Ockenden International is a UK based charity that has been helping refugees and displaced people across the globe for more than 70 years. It launched its International Prize in 2012.
The 2026 competition offers five awards of £25,000 each to registered charities with existing projects/programmes that have been successful in improving the lives of refugees and/or internally displaced people. Four awards are for projects taking place anywhere in the world. The fifth award is for projects within the UK.
The judges are looking for projects primarily from small-to-medium-scale organisations that promote self-reliance among refugees and/or internally displaced people.
These may be projects that are led by or have a high level of participation from displaced people themselves; projects providing education, legal assistance and/or livelihood assistance; or any other projects that help refugees and/or displaced people build stable, independent lives.
Entries for the UK Prize, a new prize introduced in 2025, must be projects operational on the ground in the UK with the primary focus of the project entered demonstrably advancing the self-reliance of refugees and/or asylum-seekers living in the UK. Last year, the Happy Baby Community 'Starting Well' was awarded the first UK Prize.
The project or programme entered must have been established and operational for a minimum of six months (ie, before 1 March 2025) to be eligible for the 2026 Prizes.
The prize money can be used to help refugees and/or displaced persons and/or asylum-seekers in need as well as core funding such as administrative overheads supporting such projects. It is anticipated that, in general, prize money will be used to continue, extend and/or support the project referred to in the entry or for a similar future project run by the organisation.
The deadline for entries is 30 November 2025 (midnight).
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