2027 Tools Competition opens with $4.5m+ for evidence-based EdTech and AI
The global funding competition is seeking tools for teaching, assessment, postsecondary pathways and education datasets, with prizes of up to $300,000 and abstracts due October 13
The 2027 Learning Engineering Tools Competition is offering more than $4.5 million across four EdTech funding tracks
The 2027 Learning Engineering Tools Competition has opened with more than $4.5 million available for EdTech products and infrastructure designed to improve learning, teaching and access to education.
Now in its seventh cycle, the competition is open to innovators working across K-12, postsecondary education and workforce development. This year’s four tracks cover Strengthening Teaching, Reimagining Assessment, Navigating Postsecondary Learning and Work, and Building Better Datasets.
Entries can range from early-stage ideas to established platforms, with three funding levels based on product maturity. Catalyst Prizes offer $50,000 for early-stage tools, Growth Prizes provide $150,000 for products with existing users and scale, and Transform Prizes offer $300,000 for established platforms with 10,000 or more users.
The competition is organized by The Learning Agency, with support from the Walton Family Foundation, Google.org, Axim Collaborative, the Cinelli Family Foundation and the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation.
Phase I abstracts are due October 13, 2026.
AI tools face a higher evidence bar
The 2027 competition arrives as AI use among students continues to grow, but its criteria put more emphasis on evidence, safety and use in real learning environments than on technology alone.
Research cited by the competition found that 51% of Gen Z use generative AI at least weekly. Separate figures show 44% report using AI to complete assignments more efficiently, while 38% use it to enhance learning and understanding.
The competition is asking applicants to show not only what AI or other digital technology can do, but how a proposed tool can be used responsibly and sustained in education settings.
Projects may address areas including timely support for students, teacher effectiveness and sustainability, learner engagement, transitions into further study or work, shared education infrastructure, and safety and privacy.
Eligible tools can include apps, software, datasets, algorithms and other digital technologies capable of generating learning data that researchers can use to study how people learn at scale.
Four tracks span schools, Higher Education and workforce learning
The Strengthening Teaching track is focused on tools that improve instructional effectiveness while making teaching more sustainable.
Reimagining Assessment is aimed at K-12 technologies that provide more continuous, actionable and inclusive information about student learning.
For older learners, Navigating Postsecondary Learning and Work seeks tools that help people develop skills, connections and support as they move through education and into an increasingly AI-driven workplace.
The fourth track, Building Better Datasets, focuses on education datasets that better capture the diversity of learners, educational settings and learning environments.
Applicants must also explain how their proposed technology contributes to learning engineering, including the use of data to understand what works, for whom and under what conditions.
Previous winners now reach 51 million users
Since launching in 2020, the Tools Competition has awarded more than $24 million to 171 winning teams across 53 countries.
Tools supported through previous cycles now reach more than 51 million learners and educators worldwide, while the competition has received more than 7,100 proposals from innovators.
The first stage of the 2027 competition closes on October 13. Selected participants will be invited to submit Phase II proposals by January 21, 2027, before finalists are chosen for virtual pitches in April.
Winners are scheduled to be announced in June 2027, with an impact study running across 2027 and 2028.
