International Telecommunication Union calls application for  ITU Innovation Challenges 2020. Rethinking the digital economy’s value chains during Covid-19.

The challenge is a global open competition platform for innovators and ecosystem builders to present their ideas and projects, empowering them to transform their communities into thriving digital societies.

Summary 

The 2020 edition of the ITU Innovation Challenge will be taking place amid a global pandemic caused by Covid-19. This has resulted in stress on value chains and countries’ readiness for a digital economy, significantly affecting social conditions worldwide. Global supply, production, consumption, and delivery chains are disrupted. Traditional economies are struggling, as industries have not been digitalized and infrastructure is inadequate to cope with current stress levels.

Opportunities

ITU Innovation Challenges offers the following opportunities

• Digital change-maker challenge: For innovators with ideas that create a digital impact in their communities.
• Ecosystem best practice challenge: For ecosystem builders with good practices that nurture an enabling environment for innovators in their communities.
• Women in technology challenge: For innovators with digital projects that create impact for women in their communities.

Eligibilities 

• All challenges are open to any participant anywhere in the world. Gender or age restrictions may apply. Consult the individual challenge briefs for details.
• Participants will be required to engage in a co-creation process on ITU’s challenge platform.
• There will be a minimum of five winners per challenge. The final number of winners for each challenge is subject to the organizer’s discretion.
• Only one entry per challenge is permitted. Multiple entries from the same applicant for one challenge will be disqualified.
• Additional eligibility criteria may apply for specific challenges. Consult the individual challenge briefs for details.

Selection Criteria 

• Originality: The idea must be original.
• Creativity: The idea must be innovative and unique.
• Sustainability: Applicant must clearly describe the ways in which the activity or project will be able to continue.
• Viability: The idea must be realistic and logical.
• Impact: The idea must fall within the scope of the challenge. The submission should consider cross-cutting impacts, problems, and relevant solutions.
• Co-creation: Special attention will be paid to the submission if candidates actively help other ITU Innovation Challenge community members advance their ideas.
• Ecosystem collaboration: Ecosystem builders who apply to the global ecosystem best practice challenge and have their innovators apply to one of the other challenges will be given special consideration.

Apply Now