Frequently Asked Questions

  • XPRIZE Water Scarcity Registration officially opens March 1, 2024.
    Registration deadline for Track A - The New Desalination System will close April 30, 2025 and registration for Track B - Novel Membrane Materials will close February 28, 2025.

  • Teams can register through the XPRIZE Prize Operations Platform (POP), the central platform for competing teams during the life cycle of the prize. POP is a virtual system that allows competing teams to interact with each other and with the XPRIZE Prize Operations team.
    POP is mostly used for completing prize activities, such as submitting documents for registration and testing, and finding team members.

    Registration process:

    • All prospective teams are required to create a free account profile on POP which enables access to the site. Click the “Login” button at the top right and create an account. After creating an account, navigate to the competitions page and click “Create a Team” on the XPRIZE Water Scarcity panel.
    • Once complete, you have formed a team! You may invite other team members to join your team. All team members must also create a POP account.
      • Important Note: creating a Team profile is not the final step to registration. Registration is only complete once a team pays the registration fee, signs the competitor agreement and fulfills all required activities.
    • Visit the Activities page to complete the first prize activity, which will automatically be assigned. Thoroughly review the Competition Guidelines, which include information about team registration, fees, and other required activities, competition timeline and milestones, and more key competition information.
    • Contact [email protected] with questions. We're here to help.

  • Competing teams often include startups, university groups, companies of all sizes, high school students, families, and even individuals. Teams can come from any background, including, but certainly not limited to, scientific and/or technical disciplines like chemistry, material science, environmental engineering, system design and engineering, and more. We believe great ideas can come from anyone!

    We always encourage teams to get in touch with one another through the XPRIZE Prize Operations Platform (POP) and share resources and talent where applicable and beneficial.

  • We welcome partners throughout all phases of the competition, and in all capacities. Whether you want to help recruit teams, support team success, secure an XPRIZE speaker or expert for your event, help scale winning solutions or assist with testing operations.

    Contact [email protected] to get involved, and follow the competition by subscribing to the XPRIZE Food + Water + Waste Domain newsletter at xprize.org/get-involved.

  • As of the date of submission, each Team must own, or hold appropriate license rights to, all technologies, methods, resources, and Intellectual Property included in its submission.

    XPRIZE will adhere to national or international regulations regarding ownership of the data used to validate team’s insights produced as part of the competition. Teams will retain ownership of their Intellectual Property on any technology or data integration techniques and processes they bring to the competition, and which they develop as part of their competition entry. All details relating to team technology, innovations, or methods submitted to XPRIZE at the submission deadlines will remain strictly confidential unless clearly and specifically noted.

    Please refer to the Competition Guidelines for additional details.

  • You can find more information on the Sponsor Competitor Undertaking by clicking here.

  • If you’d like to get involved with the competition, or if you have any questions, please email us at [email protected].