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awards

Finalists and Winners will be announced here on June 18, 2013.

The ideas submitted must be pertinent to the topic of the Centennial Innovation Challenge. Fifteen finalists will be chosen by a panel of expert judges based on the assessment criteria and as many as 10 of the finalists will be invited by The Rockefeller Foundation to apply for up to US $100,000 in grant funding to further develop their idea.

The Award

Each Finalist will receive:

  • Recognition from The Rockefeller Foundation on its Centennial website
  • An opportunity to join The Rockefeller Foundation Global Engagement Network when it is established

Each Winner will receive:

  • Recognition at The Rockefeller Foundation 2013 Innovation Forum
  • Technical assistance in the form of marketing and positioning support, including support in refining the idea and developing funding proposals. Development of the idea may include, if the Winner is an individual or otherwise not qualified under The Rockefeller Foundation’s practices and procedures to receive a grant, an introduction of the winner to an institution to serve as a potential grantee of The Rockefeller Foundation to develop the idea contained in the entry
  • The Rockefeller Foundation will invite up to 10 Winners to each to apply for a grant of up to US $100,000 to further develop the idea contained in the entry

Eligibility

The Rockefeller Foundation Centennial Innovation Challenge is open only to entrants who are (a) persons age 18 or older at the time of entry, or (b) public or private organizations (e.g. not-for-profit organizations, governmental, non-governmental and inter-governmental organizations, private businesses, academic institutions, associations, guilds, membership organizations or municipalities) (each, an “Entrant”).

Individuals and informal entities must affiliate with a formal entity prior to applying for a grant from The Rockefeller Foundation.

There is no limit to the number of entries that an individual or organization can submit. Multiple representatives from one organization can submit multiple entries as long as the innovation is different.

To be eligible for consideration, each entrant must:

  • Agree to the Official Rules.
  • Submit an entry form with all required fields completed through the Challenge website at challenge.rockefellerfoundation.org, or by email to submission@rfinnovationchallenges.org.
  • Submit the entry in English, French, Portuguese, Spanish or Thai.
  • Complete the entry form and submit or send it before the deadline of April 1, 2013 by 23:59:59 GMT.

Criteria

All eligible entries will be screened for completeness, compliance with the Official Rules and adherence to the Challenge objective of identifying innovative ideas that address the challenges faced by and support the livelihoods of poor or vulnerable people working in the informal economy.

A shorter list of entrants will be judged by a panel of expert judges using the following criteria:

Centennial Innovation Challenge finalists will be those ideas that:

  1. Are new ideas or are existing ideas applied in a new geography, audience, or context.
  2. Uniquely and specifically respond to the category problem statement.
  3. Show the most promise for Catalytic Innovation, Impact, Context, and Spark, as assessed by the challenge team and panel of expert judges.
  4. Garner high scores, 10 being the top score using the scoring system below, from the independent panel of judges in the following areas:
  1. Catalytic Innovation (4 points) The extent to which the idea:
    1. Develops a product, process or service that yields new pathways for solving acute problems
    2. Reframes, reimagines, or recombines different points of view and different existing elements for sufficient action or impact
    3. Shows potential for implementation and replication
    4. Is rooted in a methodology or process
    5. Accounts and accommodates for risks and potential unintended consequences
  2. Impact (3 points) The extent to which the idea could significantly benefit poor or vulnerable people if implemented because it:
    1. Improves the livelihoods and quality of life of poor or vulnerable people working in the informal economy
    2. Is adaptable to different occupations and work situations in the informal economy
    3. Addresses a core need or core needs faced by the poor or vulnerable population it seeks to impact
  3. Context (2 points) The extent to which the idea responds to context:
    1. Accounts for specific contexts (geographies, beliefs, norms)
    2. Attempts to solve a particular problem (or set of problems)
  4. Spark (1 point) The extent to which the idea:
    1. Generates collective excitement for its originality, expression and potential

The judges will select up to 15 Finalists from the shortlisted entrants (each, a “Finalist”). The Rockefeller Foundation will select as Winners up to 10 of the Finalists’ entries that it determines show the most promise for Catalytic Innovation, Impact, Context, and Spark, and consistency with The Rockefeller Foundation’s mission to promote the well-being of humanity, throughout the world (each, a “Winner”).

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