Samsung Solve for Tomorrow is back in the Philippines for its fourth year, giving students from government-managed science high schools a chance to develop STEM-based solutions to real-world community challenges.
Supported by the Department of Education (DepEd), the 2026 competition is open to Grades 8 to 10 students nationwide. Samsung is offering nearly ₱2 million worth of prizes for the top teams, their schools, and teacher-advisers.
The global program, now in its 16th year, asks students to turn challenges they see in their communities into practical proposals using science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.
Three themes guide this year’s entries
For 2026, participating teams can develop proposals under three themes. The first, Environmental Sustainability through Technology, focuses on solutions that reuse, recycle, or transform materials to reduce waste and encourage more sustainable practices.
Social Change through Tech and Sport centers on technology- and sports-based ideas that support education, entrepreneurship, and social inclusion.
The third theme, Solving Community Problems with AI, challenges students to develop practical AI applications for community problems while promoting responsible technology use.
Each team can consist of up to four students and one teacher-adviser. Proposals can be submitted either as a Word document of up to 3,000 words or seven pages, or as a PowerPoint presentation of up to six slides. All entries must be submitted as PDF files with a maximum file size of 40MB.
Samsung will evaluate submissions based on design innovation, community relevance, feasibility, STEM integration, sustainability, and clarity.
Nearly ₱2 million awaits the top teams
The competition’s prize pool totals nearly ₱2 million, with Samsung devices and cash prizes allocated to the winning teams, their schools, and teacher-advisers.
The Grand Prize is valued at ₱730,000 and includes ₱400,000 worth of Samsung devices for the winning school, ₱200,000 worth of devices for the students and teacher-adviser, ₱100,000 in cash for the team members, and ₱30,000 in cash for the teacher-adviser.
The Second Prize is valued at ₱595,000, consisting of ₱300,000 worth of Samsung devices for the school, ₱200,000 worth of devices for the team and teacher-adviser, ₱70,000 in cash for the team, and ₱25,000 in cash for the teacher.
The Third Prize is valued at ₱465,000, with ₱200,000 worth of Samsung devices for the school, another ₱200,000 worth of devices for the team and teacher-adviser, ₱50,000 in cash for the team, and ₱15,000 in cash for the teacher.
The other seven teams that reach the Top 10 will each receive ₱15,000 in cash for their team and ₱5,000 for their teacher-adviser.
Samsung sets November deadline for entries
Teams have until November 2, 2026, at 11:59 PM to submit their proposals through the Samsung Solve for Tomorrow website.
The competition will then move into its mentoring and final-presentation stages. Samsung will announce the Top 10 finalists on November 16, after which the selected teams will receive mentoring from a Samsung coach to refine their proposals ahead of the final judging.
The finalists will present their proposals to the judging panel on December 7, with the Top Three winners set to be announced and awarded on December 15.
Past winners tackled environmental and agricultural problems
Since Samsung Solve for Tomorrow launched in the Philippines in 2023, participating students have proposed solutions covering environmental, agricultural, and community challenges.
Last year’s winning team from Cavite Science Integrated School, for example, developed a solar-powered water-quality sensing buoy designed to monitor the health of mangrove ecosystems.
Other previous projects included an egg-segregation solution and a low-cost pest-control system intended to help farmers reduce their reliance on chemicals.
For its 2026 edition, Samsung is placing additional emphasis on responsible technology use, particularly as AI becomes more accessible to students. The competition encourages participants to explore AI and other technologies while keeping their proposals grounded in practical community needs.
Students and schools can find the full submission guidelines and entry materials on the official Samsung Solve for Tomorrow Philippines website.
