The Iris Project
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2022
- HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
The Iris Project firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The Iris Project
- Legal name
- The Iris Project
- Website
- https://theirisproject.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2022
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The Iris Project industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Youth Environmental Grants
- NAICS
- Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (8132)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Environmental & Climate Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAM)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- International Grantmaking & Development Foundations (BPAGAKAH), Grantmaking & Philanthropic Funds (Institutional Donors) (BPADAOAB)
Keywords
Where The Iris Project is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- London
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
The Iris Project business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Donations and Charitable Funding: The Iris Project is funded through donations from individuals and foundations. Initial setup costs were provided by Iris' family. The organization does not accept funds from private or listed companies. Most donations (60%) directly support the work of young people, with operational costs kept at 20% of annual budget. The organization is fiscally hosted by Global Fund for Children UK Trust, a registered UK charity.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Annual | Iris Prize - $15,000 award for established projects with replication/scale potential (Ages 16-24) |
| Other | Annual | Stem Prize - $10,000 award for small-scale existing projects (Ages 16-24) |
| Other | Annual | Seed Prize - $5,000 award for new ideas not yet established (Ages 14-24) |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels7 records
The Iris Project product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Iris Project awards three tiers of annual grants (Iris Prize $15,000, Stem Prize $10,000, Seed Prize $5,000) to young environmental leaders aged 14-24, paired with mentorship, capacity-building programmes, climate communications support, and holistic security guidance. It is delivered as a prize-based nonprofit service supported by a global network of nominating partner organizations.
Product overview
The Iris Project is a youth-led environmental organization that operates as a unified platform supporting young changemakers (ages 14-24) in protecting and restoring nature. The core offering is The Iris Prize program—three tiers of annual awards (Iris Prize at $15,000, Stem Prize at $10,000, Seed Prize at $5,000)—which provides not just funding but a comprehensive capacity-building ecosystem. This ecosystem includes mentorship pairing winners with regional and thematic advisors, a Climate Communications Programme offering bespoke brand and digital support, the CoalitionWILD Excelerator Programme for leadership development, Holistic Security Support via Open Briefing for risk management, and the Youth Funding Toolkit providing open-access fundraising resources. Winners and applicants also gain access to The Iris Project Ecosystem, a private Slack community facilitating ongoing peer-to-peer support and collaboration.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- The Iris Prize (annual grant program) Flagship annual award program providing three tiers of grant funding plus mentorship and capacity-building support to young environmental leaders aged 16-24 (Seed Prize extends eligibility to ages 14-24): Iris Prize $15,000 for established projects with scaling potential, Stem Prize $10,000 for small-scale existing projects, and Seed Prize $5,000 for new ideas not yet established.
- Mentorship Programme Peer-to-peer mentorship initiative that pairs prize winners with two advisors—one from the same country or continent and one with thematic expertise—to provide guidance, networks, and knowledge-sharing for lasting impact.
- Climate Communications Programme Bespoke communications support for prize winners, including brand identity development, website creation, digital and social media training, and ongoing resources to help young climate leaders communicate their mission and grow their audience.
- Youth Funding Toolkit Free, open-access fundraising toolkit co-created with youth-led organizations, providing guidance on storytelling, budgets, grants, donor meetings, reporting, and templates. Available in English, Spanish, Portuguese, and Swahili.
- The Iris Project Ecosystem (private community) Private Slack-channel community for all applicants who apply for Seed, Stem, or Iris Prize, providing ongoing funding and capacity-building opportunities, collaboration partners, and discussions on environmental and social issues.
Quantifiable outcome
- 28 early-stage youth-led projects supported since 2022
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use The Iris Project
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
The Iris Project technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
The Iris Project partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Global Fund for Children UK TrustcoreThe Iris Project is run in collaboration with and fiscally hosted by Global Fund for Children UK Trust, a registered UK charity (no. 1119544). GFC provides fundraising guidelines, charitable principles, and operational infrastructure. The Iris Project adheres to GFC's Fundraising Guidelines and does not accept funds from those who do not support the principles of The Iris Project.
- Open BriefingcoreSince 2022, The Iris Project and Open Briefing have supported environmental leaders facing ecological and advocacy challenges. Through mentorship, scenario planning, and community-driven strategies, grantees build resilience, address safety concerns, and plan for sustainable growth. The Iris Project is a responsive assistance partner of Open Briefing.
- CoalitionWILDcorePartnership with CoalitionWILD's Excelerator Programme provides winners and runners-up with a 6-month Leadership Development and Capacity-Building program, including bi-monthly expert-led webinars on project management, fundraising, grant writing, and communication. Extra funding opportunities are also available through this partnership.
- MakerChange StudiominorMakerChange Studio provides branding, website development, and design services for youth-led environmental projects supported through The Iris Project's Climate Communications Programme. They collaborated with projects including Sparsa, Liquify, Project Mila, Mudzi Cooking Project, and Youth Pawa.
