it addresses, what happens in practice, and how the team protects people who may face risk because of the project. A general-purpose product with a vague social-impact paragraph is a weaker fit than a focused system whose purpose and users are plainly connected to peace or human security.

Who can apply

The Prize welcomes individuals and organizations worldwide that have distinguished themselves through proven achievements or innovative projects applying transformative technologies to building, supporting, keeping, and promoting peace. The organizers particularly mention the younger generation and the technology community, including entrepreneurs, engineers, programmers, scientists, startups, accelerators, big-tech teams, and venture capitalists.

Applications can be submitted by one person or by a group. A group application must identify the organization’s name and legal representative. The form also asks for the applicant’s name, title and affiliation, email address, the project or initiative name, and where the project is based. International location is not a barrier; the Prize is global even though the ceremony is in New York City.

The most important eligibility boundary is project maturity. The organizers state that they are not seeking applications proposing new projects and that the grant will only be awarded to established projects that have had an impact in the field. An idea, an untested proposal, or a project that exists only as a pitch is therefore not ready for this Prize. A project may still be growing or operating as a pilot, but the applicant should be able to show that it has been built, deployed, tested, or used and that there is meaningful evidence to discuss.

How applications are assessed

The official FAQ lists seven selection criteria. Shape the application around these criteria rather than treating them as topics to mention in passing.

1. Relevance: Show how the project aligns with the official PeaceTech definition and contributes to peace, dignity, security, conflict prevention, recovery, or accountability.
2. Innovation: Explain what is new or distinctive and which identifiable gap the project fills. The gap may concern the communities served, the method, the partners, or the technology.
3. Technology: Describe how the system works, why its maturity is appropriate for its setting, how intended beneficiaries use it, and what measures support safety, reliability, privacy, security, and responsible use.
4. Impact: State the meaningful change the project is intended to produce and how the team measures results. Use actual figures where they exist, and distinguish observed results from forecasts.
5. Needs Assessment: Identify the partnerships, resources, collaborations, and infrastructure already available, then explain what is still needed to reach the project’s goals.
6. Scalability: Give a feasible plan for using the award funds to expand beyond the initial pilot, such as entering another context, reaching more users, or adding a partner.
7. Peacewashing: Address the risk that a project could use peace language without genuinely advancing peace. Be precise about the project’s purpose, benefits, limits, and possible harms.

The last criterion makes careful language especially important. Do not present an ordinary product as PeaceTech merely because it could have a positive side effect. Explain the connection with evidence. For a system used in conflict-affected communities, also explain how the team handles consent, data protection, operational security, and the possibility that information could expose people to retaliation. The form specifically asks about safety, reliability, privacy, security, and responsible use, so these are substantive parts of the application rather than optional polish.

What the application asks for

The official application form is available through the Apply page on kluzprize.org. It asks for a short summary of the project or initiative and what it aims to accomplish, with a 200-word maximum, plus a link where the organizers can learn more about the work. It then asks for written responses covering the project’s relevance, innovation, technology, impact, needs assessment, and scalability. Each of those narrative prompts is capped at 200 words.

Applicants should prepare the following before opening the form:

• The project’s name, base, applicant details, and a public or shareable link.
• A concise explanation of the problem, the people affected, the technology, and the result so far.
• A description of what is technically deployed, who uses it, and why the design is suitable for the setting.
• Measurable evidence of impact, with a clear distinction between completed work and future plans.
• An honest account of existing partners, infrastructure, funding, and remaining needs.
• A specific use for the $20,000, tied to an expansion that is plausible given the project’s current stage.
• Details of safety, reliability, privacy, security, and responsible-use practices.

The form allows applicants to submit photos, videos, or slide decks that demonstrate the technology in action. Those materials should be emailed to team@kluzprize.org. The official instructions say that these materials support the answers and will not be evaluated independently, so they should reinforce a clear written application rather than carry the explanation by themselves. Before submitting, the applicant must agree to the Terms and Conditions and disclose how any generative AI tool was used in drafting the application; applicants who did not use AI are instructed to enter “N/A.”

Current timeline

The current 2026 roadmap is straightforward:

• 10 August 2026 at 9:00 AM EDT: application deadline.
• Mid to late August 2026: deliberation by the selection committee.
• Early September 2026: decision and notification of the winner or winners.
• 23 September 2026: award ceremony in New York City.

The deadline was extended from the earlier date shown in older listings. The official homepage, 2026 Prize page, roadmap, FAQ, and application form now show the extended deadline of 10 August 2026 at 9:00 AM EDT. Applicants should use the time zone and exact time on the official form, not the previous deadline, and should the captured-cycle instructions asked applicants to submit before the cutoff in case the form or supporting-material email requires attention.

A practical way to prepare

Start by writing a one-sentence description that connects the project, the peace problem, and the observed result. Then collect the evidence behind that sentence: deployment dates, user or community reach, incidents addressed, decisions improved, services delivered, or other measures appropriate to the work. If the project works with sensitive information, document the controls that protect participants and explain who is responsible for oversight.

Next, map the existing project against the seven criteria. Mark which claims are supported by results and which are plans. For the scalability response, choose one or two concrete uses for the grant instead of listing every possible ambition. A credible expansion could involve a new location, a partner integration, a safer data workflow, additional evaluation, or a broader group of users. The strongest proposal is not necessarily the largest one; it is the one that makes the next step believable.

Finally, check the word limits and make sure each answer stands on its own. The reviewers should not have to infer why the project is PeaceTech, whether it is already established, or what the funds would change. Keep the tone factual, disclose limitations, include the public link, and send any supporting media to the address specified by the organizers. If the project is awarded the Prize, be ready to answer the ceremony-attendance question for one representative.

Official links and contact

Read the official 2026 Prize page at https://www.kluzprize.org/events/2026/, then use the application form at https://www.kluzprize.org/apply/. The FAQ at https://www.kluzprize.org/faq/ provides the definition, eligibility boundary, award amount, selection criteria, and current timeline. Questions about the Prize can be sent to info@kluzprize.org. The organizers are Kluz Ventures, founded by Artur Kluz, with The GovLab as the main partner supporting the Prize.