Deadline: 1-Nov-21
Applications are now open for IEEE Empower a Billion Lives, a biennial global competition, which challenges teams from around the world to develop innovative solutions that can bring cost-effective energy, and its life transforming impact, to billions of unserved and underserved people.
The competition encourages a holistic approach by evaluating technology, social impact, and business models of competing solutions. Winning teams will demonstrate success through field-testing and a path to rapid scaling of their solutions.
Focus Areas
- Household uses: Household uses include: single house lighting, phone charging, telecommunication, entertainment, air circulation, refrigeration, water pumping, home cooling, smart cooking, electric two- and three-wheeler charging, etc.
- Community uses: Community uses include: multiple home solutions for public lighting, water pumping & purification, education and health facilities, etc.
- Productive uses: Productive uses include: agriculture processing, light manufacturing (sewing, pottery, weaving, carpentry), construction, food processing, commerce, new incoming opportunities, etc.
Funding Information
- The total anticipated prize purse is in excess of $300,000.
Why Compete?
- Learning opportunity: Learn about one of the most pressing issues facing humanity from experts in the field
- Huge untapped market potential: A market of 1.1 billion unserved people is one of the largest market opportunities today
- Exposure: Winners of the regional rounds and the global round will be featured on press releases, social media, and various media outlets
- Networking: Participate in banquets and other social events with participants active in the sector
- Sponsored field pilot: Winners of the regional round will be provided enough funding to complete a 2-month long field pilot
- Significant Prize Monies: Amongst the regional rounds and Global Final winners a maximum $1 Million dollar prize purse will be distributed
Target Customer Community
Solutions are expected to serve customers with the following characteristics and needs:
- Primarily off-grid: Tier 0-1 energy access
- Purchasing power: below $1.90 per day
- Living in rural areas
- Limited access to banking: <50% have bank accounts
- Using feature phones: <40% have smartphones
Eligibility Criteria
- Contest is open to residents of the United States of America and other countries, where permitted by local law, who are the age of eighteen (18) and older.
- Employees of Sponsor, its agents, affiliates and their immediate families are not eligible to enter Contest.
- Teams may be subject to rules imposed by their institution or employer relative to their participation in contests and should check with their institution or employer for any relevant policies. Void where prohibited by law.
For more information, visit https://empowerabillionlives.org/compete/