Deadline: 20-Aug-20
Spearheaded by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) with support from the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (Norad), the Ending Plastic Pollution Innovation Challenge (EPPIC) is a brand-new ASEAN-wide competition calling for all innovators to share their bright ideas for tackling plastic pollution with the world.
Oceans make up 99% of all the habitable space for life on Earth. We depend on them for food, medicine, energy, and raw materials for our daily lives.
Plastic is destroying marine life and polluting the oceans at an unprecedented rate. Plastic waste does not know borders, traveling across seas, rivers, and deltas to affect all societies and economies. It is also a key driver of climate change: emissions from plastic will reach 17% of the global carbon budget within the next three decades.
EPPIC is looking for innovative solutions that contribute to the creation of a circular economy by preventing plastic waste and pollution at the local level such as:-
- Prevent the production and consumption of plastic
- Reduce single-use plastics and offer models for reuse
- Eliminate problematic/unnecessary plastic through redesign, innovation, and new models of delivery
- Decouple the use of plastic from the consumption of finite resources, particularly fossil feedstock
- Develop or scale new recycling process
- Educate and empower people to change their behavior.
Funding Information
- Top 10-15 Finalists will be awarded with 3-month incubation training delivered by UNDP Impact Aim.
- Top 4 EPPIC Winners will be awarded with:
- 9-month impact acceleration programme delivered by UNDP Impact Aim.
- Up to USD$18,000 in equity-free seed funding each
- Opportunities to network with impact investing firms and other key development players in the ASEAN region.
Examples of solutions
- A mobile app that incentivizes boats for responsible collection, disposal, and recycling of plastic waste
- New materials to replace single-use plastic, including beauty/hygiene containers, uniforms, fishing gear, or Styrofoam
- Drone, data visualization, or crowd-sourcing tools to map plastic waste flow and increase collection
- Governance mechanisms to support municipalities in the enforcement of plastic regulations
- 100% recyclable, biodegradable, and compostable alternative products
- High-quality products that increase the economic value of recycled polymers
- Outstanding communication and behavioral change campaigns that change people’s attitudes
Requirement
All individuals and organizations are welcome to enter the competition, including businesses, non-profit organizations, and academic and public institutions.
In order to apply, participants must abide by all of the following rules and minimum requirements:
- At least one member of your team must be a citizen of an ASEAN country.
- At least one member of your team must be able to communicate clearly and give presentations in English.
- You do not need to be a legal entity at the time of application. If you are selected as a winner in the EPPIC Pitch Competition in November 2020, however, your organization must register as a legal entity in one of the ASEAN member states in order to receive the incubation training and seed funding.
Furthermore, if your team is selected as a semi-finalist for the initial 3-month incubation period (in August 2020):
- At least one senior member of your team should be available for the incubation activities delivered by EPPIC (e.g. training, coaching, mentoring, and consulting). Most of these will be delivered online, but some may also take place in person.
- At least the founder or co-founder should be available in person for (1) field visits to Ha Long Bay or Koh Samui in September 2020, (2) the EPPIC Pitch Competition and Boot Camp in November 2020, and (3) the Demo Day at the end of the programme.
For more information, visit http://plasticchallenge.undp.org.vn/
