Global Teacher Prize

What Global Teacher Prize does

The Global Teacher Prize is an initiative of the Varkey Foundation, a registered charity in England and Wales (charity number 1145119), founded by Sunny Varkey in 2015. It operates the world's largest teacher-recognition prize, awarding US$1 million annually to one exceptional educator, alongside the Chegg.org Global Student Prize (US$100,000, launched 2021) and the inaugural Global Schools Prize (US$1 million across ten categories, launched May 2026). The portfolio is complemented by National Teacher Prize partnerships in at least nine countries, an online Global Teacher Community platform (powered by ToucanTech) with 400+ ambassadors across 80+ countries, the Invest In A Teacher crowdfunding platform, and the Climate Action Project, which has engaged 5 million teachers and students across 164 countries.

The organization's technology footprint is intentionally lean: a web-based community and application platform (globalteacherprize.org and varkeyfoundation.awardsplatform.com) supporting prize submissions, nominations, judging workflows, member login, community forums, and event registration. No proprietary AI, machine-learning, or data-product capabilities are described in the source material. The business model is philanthropic rather than commercial: revenue derives from corporate sponsorships — most notably GEMS Education as naming sponsor of the flagship Teacher Prize and Chegg.org for the Student Prize — supplemented by individual, NGO, and institutional donations channelled through the Invest In A Teacher platform. Prize applications are free to enter, no commercial products or services are sold, and the organization holds no external equity investors.

Operations are anchored at the Varkey Foundation headquarters in London (Albert House, EC1V 9DD) with a Latin America regional office and country-level partnerships spanning the Americas, Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and Asia-Pacific. The initiative's primary beneficiaries are teachers and educators globally, with secondary beneficiaries including exceptional students and innovative schools; the organization explicitly serves as a recognition and advocacy platform for the teaching profession rather than as a direct education-delivery provider.

Name

Global Teacher Prize

Legal name

Varkey Foundation

Website

https://globalteacherprize.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Global Teacher Prize, an initiative of the Varkey Foundation, operates the world's largest teacher-recognition award (US$1 million annually) alongside the Global Student Prize and Global Schools Prize. It serves educators, students, and schools across 80+ countries through prize programs, a community platform, and national partnerships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Education Awards and Recognition

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Foundation/NGO & Philanthropic Scholarships (EDAIAOAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Merit-Based Scholarships (Academic Excellence) (EDAIAOAA), Country/Region-Specific Scholarships (Inbound/Outbound) (EDAIAOAC)

Keywords

• Teacher recognition awards
• Education charity programmes
• Global educator prizes
• School innovation awards
• Teacher community platforms

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Prize Sponsorships: The Global Teacher Prize is funded through corporate sponsorships, most notably GEMS Education as the naming sponsor. Additional support comes from partner organizations.
2. Donations and Fundraising: The Invest In A Teacher platform enables individuals, NGOs, academic institutions, and businesses to donate to teacher projects. The Varkey Foundation is a registered charity (number 1145119) relying on charitable donations.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Global Teacher Prize runs three flagship cash awards — the $1 million GEMS Education Global Teacher Prize for teachers, the $100,000 Chegg.org Global Student Prize for students, and the $1 million Global Schools Prize (with a $500,000 grand prize) for schools — along with a Global Teacher Community online platform and an Invest In A Teacher donation platform that supports projects by prize winners and finalists. The initiative is an educational recognition and community-building program run by the Varkey Foundation, rather than a commercial product.

Product overview

The Global Teacher Prize ecosystem comprises three flagship prize programs: the GEMS Education Global Teacher Prize ($1 million award), the Chegg.org Global Student Prize ($100,000 award), and the Global Schools Prize ($1 million across categories). These are complemented by National Teacher Prize partnerships in multiple countries, the Global Teacher Community platform for networking and resources, the Invest In A Teacher funding platform, and the Climate Action Project initiative. The organization also operates a Global Teacher Prize Ambassadors network. The portfolio forms an integrated approach to celebrating and supporting educators, students, and schools worldwide, with technology platforms enabling community engagement and project funding.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• GEMS Education Global Teacher Prize: The naming partnership with GEMS Education for the Global Teacher Prize, announced in 2025.
• Chegg.org Global Student Prize
• Invest In A Teacher
• Global Teacher Prize Ambassadors

Products and services

• GEMS Education Global Teacher Prize A $1 million award recognizing an exceptional teacher who has made an outstanding contribution to the profession. The prize serves to underline the importance of educators and acknowledge the impact of the very best teachers on their students and communities. The award is free to enter for teachers.
• Chegg.org Global Student Prize A $100,000 award given to one exceptional student that has made a real impact on learning, the lives of their peers and on society beyond. The prize recognizes remarkable students aged 16 and older as powerful change-makers.
• Global Schools Prize A $1 million prize celebrating the world's most innovative and impactful schools reimagining education for the future. Includes ten categories with $50,000 awards each and a $500,000 grand prize winner.
• National Teacher Prizes Varkey Foundation supports National Teacher Prize programs worldwide, offering guidance on applications, nominations, and judging criteria while promoting excellence in teaching globally. Includes country-specific programs in Chile, Argentina, Malaysia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Australia, Brazil, Colombia, and Uruguay.
• Invest In A Teacher A platform offering individuals, NGOs, academic institutions, and businesses the opportunity to partner with Global Teacher Prize winners and finalists to support their passion projects. Only teachers who have been selected as winners and finalists are eligible to have their projects supported.

