Let’s Go Zero competitions
OVO Foundation and Let’s Go Zero have teamed up for another three years to bring children and young people closer to nature and kickstart nature-based climate action.
The first three years of the partnership saw 75 schools install innovative and exciting projects, ranging from hydroponic food growing to beehive sites and rain gardens.
By inspiring climate action in these schools, the project has brought more than 35,000 students of all ages closer to nature. Many schools have reported lasting changes – greener spaces, new outdoor learning opportunities, and greater environmental awareness across the whole school community.
The latest round of the OVO Foundation Nature Prize is open and will award 30 schools cash prizes of £500. For a chance to win, schools can submit their ideas for nature-based projects focused on one of three areas:
The Nature Prize is an opportunity for schools to improve access to nature amongst their communities, equip young people with green skills, and build resilience to climate risks – all crucial steps in creating a sustainable future.
The competition closes on Monday, 17 November 2025.
You can find guidance for applying here.
The winning projects involve tree planting, vegetable growing and supporting wildlife on the school grounds. Our judges looked for creative and engaging ideas with the power to inspire young people and the wider school community, with a focus on including less advantaged groups in underserved areas.
From food waste wormeries, to wasteland community gardens and rewilding projects, be inspired by these awesome schools winning cash to take action for nature.
The IKEA X Let’s Go Zero school competition is a three-year competition kickstarting fantastic green projects in schools that slashed waste, boosted nature and super-charged climate learning.
Each year, four schools were chosen as the cream of the crop and were sent an IKEA sustainability bundle worth £1,500 for their project.
By sharing their carbon-busting plans, schools could snag themselves one of three sustainability kits – a swap shop, a sustainability hub, or outdoor learning equipment.
To be in with a chance of winning, schools had to upload a short video with students and teachers telling judges why their school was an eco leader, the work they’ve already done in sustainability, a little about the students who would use the space, and how winning would transform the school and community.
The winning projects range from squeezing new life out of preloved school uniforms, repair and reuse workshops, mental-health-boosting nature connection spaces, and an eco-learning events facility.
“We’ve had a huge amount of feedback from parents and carers on how valuable the uniform shop is, and we work hard to ensure there is no stigma around using it – people are using it with sustainability in mind. We work closely with our local charity shop who donate shoes and uniform and jackets to us, and we have parents who volunteer to help run the shop, as they can see how much value it has within our community. Thank you so much again for making it possible.”
Headteacher from Beith Primary School.
Let’s Go Zero is a campaign led by Ashden.
www.ashden.org
Ashden, The Peak, 3rd Floor 5 Wilton Road, London, SW1V 1AP
All content © 2025 Ashden. Registered in England and Wales as a company limited by guarantee. Registered number: 05062574/ Charity number: 1104153
Ashden takes our safeguarding responsibilities seriously, read our policy here. Read our privacy policy here.