- One Percent for the PlanetminorEnvironmental partner listed on One Percent for the Planet directory. The Iris Project is recognized as part of the environmental giving network.
- Global Youth Biodiversity Network (GYBN)coreCo-published the report 'Ecologies of Empowerment: Why and how to fund youth-led biodiversity action' with GYBN, Synchronicity Earth, and Global Landscapes Forum in 2026. Research draws on responses from 161 youth-led biodiversity initiatives across 57 countries.
- Synchronicity EarthcoreCo-published the 'Ecologies of Empowerment' report with Synchronicity Earth, GYBN, and Global Landscapes Forum focusing on funding youth-led biodiversity action.
- Global Landscapes ForumcoreCo-published the 'Ecologies of Empowerment' report with Global Landscapes Forum, GYBN, and Synchronicity Earth. Collaborative research on youth-led biodiversity funding gaps.
- Nominating Partners Network (50+ organizations)coreGlobal network of environmental, youth, indigenous, and education-focused organizations and NGOs who help identify candidates for the annual Iris Prize. Includes Conservation International, WWF, The Nature Conservancy, Earthwatch Institute, IUCN, and others.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
The Iris Project competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Global Fund for Children: The Iris Project's fiscal host and operational parent; both organizations make grants and provide capacity-building support to youth-led initiatives globally through pooled and hosted fund structures. Directly comparable as the anchor grantmaking body that hosts The Iris Project.
- Open Briefing: A nonprofit providing holistic security and resilience support to environmental defenders and at-risk civil society organizations. The Iris Project is a responsive assistance partner of Open Briefing; comparable as a service provider to the same youth-environmental-defender beneficiary base.
- The Pollination Project: A global seed-grant charity that provides small ($1K+) grants and capacity-building to grassroots changemakers worldwide. Directly comparable to The Iris Project's Seed/Stem Prize model of early-stage, trust-based micro-grants for social/environmental impact.
- Global Youth Biodiversity Network (GYBN): The official youth constituency to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity; co-publisher of 'Ecologies of Empowerment' with The Iris Project. Comparable as a youth-led biodiversity convening and advocacy organization with overlapping target beneficiaries.
- Youth Climate Justice Fund: A pooled fund that provides grants directly to young climate activists globally. Closely comparable to The Iris Project in mission (youth-led climate grantmaking) and beneficiary focus, but operating at a broader geographic and activist-oriented scope.
- CoalitionWILD: A global initiative supporting young conservation leaders through capacity-building programs (including the Excelerator Programme, which The Iris Project offers to its winners). Comparable as a youth-led environmental capacity-building peer.
- Synchronicity Earth: A grantmaking charity that funds under-resourced areas of biodiversity and conservation, including youth-led initiatives. Highly comparable to The Iris Project as a small, trust-based, conservation-focused grantmaker that co-published 'Ecologies of Empowerment' with the organization.
Broad incumbents
- Children's Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF): One of the world's largest climate- and child-focused philanthropic foundations. Comparable as an institutional climate funder that increasingly channels capital into youth-led environmental action, representing a much larger counterpart in the same thematic space.
- One Percent for the Planet: A broad environmental giving network that connects businesses and individuals with vetted environmental nonprofits; The Iris Project is listed as an environmental partner. Comparable as a larger, broader-scale environmental fundraising/grantmaking channel.
- Global Landscapes Forum: The world's largest intersectoral platform on sustainable land use, co-publisher of 'Ecologies of Empowerment' with The Iris Project. Comparable as a convening and research partner rather than direct grantmaker, but operating in the same integrated youth-landscape funding narrative.
Market position
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
The Iris Project social profiles
Digital presenceThe Iris Project financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The Iris Project leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
The Iris Project funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The Iris Project M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about The Iris Project
What does The Iris Project do?
The Iris Project awards three tiers of annual grants (Iris Prize $15,000, Stem Prize $10,000, Seed Prize $5,000) to young environmental leaders aged 14-24, paired with mentorship, capacity-building programmes, climate communications support, and holistic security guidance. It is delivered as a prize-based nonprofit service supported by a global network of nominating partner organizations.
Is The Iris Project a public or private company?
The Iris Project is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was The Iris Project founded?
The Iris Project was founded in 2022. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is The Iris Project based?
The Iris Project is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does The Iris Project make money?
One revenue line is on record: donations and Charitable Funding.
Who are The Iris Project's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Global Fund for Children, Open Briefing, The Pollination Project, Global Youth Biodiversity Network (GYBN), Youth Climate Justice Fund, CoalitionWILD and Synchronicity Earth. Broad incumbents are Children's Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF), One Percent for the Planet and Global Landscapes Forum.
Does The Iris Project have an API?
No public API is recorded for The Iris Project.
What industry is The Iris Project in?
The Iris Project's product category is Youth Environmental Grants. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAKAM, Environmental & Climate Grantmaking Foundations, with a secondary code of BPAGAKAH, International Grantmaking & Development Foundations. Its NAICS code is 813211.