World Vision Social Innovation Challenge

Deadline: 2019-02-22
Award: $25,000
Open to: Innovators*

Contributing nearly two million tonnes of mismanaged plastic waste every year into the ocean, the Philippines is ranked as the third worst plastic polluter in the world. With government and global attention, the time is right to focus on developing a solution.

This year’s Social Innovation Challenge will focus on the waste problem in the Filipino Island of Ilo Ilo, within the communities of Sto. Nino Sur and Sto. Nino.

The legacy of poor waste collection and waste management has had serious effects on the environment and the livelihood of local communities and residents. The goal of this year’s challenge is to works towards changing that.

Local initiatives to promote “zero waste” initiatives are increasing recycling and waste segregation efforts, but the low value attributed to waste prevents many community members from feeling incentivized.

This Challenge presents many opportunities to adopt a market-driven approach to solid waste management for the following reasons:

● Income generation – the community members, majority of whom earn below the poverty threshold, can generate income from solid waste collection, sorting, cleaning, recycling, upcycling, etc.
● Employment opportunities – depending on the business model designed, this project can provide employment to the community members
● Sustainability – this project can be sustained even after World Vision’s support phases out
● Scalability – if the project model works, it can be scaled and even expanded to other communities
● Support – the community has reasonably good public infrastructure and responsive government
officials who are willing to try new ideas that are not too costly
● Partnership – there are established groups of community leaders and savings groups which the project can leverage

There are five steps to this year’s World Vision Social Innovation Challenge:

1. Ideate. World Vision issues a challenge to solve - and innovators build their ideas
2. Submit. Innovators submit their business models.
3. Develop. Five teams are shortlisted and work together with a partner community to iterate their idea and business models
4. Pitch. Final business models are presented to World Vision and expert industry partners.
5. Incubate. Winner is selected receive 25K in funding for implementation and continues on to 12-month incubation period.

The Social Innovation Challenge is a uniquely collaborative model, that pairs entrepreneurs with communities who need help solving a global issue that’s affecting them locally. Leveraging World Vision's entrenchment in communities abroad, these innovators are empowered to co-develop their ideas with local communities and create meaningful solutions together.

The Final Round will be a one day face-to-face pitch event and will be held in June, 2019 in Toronto, Ontario (“Final Round Pitch“)