Submit Applications for Laundry Transformation Challenge

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) Laundry Transformation Challenge is inviting applications for innovative laundry solutions that reduce women’s unpaid care work, improve health outcomes, and minimize water consumption and pollution across Asia and the Pacific. Selected organizations can receive grants of up to USD 450,000 per pilot project, with a 10% co-financing requirement, to test and validate scalable technologies in real-world settings.

About the ADB Laundry Transformation Challenge

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has launched the Laundry Transformation Challenge to identify, pilot, and validate innovative, affordable, and inclusive laundry technologies that improve household laundry practices across Asia and the Pacific.

The initiative seeks solutions that reduce the time and physical effort required for laundry, particularly for women, while improving water efficiency, lowering pollution, and supporting sustainable and inclusive development.

The challenge also provides innovators with an opportunity to demonstrate their technologies in new markets, collaborate with governments and development partners, and generate evidence for large-scale adoption.

Focus Areas

The challenge supports innovative solutions in areas such as:

• Reducing women’s unpaid household workload
• Improving health and wellbeing through safer laundry practices
• Reducing freshwater consumption
• Reducing water pollution and untreated greywater discharge
• Minimizing microfiber pollution
• Improving washing and drying efficiency
• Affordable and inclusive laundry technologies
• Sustainable detergents
• Circular water reuse and recycling systems
• Shared and community laundry services
• Low-income and resource-constrained solutions
• Scalable and sustainable technologies
• Environmental sustainability
• Gender equality and social inclusion

Why This Challenge Matters

Laundry remains one of the most time-consuming unpaid household responsibilities across many communities in Asia and the Pacific, with women performing the majority of this work.

Traditional laundry practices often:

• Require significant manual effort.
• Consume large amounts of water.
• Release detergent-contaminated greywater into rivers and lakes.
• Contribute to microfiber pollution.
• Limit women’s productive and economic opportunities.

The Laundry Transformation Challenge seeks practical innovations that improve everyday life while reducing environmental impacts and promoting inclusive development.

Funding Information

Successful applicants may receive:

• Grant funding of up to USD 450,000 per pilot project.
• A 10% co-financing contribution from applicants.
• Opportunities to pilot and validate solutions in new markets.
• Collaboration with the Asian Development Bank (ADB).
• Connections with government agencies, private sector partners, and international stakeholders.
• Participation in rigorous impact evaluation activities.
• Increased visibility among governments, investors, and development organizations across Asia and the Pacific.

Eligible Solution Areas

ADB welcomes innovative solutions including, but not limited to:

• Water-efficient washing technologies
• Low-cost laundry equipment
• Sustainable drying technologies
• Eco-friendly detergent innovations
• Water recycling and circular water systems
• Greywater treatment technologies
• Microfiber filtration systems
• Community or shared laundry facilities
• Digital or smart laundry management solutions
• Inclusive technologies designed for women and low-income households
• Other scalable innovations that improve laundry sustainability

Who Can Apply?

Eligible applicants include:

• For-profit companies
• Not-for-profit organizations
• Civil society organizations (CSOs)
• Research institutions
• Government-owned enterprises that operate independently and are legally and financially autonomous

Applicants must also meet the following requirements:

• All team members must be at least 18 years old.
• Individuals are not eligible to apply.
• Organizations must have the legal capacity to implement pilot projects.

Funding Conditions

Applicants should note that:

• Maximum funding is USD 450,000 per pilot.
• A 10% co-financing requirement applies.
• Projects should be suitable for real-world pilot implementation.
• Solutions should demonstrate strong potential for scaling across Asia and the Pacific.

How the Challenge Works

The challenge follows a structured innovation process:

1. Register on the ADB Challenge platform.
2. Prepare a proposal describing the innovative laundry solution.
3. Demonstrate the solution’s technical feasibility and expected impact.
4. Submit the online application.
5. Participate in the evaluation process.
6. Selected applicants receive grant funding.
7. Pilot the solution in collaboration with ADB and local stakeholders.
8. Collect evidence through monitoring and impact evaluation.
9. Showcase successful solutions for future regional scaling.

Benefits of Participating

Successful organizations can benefit from:

• Up to USD 450,000 in grant funding.
• Validation of technology under real operating conditions.
• Access to new regional markets.
• Technical collaboration with ADB.
• Greater visibility among policymakers and investors.
• Opportunities for future commercialization.
• Contribution to gender equality and environmental sustainability.
• Support for scaling innovative laundry solutions across Asia and the Pacific.

Tips for Preparing a Strong Application

Applicants should:

• Clearly explain the problem their solution addresses.
• Demonstrate measurable reductions in water use and pollution.
• Show how the solution reduces women’s unpaid labor.
• Present evidence of technical feasibility.
• Include a realistic implementation plan.
• Explain long-term scalability.
• Provide a clear co-financing strategy.
• Highlight environmental and social impact.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Avoid the following when preparing an application:

• Submitting incomplete proposals.
• Ignoring the 10% co-financing requirement.
• Providing unrealistic implementation timelines.
• Failing to explain scalability.
• Weak impact measurement plans.
• Solutions that are too expensive for low-income communities.
• Insufficient technical evidence or pilot readiness.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is the maximum funding available?

Successful pilot projects can receive up to USD 450,000 in grant funding.

Is co-financing required?

Yes. Applicants must provide a 10% co-financing contribution.

Who can apply?

Eligible applicants include for-profit companies, nonprofit organizations, civil society organizations, research institutions, and legally autonomous government-owned enterprises.

Can individuals apply?

No. Individual applicants are not eligible.

What types of solutions are encouraged?

Solutions may include innovative washing technologies, drying systems, sustainable detergents, water recycling, microfiber filtration, shared laundry services, smart technologies, and other affordable innovations that improve laundry sustainability.

What are the main objectives of the challenge?

The challenge aims to reduce women’s unpaid workload, improve health outcomes, decrease water consumption, reduce pollution, and promote inclusive and environmentally sustainable laundry technologies.

What additional benefits do selected applicants receive?

In addition to funding, participants receive opportunities to pilot solutions in new markets, collaborate with ADB and regional stakeholders, participate in impact evaluations, and gain international visibility.

Conclusion

The ADB Laundry Transformation Challenge offers a significant opportunity for organizations developing innovative laundry technologies to demonstrate scalable solutions that improve lives while protecting the environment. By providing up to USD 450,000 in funding, technical collaboration, and regional visibility, the initiative supports practical innovations that reduce women’s unpaid work, conserve water, minimize pollution, and create more sustainable laundry systems across Asia and the Pacific.