Deadline: 17 January 2020
How can your innovative technology solution solve the world’s most pressing social and environmental problems?
Applications are now open for the fourth annual Cisco Global Problem Solver Challenge 2020 in order to recognize new business ideas that leverage technology for social impact from student entrepreneurs around the world. The Challenge is open to students and recent alumni from any college or university.
Cisco is committed to positively impacting 1 billion people by 2025. As part of their work, they seek to inspire and empower a generation of global problem solvers who will not only survive – but drive and thrive – in their increasingly digital economy.
The Cisco Global Problem Solver Challenge 2020 is a worldwide search for early stage technology-enabled solutions and services that can enable economic development and/or benefit society and/or the environment. This competition is open to individuals and teams of students or recent alumni from any college or university.
Winners (including the People’s Choice Award) will be announced on May 27, 2020!
Prizes Information
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- $350,000 USD in prize money will help accelerate the adoption of breakthrough technology, products, and services that drive economic development and/or solve social or environmental problems.
- $100,000 USD Grand Prize
- $75,000 USD First Runner Up
- $25,000 USD Second Runners Up
- $10,000 USD Third Runners Up
- $10,000 USD People’s Choice
India Impact Prizes
In 2020 India Impact Prizes are offering a special regional Global Problem Solver Challenge: India Impact prize. A total of $50,000 in prizes will be award to Indian social entrepreneurs. Teams will be eligible for the India Impact prizes if their team members are current students or recent graduates of an Indian post-secondary institution, and their solution must be focused on a social or environmental problem that affects India.
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- $25,000 USD India Impact Grand Prize
- $10,000 USD India Impact Runners Up
- $5,000 USD India Impact People’s Choice Award
Why should Applicants participate?
In addition to a cash infusion to develop applicants solution, it will be reviewed by Cisco technology experts and high-profile judges. They will receive peer and industry validation for their solution, as well as have a great opportunity for global recognition and publicity.
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Eligibility Criteria
- This Contest is open and offered only to (1) individuals age eighteen (18) years or older at the time of registration (“Individual Participant”), 2) teams of up to five individuals age eighteen (18) years or older at the time of registration (“Team Participant”), and (3) legal business entities (“Business Entity Participant”) satisfying the following requirements:
- Individual Participant. Individuals must be either (a) current students at any post-secondary institution, or (b) recent graduates who completed a post-secondary degree after March 1, 2018. For the India Impact Grand Prize, India Impact Runners Up prizes, and India Impact People’s Choice award the individual must be a current student at any Indian post-secondary institution, or (b) recent graduates who completed a post-secondary degree at an Indian post-secondary institution after March 1, 2018.
- Team Participant. A minimum of fifty percent (50%) of the individual members comprising a team must be either (a) current students at any post-secondary institution, or (b) recent graduates who completed a post-secondary degree after March 1, 2018. For the India Impact Grand Prize, India Impact Runners Up prizes, and India Impact People’s Choice award a minimum of fifty percent (50%) of the individual members comprising a team must be either (a) current students at any Indian post-secondary institution, or (b) recent graduates who completed a post-secondary degree at an Indian post-secondary institution after March 1, 2018.
- Business Entity Participant. Business entities must be at least 25 percent (25%) owned by (a) current students at any post-secondary institution, and/or (b) recent graduates who completed a post-secondary degree after March 1, 2018. Business Participants may be required, in Sponsor’s sole discretion, to provide proof of business ownership for verification purposes. For the India Impact Grand Prize, India Impact Runners Up prizes, and India Impact People’s Choice award business entities must be at least 25 percent (25%) owned by (a) current students at any Indian post-secondary institution, and/or (b) recent graduates who completed a post-secondary degree after March 1, 2018.
- For purposes of this Contest, “post-secondary” refers to an education beyond high school level as defined in the United States, such as education offered by colleges, universities, vocational schools, and any other educational facility that provides an academic degree or certificate.
Eligible solutions (technologies, products or services) must:
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- Incorporate Internet of Things (IoT) or digital technologies as part of the solution
- Have a positive social, environmental or economic impact (e.g. health, education, accessibility, critical human needs (food, water, disaster response/recovery, safety, etc.).
Note: Individual Participants, Team Participants, and/or Business Entity Participants that have previously received monetary awards in the Cisco Global Problem Solver Challenge or a Cisco prize at the Rice Business Plan Competition are not eligible for this Contest.
How to Apply
Applicants can apply online via given website.
For more information, please visit https://cisco.innovationchallenge.com/cisco-global-problem-solver-challenge-2020/overview
