Applications for the OpenIDEO Climate Resiliency Challenge 2023 are now open. The Climate Resiliency Challenge is an invitation for organizations and teams across the globe to develop solutions that will empower frontline communities to be ready and resilient against disasters caused by climate change – in particular, wildfires, floods, and extreme weather.

For this Challenge, they define frontline communities as neighborhoods or populations of people that feel the most immediate and worst impacts from climate change, who are physically exposed to climate risks due to the locations of their homes and businesses, and – importantly – who have fewer resources, capacity or political power to respond to those risks. Historically, people of color, people who identify as women or non-binary, people who have lower incomes, who have disabilities, who are children or elderly, or who are LGBTQ have been disproportionately affected by climate-related risks and disasters. The goal for this challenge is to solicit new, empowering ideas for and with these communities.

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Themes of OpenIDEO Climate Resiliency Challenge

This Challenge is built around three themes that inspire thinking about where innovation can most benefit frontline communities. Themes are not meant to be exclusionary of each other. And solution ideas can fit under any and all of the themes.

• PREVENTION: Eliminating the risk of climate-related disasters and/or reducing the likelihood or severity of its impacts.
• PREPAREDNESS: Taking actions to prepare communities and individuals for climate-related disasters.
• RECOVERY: Taking immediate and long-term actions to recover from the impacts of disasters.

Award from OpenIDEO Climate Resiliency Challenge

Multiple awards will be given in each category listed below, making up to a total of $1 million. Winners will be announced on or around August 1, 2023. They are excited to support innovators across multiple stages of development:

• Emerging Innovator Award: Early-stage concepts: Up to $50K USD
• Mid-stage Innovator Award: Growth-stage concepts: Up to $100K USD
• Advanced Solutions Award: Scaling-stage concepts: Up to $200K USD

Moreover, solutions submitted will receive:

• Media Coverage and Visibility: Throughout the Challenge, participants will be promoted through a variety of media and channels, including an extensive partner media, social media, website, and email campaign.
• Exposure to Networks: All submissions and participants will be visible to experts, investors, and funders across a wide range of industries, academia, policy organizations, and sponsor partners.
• Connections to Like-minded Partners: All submissions and participants will benefit from engaging with the open innovation community. And getting acquainted with like-minded individuals who can become future collaborators and/or partners in each other’s ideas.

Eligibility for OpenIDEO Climate Resiliency Challenge

• Open to individuals, teams of individuals, and legal entities. While the primary focus for solutions is on North America, they will accept scalable and transferable solutions from around the world.
• The primary participant submitting the proposal must be at least 18 years old.
• They are looking for innovative thinkers – experts, community members, and designers – from all industries and sectors who are passionate about creating climate-resilient communities.
• They especially invite participation from communities on the frontlines of climate change, and organizations or entities that work directly with those communities. They particularly encourage people of color, people who identify as women or non-binary. Native individuals, and members of the LGBTQ+ community to apply.

Criteria

The winning solutions will meet FIVE specific criteria:

• RELEVANT: Solutions that stay true to the How Might We question by centering frontline communities, and helping reduce and/or eliminate damage from climate-related disasters, or recover from them.
  • Does the solution answer the core How Might We question, address the Challenge goal, and target the theme(s) of the Challenge?
  • Does this solution reduce or eliminate damage from climate-related disasters, and/or contribute to recovering from them.
  • Does this solution strike an appropriate tone for the people it serves?
• NOVEL: Solutions that change the structures, technologies, and standards of today’s effects of climate-related disasters on our lives, environments and ecosystems. Solutions should launch us into a new reality of the climate era, make us anticipate what could go wrong , and show us how we can adapt accordingly.
  • Does this solution offer a new, fresh, and creative approach compared to existing ideas and initiatives?
  • Does this solution push the limits on how CSAA, Aon, and IDEO can think about their role in designing for climate resiliency?
  • Does this solution have “design potential” — to be further developed and refined through design methods and craft?
• IMPACTFUL: Solutions that are actionable and scalable that can be initiated in the next 1-5 years. These solutions should be informed by quantitative and qualitative data; grounded in future trends, projections, and local/global insights; have traction; and describe a credible pathway for realization.
  • Does this solution have the potential to influence practical or systemic change?
  • Does this solution have the potential to inspire action within Challenge partner organizations, and frontline communities
  • Does this solution have the potential to scale across a broad range of communities, regions, and/or disasters?
  • Does this solution have measurable outcomes and/or metrics?

Application of OpenIDEO Climate Resiliency Challenge

The deadline for submissions is July 10, 11:59PM ET 2023.

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Lastly, It is important to visit the official website link found below to access the application form.

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