Deadline: 30-Oct-20
The Cities Network of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) launches the first edition of Innopolis, an Urban Innovation Challenge that will reward good practices of governments and local development agencies to face challenges in the cities of Latin America and the Caribbean.
The objective is to annually gather and disseminate the key learnings that local governments and development agencies have discovered when addressing diverse urban challenges in the region. Through this challenge, the IDB aims to create a process for the systematization of best practices in urban management and innovation in cities.
Specifically, the award will recognize ongoing or completed initiatives that have had a significant impact on the urban environment and the quality of life of citizens.
The Inter-American Development Bank is devoted to improving lives. Established in 1959, the IDB is a leading source of long-term financing for economic, social, and institutional development in Latin America and the Caribbean. The IDB also conducts cutting-edge research and provides policy advice, technical assistance, and training to public- and private-sector clients throughout the region.
Thematic Areas
The contest will reward initiatives in five thematic areas:
- COVID-19: Includes initiatives that seek to face the challenges caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
- Economic Reactivation and Local Employment: Includes initiatives that seek to boost or revive economies, as well as generate employment in cities.
- Housing: Includes those initiatives that seek to advance the development and quality of the housing market.
- Mobility and Connectivity: Includes initiatives that seek to improve urban connectivity and the movement of citizens.
- Urban Sustainability and Circular Economy: Includes those initiatives that seek sustainable urban development, that avoid the degradation of the environment and provide quality of life for citizens.
Challenge Process
- During the nomination period, the IDB will collect proposals from participants. In the first phase of review, the proposals received will be screened and sorted into the five thematic areas. In the second phase of review, proposals that have passed the screening phase will be evaluated by a committee of experts chosen by the IDB Cities Network, which will, in turn, select ten final proposals.
- These final proposals will be published and converted into a series of case studies, which will then be published through different channels by the IDB. This will take place in a personalized workshop to be held with the finalist teams, which will be dictated by an academic expert. Finally, the IDB will choose three winning case studies from among the ten final proposals. The three winning cities will receive a formal recognition from the IDB.
Eligibility Criteria
- Local governments or development agencies that lead or have led projects in the region that improve the urban environment and quality of life of citizens of an IDB member country, and that fall within at least one of the five thematic areas.
- To enter the challenge, applicants must fill out an online form consisting of four sections:
- Context/Urban challenge faced by the city.
- Project in development or completed by the local government or development agency to meet this urban challenge.
- Expected or delivered results.
- Lessons learned.
For more information, visit https://www.iadb.org/en/news/idb-launches-innopolis-contest-award-urban-innovation