The IEOx Essay Challenge is an essay competition for high school students, hosted by the International Economics Olympiad Community (IEOx). It invites participants to research topics connected with economics, business, and finance and turn that work into a written essay. Under the 2026/27 Specific Regulations, registration and submission are only available on the official website, and selected authors present at an online seminar.
2026/27 theme:
In recognition of the 30th anniversary of the Kyoto Protocol, the 2026/27 theme is climate economics. Participants may explore carbon market mechanisms, sustainable finance, environmental policy, and other economic questions connected with climate action. All submissions on climate economics qualify for the Kyoto Protocol 30th Anniversary Special Award category.
Who can take part:
The challenge is open to junior (middle) and senior (secondary) high school students worldwide who are aged below 20 by June 30, 2027. Participants may submit individually or as a team of up to three, and each participant may submit only one essay per year.
Submission requirements:
| Item | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Language | English only |
| Abstract | 250 to 400 words |
| Body text | 1,500 to 2,000 words |
| File | .docx or .odt, named with the serial number and title |
| Anonymity | No names, schools, or identifying details |
| Citations | APA format |
| Integrity | No plagiarism, impersonation, or unauthorized third-party generation |
The live submission form explicitly prohibits artificial intelligence use. Follow that stricter requirement even though the Specific Regulations use broader wording about unauthorized third-party generation. Each uploaded file is limited to 10MB; an editable file is required and a PDF is optional. Reuploads are permitted, with only the final version considered; this does not permit multiple different essays per participant.
Judging:
Judges assess consistency with the theme, perspective creativity, complete narration, contextual analysis, formatting, and readability.
Awards:
The top 40 papers are selected as preliminary winners. From this shortlist, the top 5 receive the Kyoto Protocol 30th Anniversary Special Award and are invited to present their research at an online seminar on February 16, 2027. Selected submissions are published on the official website.
Key dates (UTC):
| Date | Milestone |
|---|---|
| September 15, 2026 | Registration and submission open |
| December 15, 2026 | Registration and submission close at 23:59 |
| December 25–31, 2026 | Top 40 papers announced |
| January 31, 2027 | Top 5 papers announced |
| February 16, 2027 | Online seminar |
Previous cycles:
In the 2024/25 cycle, 430 registrants in 313 teams from 46 countries took part, and 116 teams submitted essays.
Official sources:
- Current challenge page
- Registration
- Submission form and declaration
- 2026/27 Specific Regulations (PDF)
- 2024/25 Final Report (PDF)
Application links, current eligibility, deadline, and submission requirements verified November 4, 2026.