Deadline: 1-Apr-21
The Nesta Challenges is currently seeking applications for the Mayor’s Resilience Fund. The Resilience Fund is the Mayor of London’s £1 million open innovation programme calling on innovators to address key challenges facing London, help them emerge stronger from COVID-19 and ensure the capital is prepared for future disruptive challenges.
An open innovation competition is a public competition that aims to tap into and engage the broadest possible community of innovators in the solving of a specific problem or challenge. They are particularly suited to solving problems that share some key characteristics:
- Problems that are defined well enough so that a clear goal for innovators can be set.
- Problems that would benefit from the fresh thinking that comes from new innovators; for instance, because the field is stagnant, has few players, or there is a related field that is much more dynamic.
- Problems where a prize could attract new innovators to address them, within a reasonable budget and timescale.
- Problems where the additional funding and attention of the prize could address market failures, galvanise action and accelerate progress.
- Problems where the solution could thrive in the market (or find continued funding) after the prize is awarded.
Why Apply?
- Route to market: Connect with potential customers, investors and partners and work with Londoners to refine your product offering.
- Validate solutions: Test and validate your solutions directly with market leaders and get the opportunity to secure up to £50,000.
- Business support: Access the knowledge, expertise and insights of their partner networks, and attend a programme of expert advice and training.
- Raised profile: Increase your brand awareness and profile by taking part in Mayor’s Resilience Fund.
Eligibility Criteria
- A London-based team, with a registered company/charity in the UK
- Sole traders can apply but must show VAT registration, public liability insurance or employer’s liability insurance, and audited accounts or a profit and loss statement
- You may enter as a single organisation or as a partnership, however partnerships must nominate a lead organisation (that is a registered entity).
- Entries will not be accepted from individuals
- You can submit an entry for more than one challenge, but you must submit a separate application for each challenge.
- They cannot fund activity which is party-political in intention, use, or presentation nor to support or promote religious activity.
- Employees of Nesta, Greater London Authority, Resilience Partners or organisations working on the Prize, and their immediate families, are not eligible to enter.
- They are unable to accept entries from any organisation that is currently: bankrupt, in liquidation, having their affairs administered by the courts or entered into an arrangement with creditors.
For more information, visit https://bit.ly/2PLngpe