Last year, a portable medication dispenser that sends audio alerts or vibrates to remind people living with HIV to take their medicine won the Aid Innovation Challenge individual category. What will the development community choose this year?
The AidEx Aid Innovation Challenge, now on its second year, seeks inventions that could help the delivery of humanitarian aid around the world. It is part of the annual AidEx event, a platform where development professionals share ideas, field expertise and on-the-ground experiences.
This year, AidEx is again opening its doors to individuals and businesses with groundbreaking ideas on addressing some of the development challenges aid organizations face every day. This could include solutions to provide water or food, medical care, education, sanitation, security or shelter for the homeless. The concept should either be in development or launched January this year.
The challenge has two categories. The winner under the individual entry will receive a grant worth 2,000 pounds ($3,077). The organization that wins in the business category, meanwhile, will get a free 6 square meter stand at the 2013 AidEx event. AidEx will help publicize entries through the AidEx website and press releases.
The contest is open, but not limited to, design or engineering students, or inventors. Design agencies, manufacturers or suppliers of aid products can also participate under the business category. All participants must be 18 years old and above.
Interested individuals and organizations are required to submit a design or prototype of their ideas. Two candidates from each category will be selected for the short list. They will then have to create a short video — to be uploaded on the AidEx website and other social media platforms — discussing their ideas, and pitch their ideas before a panel of judges and a live audience at this year’s AidEx event in Brussels. The judges include people from the humanitarian and development sector: NGOs, charities, designers, engineers and aid suppliers.
The organizers will sponsor the short-listed candidates’ trip to Brussels.
Deadline of entries is July 27. Winners will be announced at the AidEx event, which runs Oct. 24-25.
Read our last #Innov8aid.
