Ocean Challenge 2025
Program Overview
Ocean Challenge 2025 invites applicants worldwide to utilize marine elements and innovative ideas to address crises and challenges facing the ocean. Since its launch in 2019, Ocean Challenge has engaged nearly 800 participants from 24 countries in efforts to protect the ocean. We are eager to involve more young individuals from both local and global communities to propose, initiate, and realize ideas that promote sustainable ocean development and work together to enhance ocean resilience.
Eligibility
- The program includes 2 categories as follows:
A. Teen Category: Applicants aged 12-18.
B. Youth Category: Applicants aged 19-35. - Each team should consist of 2 to 8 team members of any nationality. Cross-school or cross-category teams are permitted. Cross-category team will be classified by the majority of applicants’ age (teen or youth) to determine which category the team belongs to. If it is fifty-fifty, the team can decide which category you would like to participate in.
Theme
The theme for 2025 is “Youth in Action, Team Ocean.” We are calling on participants to concentrate on three crucial aspects: Clean Ocean, Safe Ocean, and Smart Utilization of the Ocean. Bring forth your innovative solutions to address the pressing ocean crises and make a powerful impact.
*Please refer to Attachment 1 for further information.
Important Dates
Application Deadline
May 25, 2025
Finalists Announced
July 31, 2025
Finalists’ presentations/Winners Announced
Early September, 2025 (Date TBA)
Please note: the OAC and the AIT/K reserve the right to amend the regulations of this handbook at any time.
Deadline
- Applications are due by 11:59 pm CST (UTC+8) Sunday, May 25, 2025.
Please note that the OAC and the AIT/K reserve the right to extend the application deadline. - Please email your application form and the links of your application materials to oceanchallenge01@gmail.com
| Written Proposal | 1. Proposals may be submitted in any language. (If not written in English, please provide an English translation.)
2. The proposal should include an explanation of current situations, analysis of the problem, implementation strategies, and expected outcomes. 3. PDF or Word document with a maximum of 6 pages, including both text and images. 4. Must include a proposal summary (max. 500 words). 5. Upload to a Google Drive folder and provide the link. |
| Pitch Video | 1. Participants should produce a pitch video for the innovative solution with creativity. The video should include English subtitles or a transcript provided within 3 minutes.
2. Video resolution: 1920×1080 or higher; file format: MP4. Please upload the video to YouTube and provide the video link. 3. The video should have a title sequence with the Team’s Name, the Title of the Proposal, and “Ocean Challenge 2025” |
Ocean wishes:
Every proposal is eligible for a chance to make an ocean-related wish, such as serving as a one-day Coast Guard patrol officer, meeting with marine scientists, or engaging in dialogues with international guests. Please refer to Attachment 3 for examples. Finalists will receive further support from the organizers to turn their wishes into reality. The outcomes of this part will also be included in the final presentation.
Selection Process
The selection process will consist of two stages. A panel of judges, consisting of experts in the field of ocean science and marine affairs, will review all submitted proposals and accompanying pitch videos.
Nomination
All submissions will be evaluated by the judges based on effectiveness (25%), innovation(25%), feasibility(25%), as well as educational and social impact (25%). Six teams from each category will be nominated for the finals.
Final (presentation round)
Every team will showcase their proposal concepts (all languages are welcome). Judges will offer feedback and ask questions. The team will subsequently address the judges’ queries. The time distribution is as detailed below:
1. Presentation: 6 minutes
2. Feedback and questions from judges: 6 minutes
3. Team’s response: 8 minutes
Please note: International participants are allowed to join final presentations through a virtual meeting platform. A link to the platform will be provided prior to the event.
Awards
Implementation Grant:
Each finalist team will receive a participation grant of NT$10,000 to be used for the implementation of their proposal. This grant will be disbursed in the form of a cash prize to the team.
Awards for Each Category
1. First Place: NT$120,000 and an award certificate.
2. Second Place: NT$80,000 and an award certificate.
3. Third Place: NT$50,000 and an award certificate.
Corporate Recognition Awards (prizes to be announced later)
Copyright
The entrant hereby grants a non-exclusive, sub-licensable, worldwide, irrevocable license in perpetuity to OAC and AIT/K to use, copy, modify, translate, and/or adapt, distribute, publicly display by any means and in any media to create derivative works of the entry (such as photographs, video & audio recordings,microfilms, music writing and editing, documentaries, etc.) in activities related to, and the promotion of the competition and the particular project, without any further notice or remuneration to the entrant.
By entering the competition, the entrant also acknowledges and accepts that all aspects of any submission narrative, description, details, images, illustration and animation may be used for publicity purposes by OAC and AIT/K. OAC and AIT/K hold the right to publish such material in whole or in part, to use them in any way it sees fit in connection with the competition without permission of the entrant or payment for such use.
If a winning entry involves works from a third party, a license from its author must be submitted to OAC and AIT/K. The entrant shall waive any moral rights or similar rights having in your competition entry whether such rights arise pursuant to the relevant copyright or equivalent legislation anywhere in the world.
Website
https://ocean-challenges.com
Youtube
https://www.youtube.com/@OceanChallenge01
Points of Contact
- Ocean Affairs Council
Phone: +886-7-3381810 ext. 261324 / Email: oceanchallenge01@gmail.com - American Institute in Taiwan Kaohsiung Branch
Phone: +886-7-3355006 ext. 6007 / Email: LeeDJY@state.gov