Quantifiable outcome

• 400+ ambassadors from 80+ countries driving global teacher networking
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered minor, core and flagship.

• Richard CurtisminorOthers · 13 May 2026Award-winning filmmaker, campaigner, and fundraiser Richard Curtis announced the winner of the inaugural Global Schools Prize at the Education World Forum in London.
• PEMIMPINcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 November 2025PEMIMPIN partnered with Varkey Foundation to organize the Malaysia Teacher Prize, championing tech inclusion and innovative teaching practices.
• MDZ Digital NewspaperminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 17 September 2025Varkey Foundation partnered with MDZ digital newspaper to lead Argentina's national teacher recognition campaign, reaching over 20 million people annually.
• Elige EducarcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Elige Educar partnered with Varkey Foundation to organize the Global Teacher Prize Chile, celebrating teachers who inspire and transform communities.
• TikTokcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 October 2020Alliance under hashtag #aprendeentiktok where TikTok and Varkey Foundation empower teachers in Latin America as creators of audiovisual educational content. The Varkey Foundation trains teachers in the pedagogical use of TikTok.
• GEMS EducationflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerGEMS Education is the naming sponsor of the Global Teacher Prize, now known as the GEMS Education Global Teacher Prize. The partnership aims to shine a spotlight on the incredible work teachers do worldwide.
• UNESCOflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerUNESCO collaborates with the Global Teacher Prize to ensure teachers are at the heart of governments' agendas and to champion inclusive learning opportunities for children worldwide.
• The King's TrustminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Varkey Foundation partners with The King's Trust Group, a charity supporting disadvantaged young people across the UK with education, employment, and training opportunities.
• Varkey FoundationflagshipOthersThe Global Teacher Prize is an initiative of the Varkey Foundation, a registered charity (number 1145119) that believes every child deserves a vibrant, stimulating learning environment.
• Chegg.orgcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerChegg.org sponsors the Global Student Prize, a $100,000 award given to one exceptional student who has made a real impact on learning and society.
• Education World ForumcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerEducation World Forum in London hosts the announcement of the Global Schools Prize winner, bringing together education leaders worldwide.
• Global Schools ForumminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal Schools Forum supports non-state education organisations across low- and middle-income countries, helping them innovate and scale their work. Rouble Nagi participated in their roundtable discussion.
• Climate Action ProjectcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFree virtual 6-week project allowing teachers and students to collaborate on environmental topics. Accredited by the UN, covered by BBC and CNN, endorsed by Prince William and Jane Goodall. Has united 5 million teachers and students across 164 countries.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization): Co-branding partner for the Global Teacher Prize and host of the World Summit on Teachers. Directly comparable as a global body recognizing teacher excellence and shaping teacher policy worldwide.
• Varkey Foundation: Parent organization of the Global Teacher Prize; operates the GEMS Teacher Academy and broader teacher capacity-building programmes globally. Direct peer because the Global Teacher Prize is a flagship initiative of this foundation.
• Fulbright Program: Prestigious international scholarship and exchange programme funded by the U.S. government. Comparable as a globally recognized merit-based recognition programme with cross-country application infrastructure and ambassador networks.
• Teach For All: Global network of partner organizations recruiting and developing teachers and leaders in underserved communities. Comparable as a multi-country teacher recognition and capacity-building network.
• Chegg.org: Nonprofit arm of Chegg and naming sponsor of the Global Student Prize. Directly comparable as a philanthropic education recognition programme targeting students with significant cash awards.
• Global Education & Skills Forum: Annual education forum convened alongside the Varkey Foundation, addressing global teacher shortage. Directly comparable as an event-based platform convening ministers, educators, and policy leaders.

Broad incumbents

• Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching: Historic philanthropic foundation focused on teacher recognition and education improvement. Comparable as a foundation-led initiative that has shaped teacher status discourse for over a century.
• Microsoft Educator Award (Microsoft Innovative Educator Expert): Microsoft's global teacher recognition programme with ambassador-style community (MIE Experts). Comparable as a corporate-backed teacher recognition and community-building programme at global scale.
• GEMS Education: Flagship naming sponsor of the Global Teacher Prize and founder-affiliated entity. Largest K-12 private education operator globally; comparable because of overlapping teacher recognition mission and shared founder.
• Khan Academy: Large-scale nonprofit education platform with global reach and a teacher-focused community. Comparable as a mission-driven organization serving millions of teachers and students across geographies.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/TeacherPrize
• Facebookfacebook.com/teacherprize
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/global-teacher-prize

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Global Teacher Prize