TEDx Speaker Calls by DR GPT™ · Free guide

How to Apply to Speak at TEDx: The 2026-27 Guide

I've spoken on five TEDx stages. Writing each talk took months. Finding the applications took almost as long, because no single place lists them. This guide covers what I wish someone had handed me before my first application: how selection works, where the calls hide, what organizers read for, and the rules that sink good ideas.

By Harvey Castro, MD, emergency physician and five-time TEDx speaker · Updated October 2026

How TEDx speaker selection works

Every TEDx event runs under a free license from TED, and a local team organizes it independently. That detail shapes your whole search. There's no central application. TED doesn't choose TEDx speakers. Each team sets its own theme, its own deadline and its own form, then picks its own lineup.

The rules are shared, though. TEDx events may neither pay nor charge speakers, and talks typically run under 18 minutes. Anyone selling a guaranteed TEDx slot is selling something the rules don't allow.

Where TEDx speaker calls appear

Most calls sit in one of four places: the event's own website, a Google Form or Typeform, the organizer's social accounts, or a link on the event's page at ted.com. Many university events give priority to their own students, faculty and alumni, so read the eligibility line first.

Windows are short. A form can open, collect applications for a few weeks and close without a public announcement. By the time a friend forwards the link, the deadline has often passed. That gap is why I built TEDx Speaker Calls: I track the forms, check every link against the organizer's page and send reminders 7 days and 2 days before each deadline.

Choose the right events, not the most events

Fit beats volume. Before you open any form, read three things.

• The theme. Most events pick one. Your idea should answer it directly.
• Who can apply. Many local events want a real connection to the area, such as living, working or growing up there.
• The format. Slot lengths vary, and some events also run smaller salon formats with shorter talks.

Three to five well-matched applications usually beat twenty generic ones. Each strong application takes a few hours, and organizers can tell when a form was filled out in a hurry.

Write your idea in one sentence

Organizers book ideas. A topic like "AI in healthcare" gives a selection team nothing to judge. An idea does, for example: "Hospitals should judge an AI tool the way they judge a new resident, with supervised performance before independence."

Try the stranger test. Say your sentence once to someone outside your field and ask them to repeat it. If they can't, keep cutting. My Talk Builder starts from this exact step, then shapes the sentence into a title, an opening hook and a four-part structure.

What a strong application includes

Forms differ, but most ask some version of the same questions.

1. Your idea in one or two sentences.
2. Why you. The experience that earned you this idea, in plain words.
3. Why this audience, and why now. Tie your idea to the event's theme and city.
4. A short video of you speaking. Many forms ask for one. Clean audio matters more than camera quality.
5. A short bio and links. Keep it to what supports the idea.

Answer the question that was asked. If the form gives you 150 words, use 150. Selection teams read hundreds of entries, and a tight answer reads as respect for their time.

The rules that disqualify good ideas

TED publishes the TEDx Rules, and every licensed event follows them. These are the ones that catch speakers most often.

• No selling. Speakers can't promote their own products, books or businesses, or their employer's. A book or product may appear only when it informs the idea.
• No inflammatory political or religious agenda, and no polarizing "us versus them" language.
• Science has to hold up. Claims should rest on data that has survived scrutiny by experts in the field, and speakers should be open about where their facts come from. For anything touching health, cite real research.
• Organizers and sponsors don't speak. Sponsors can't be speakers or shape the program, and organizers can't speak at events they contribute to.
• Permissions and paperwork. Tell organizers about third-party material in advance, get written permission where needed and expect to sign the TEDx speaker release.

After you apply

Expect quiet for a while. Selection teams read every entry, and many work around full-time jobs. Shortlisted applicants usually move to a conversation with the team, then coaching and rehearsals before the event.

A no this year isn't the end. Many TEDx events return on a yearly cycle, and a second application with a sharper sentence reads very differently from the first.

A simple timeline you can start today

1. Today: write your one-sentence idea and run the stranger test.
2. This week: record a two-minute video of you explaining it.
3. This month: shortlist three to five events whose theme and eligibility fit.
4. Seven days before each deadline: finish the answers and ask one person to read them.
5. Two days before: submit, then log it so you can follow up.

Questions about applying to TEDx

Do TEDx speakers get paid?

No. The TEDx rules say events may neither pay nor charge speakers. If anyone asks you for a fee to get you onto a TEDx stage, walk away.

How long is a TEDx talk?

TEDx talks typically run under 18 minutes, and many are much shorter. Each event sets its own slot lengths, so read the call before you plan your talk.

Can I apply to more than one TEDx event?

Yes. Each TEDx event runs its own selection, so you can apply wherever your idea fits the theme and you meet the eligibility rules.

Is TEDx the same as TED?

No. TED runs its own conferences. TEDx events are organized independently by local teams under a free license from TED, and each team chooses its own speakers.

Do I need to be famous to speak at TEDx?

No. Organizers read for a clear idea and a speaker with the experience to carry it. A sharp one-sentence idea does more for an application than a long list of titles.

Where can I find open TEDx speaker calls?

Calls live on organizer websites and forms, and many close within a few weeks. I keep a verified directory of open calls at TEDx Speaker Calls by DR GPT, with reminders 7 and 2 days before each deadline.

Rules summarized from the TEDx Rules on ted.com as of October 2026. Always check the current rules and each organizer's call.