Apply for $4.5m Tools Competition Funding for EdTech Innovation
EdTech innovators, researchers, educators and technology teams worldwide can now apply for the 2027 Tools Competition.
This is a global funding opportunity offering more than $4.5 million to support innovative solutions tackling major challenges in education.
Organised by The Learning Agency as a programme of Renaissance Philanthropy, the competition is designed to support digital tools that use technology, data and learning science to improve teaching and learning outcomes.
The 2027 edition is particularly focused on evidence-based innovations that can work in real educational environments while addressing issues around trust, safety, learning outcomes and responsible use of technology.
What Successful Applicants Can Receive
The competition offers different prize levels depending on the maturity of an innovation:
- Catalyst Prizes – $50,000: For early-stage ideas and emerging tools.
- Growth Prizes – $150,000: For products with existing users that are ready for further development and scaling.
- Transform Prizes – $300,000: For established platforms with at least 10,000 users.
Beyond funding, participants can gain access to the wider Learning Engineering community, advising and feedback opportunities, research connections and resources designed to help strengthen their tools and proposals.
Who Can Apply?
The competition welcomes individuals and teams at different stages of development, ranging from early-stage innovators to established EdTech platforms.
Eligible innovations may include apps, software, algorithms, datasets and other digital technologies capable of supporting learning and generating useful data for research.
Applicants are expected to demonstrate how their technology can address meaningful educational challenges and contribute to better understanding of learning at scale.
2027 Competition Tracks
Applicants can submit solutions under four major tracks:
1. Strengthening Teaching
Tools that help educators improve instructional effectiveness while making teaching more sustainable.
2. Reimagining K-12 Assessment
Solutions designed to provide more continuous, actionable and inclusive insights into student learning.
3. Navigating Postsecondary Learning and Work
Tools that help learners develop skills, build connections and navigate education and employment in an increasingly AI-driven environment.
4. Building Better Datasets
High-quality education datasets capable of capturing diverse learners, educational settings and learning environments.
Application Deadline
The 2027 Tools Competition opened on September 10, 2026, and the deadline for submitting Phase I abstracts is October 13, 2026.
Selected participants will be invited to develop detailed proposals, with the next phase scheduled to close on January 21, 2027. Finalists will proceed to virtual pitches in April 2027, while winners are expected to be announced in June 2027.
How to Apply
Interested applicants should prepare an abstract describing their EdTech concept, the educational challenge it addresses, how the technology works and its potential impact.
Applicants can submit their proposals through the official Tools Competition platform before the October 13 deadline.
Application deadline: October 13, 2026
Funding: $50,000–$300,000 per prize, with more than $4.5 million available across the competition.
Apply: 2027 Tools Competition Application Portal
