IdeaSpace Challenge 2008

November 12, 2008 by RootSpaceOnline

IdeaSpace Challenge DEADLINE EXTENDED UNTIL SATURDAY, Nov 22, 3pm.

As part of "Global Entrepreneurship Week in Lebanon (Nov 17-23)", you are invited to take part in a lively, engaging, and participatory discussion about development challenges in Lebanon (social, economic, environmental, et cetera), assets we have in Lebanon (people, climate, location, etc), potential solutions to development challenges, and possible uses of technology that could help. The discussion and brainstorming session, hosted by RootSpace and Network Operations & Consultancy Center (inocc.com), will be very engaging and fully participatory, so please come and join us!

Saturday, 1-2:30pm, MENA ICT Conference Hall at Termium Tech Expo, BIEL

Please forward on the invite to anyone who might be interested!

You will also have a last-chance to enter the IdeaSpace Challenge at this event... the purpose of the IdeaSpace Challenge is to foster collaboration and entrepreneurship around sustainable and market-based solutions for addressing development needs. You just need to fill out a simple form and answer a few questions about your idea in one of the two Challenge fields (1: mobile technology; or 2: sustainable energy), and be eligible to win prizes!

The awards will be given at the GEW-Lebanon closing ceremony on Sunday, Nov 23, at 7:30pm also at the MENA ICT Conference Hall at Termium Tech Expo in BIEL.

Civil society and development workers, technologists, and entrepreneurs are all invited to take part in both!

IdeaSpace Challenge 2008

Participate in the first IdeaSpace Challenge, complete a simple 2-page Concept Paper, and win cash and other prizes!

In this inaugural edition of the IdeaSpace Challenge, we are posing two Challenge Themes:
(1) Mobile Technology
(2) Sustainable Energy

There are three rules to follow to apply to the 2008 IdeaSpace Challenge:
1. Your idea must address a pressing social, environmental, economic, or development need in Lebanon.
2. Your idea must be market-based and financially viable (revenue-generating).
3. Each project group must include at least one Lebanese or permanent resident of Lebanon.

In the Mobile Technology Challenge, we chose the technology, and you must choose the problem that you want to address and a solution using mobile communications. How could mobile technology be used at the heart of a business that addresses a social, environmental, or other development need in Lebanon?

In the

Sustainable Energy Challenge

, we have selected a key problem: in Lebanon, we do not have reliable, consistent, or sustainable energy, with daily outages affecting every part of the country and highly-polluting oil-based energy production in the municipal power plants and the private generators. At the same time, much energy IS wasted by homes, businesses and other buildings due to poor insultation and inefficient usage.

Help to acheive a reliable and sustainable energy situation in Lebanon by proposing a business idea that could address either:
i) the challenge of improving energy conservation and efficiency, or
ii) the challenge of sustainable energy production

ALL CONCEPT PAPERS MUST BE RECEIVED BY 4PM ON FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 21. (Deadline extended to Saturday, Nov 22, at 3pm.)

Email applications to: innovate@therootspace.org

IdeaSpace Challenge Concept Paper Application Form:
* Challenge: (1) Mobile Technology // (2) Sustainable Energy
* Project Title (max 100 characters):
* Describe your project (max 1800 characters):
* What social, environmental, economic, or development problem does your idea help address? (max 750 characters)
* How will your project generate revenue? (max 750 characters)
* How is your idea innovative? (max 750 characters)
* What are your estimated startup costs? USD$____
* Expected amount of time for your project to start generating revenue? ____ months/year

* OPTIONAL: One page (A4 size) with sketches, diagrams, drawings, etc can be emailed to us at innovate@therootspace.org (.doc, .pdf, .jpg, or .gif files only) (be sure to mention your project name in the subject line so we can match your attachment with your text entry)

It is advised to complete this form in MS Word or a similar program so you can use the "word count" feature to ensure that you stay within the character limits. Characters and words beyond the limits will be deleted.

Download

a basic MS Word template for the application. (38 kb)

Prizes: Over $1000 worth of cash and prizes will be distributed to winning entries.