£500 Nature Prize returns for schools across the UK

Schools, colleges and nurseries across the UK have the chance to win £500 in funding for nature-based projects, as the OVO Foundation Nature Prize returns for its fourth year. The free-to-enter competition opens on 13 October 2025, and will award 30 prizes to schools with the best green initiatives.

Since 2022, the prize has awarded thousands of pounds to 75 schools, helping more than 35,000 students. The competition is run by OVO Foundation in partnership with Let’s Go Zero, Ashden’s campaign for zero-carbon schools by 2030.

How to Enter and Win £500

To enter, schools simply need to submit an idea for a nature-based project that could be funded by the prize. Entries open at 9:00am on Monday, 13 October 2025, and close at 11:59pm on Monday, 17 November 2025.

Three Prize Categories

This year’s competition includes three categories, aligned with the Department for Education’s Sustainability and Climate Change Strategy:

1. Adaptation and resilience – tackling climate risks like flooding and heatwaves through nature-based solutions.
2. Green skills and careers – helping students develop skills for future green jobs.
3. Community – encouraging schools to lead climate action in their local areas.

Funding That Makes a Difference

Past winners have used their £500 prize to create impactful projects:

• Stanton Vale School built a kitchen garden linked to post-16 qualifications.
• Northfield School & Sports College created a sensory garden and vegetable patch using upcycled materials.
• Rowley Hall Primary School grew food for a local foodbank, delivering fresh produce to elderly residents.

Judges are especially keen to see entries from less-advantaged schools, or projects that benefit students with limited access to nature. Research shows that 12% of children rarely or never visit natural environments, highlighting the importance of funding opportunities like this.

Empowering the Next Generation

Alex Green, head of Let’s Go Zero, said:

“By expanding access to nature, we aim to inspire and empower the next generation to become passionate advocates for climate and the natural world.”

Hannah Howard, head of OVO Foundation, added:

“We believe that spending time in nature helps children live happier, healthier lives. Our hope is that the prize continues to spark nature connection and climate action within schools, communities and beyond.”

The competition will continue in 2026 and 2027, meaning tens of thousands more students will benefit in the years ahead.

Initiatives like this, along with recognition such as the Educate Awards’ Outstanding Commitment to the Environment & Sustainability, underscore the growing importance of environmental action – especially for young people who will inherit and shape the future of our planet.