The Audacious Project

What is The Audacious Project? 

The Audacious Project is a collaborative funding initiative, catalysing social impact on a grand scale.  

Every year the non-profit, housed at TED, selects and nurtures a group of big, bold solutions to the world’s most urgent challenges. With the support of an inspiring group of donors and supporters, they come together and launch the ideas into the world.  

The Audacious Project was brought to life through the collaboration of some of the most respected names in the non-profit world, including Skoll, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Scott Cook & Signe Ostby and more. Virgin Unite is proud to be one of the key partners to have joined forces to help make this possible. 

What does The Audacious Project do? 

Every year The Audacious Project works with proven changemakers to surface their boldest ideas for tackling global problems. 

Projects are sourced from public applications and a global network of partners and donors. They are narrowed down to a group of finalists, with ideas that cover a broad range of geographies and issue areas, while elevating leaders with proximity to the communities that they serve. 

Each finalist project goes through a rigorous ideation, due diligence, and investment support process, to ensure their proposal is achievable and compelling. 

Finalist projects are presented privately to groups of donors and are then publicly unveiled at TED. Funded projects then pursue their plans and share regular updates on key milestones reached with donors and the public.