Shape the Future Challenge

About the Program

Shape is the Moonshot Pirates global challenge for young founders: four weeks of building, with the biggest problems on the table. Moonshot Pirates says the next challenge drops soon but has not announced dates. Join the list at moonshotpirates.com to hear when it opens.

Past editions ran as the Shape the Future challenge series, where young people from around the world collaborated with experts and companies on solutions for a sustainable future. Winners of each challenge joined a trip to a global innovation hub (past destinations include Silicon Valley and Dubai). An official August 25, 2025 report describes 186 teams in that year’s four-week climate challenge and a Dubai trip planned for its winners the following year. The earlier July–August 2025 timing is historical; exact challenge dates were not reverified. The organization’s presence in more than 160 countries does not establish that every country participated in that edition.

Sources checked November 4, 2026: current homepage, terms effective June 15, 2026 and dated 2025 results report. Current terms describe free participation with disclosed rare exceptions and require under-18 consent at registration. No next-challenge dates or prize have been published in these sources.

Eligibility

The next challenge’s specific requirements have not yet been announced. Earlier editions used English and online collaboration, with a suitable computer and internet connection recommended. Current general terms require parental or guardian consent for all under-18 participants during registration, rather than only for finalists. Current terms require participants to be at least 15 and describe the programs as designed for ages 15–24. Under-18 participants need parental or legal guardian consent during registration. The next challenge’s specific eligibility has not yet been announced. No grade requirement is stated in the current general terms; programs are designed for ages 15–24. Next-challenge conditions remain unannounced.

Eligible Countries

How to Apply

The homepage says the next Shape challenge is coming soon but publishes no application opening, deadline or program dates. Its notification list is separate from a challenge application. Current general terms require participants to be at least 15 and collect parental or guardian consent for under-18s during registration. Earlier editions accepted individual entrants who formed teams of two to six; that format is historical and is not confirmed for the next challenge.