Hunter Prize for Public Policy 2026 ($50,000 in cash prizes) – YOA

Deadline: August 3, 2026

Applications are open for the Hunter Prize for Public Policy 2026. The Hunter Prize for Public Policy goals to shake up Canadian policymaking by marshalling recent concepts, power, and voices to tackle a clearly-outlined “wicked problem” and enhance the financial and social properly-being of Canadians. The Hunter Prize is an initiative of the Centre for Civic Engagement. The Hub is the undertaking’s media accomplice.

Entrants are requested to think about our subject and problem beneath, then present a brief synopsis of their coverage proposal. All entries will probably be adjudicated by an esteemed panel of judges, together with Jeff Adamson, Bram Belzberg, Zita Cobb, Lucy Hargreaves, and Charles Lammam. The judges will choose 10 finalists to additional refine and develop their concepts earlier than vying for $50,000 in cash prizes and the prospect to translate their concept into actionable public coverage.

The Challenge

They are difficult Canadian coverage thinkers, students, and practitioners to reply the query:

What coverage reforms might help Canadian entrepreneurs by growing enterprise formation and scale-up over the following decade? Explain the coverage, how it might be applied, and the metrics that may present success, whereas remaining in line with fiscal self-discipline.

Award

• The winner will obtain a cash prize of $25,000 to translate their concept into public coverage. The runner-up will obtain a $5,000 prize. Those inserting 3 by way of 10 will obtain prizes of $2,500.

Eligibility

• Submissions are restricted to Canadian residents, everlasting residents, and people on refugee, scholar, or work visas.
• Canadian residents residing overseas can apply.
• Entries could be made in English or French.

Rules and Expectations

• Initial submissions ought to be 1,500 phrases or much less. Entry instructions will probably be offered on the submission kind.
• If your preliminary submission is chosen as certainly one of ten finalists, you may be requested to provide an extended-kind coverage proposal (roughly 2,500-3,000 phrases) that additional develops and refines your concept, together with price estimates, implementation plans, and so forth. Finalists may also be requested to provide an op-ed type article in help of their proposal to be printed at TheHub.ca.
• Figures and tables can’t be included in the preliminary submission. However, if chosen to be a finalist, figures and tables could be included in the longer-kind papers.
• Submissions could be co-authored, and the small print of all authors ought to be included in the submission. Any potential winnings will probably be break up amongst authors.
• The Hunter Prize will solely settle for one submission per creator.

Application

Click here to apply

For extra info, go to Hunter Prize for Public Policy.