Sanitation and waste management innovation awards 2017

Description

We are looking for the most groundbreaking solutions in Latin America and the Caribbean working on water, sanitation and solid waste.

THE CHALLENGE

Do you have a water, sanitation or solid waste startup, solution, product, initiative or service that is improving lives in Latin America and the Caribbean? If so, we are looking for you! Apply now to participate in the IDB-FEMSA Award. Selected finalists will join us in Buenos Aires for the award ceremony, which will take place in November during the IWA 2017 Congress.

The award aims to highlight innovative startups, solutions, products and initiatives in water, sanitation, and solid waste.

The jury will select up to 8 finalists who will travel to Buenos Aires for a final round of competition where they will have the chance to pitch their solutions to the jury in front of a live audience, consisting of sater, sanitation and solid waste management experts from all over the world.

The winners will receive a monetary prize and a special recognition from the Latin American Artist, Gerardo Azcúnaga.

THE AWARDS

Since 2009, the Inter-American Development Bank and FEMSA Foundation have granted the Water and Sanitation Award for Latin America and the Caribbean, with the goal of recognizing outstanding individuals, municipalities, public and private companies, civil society organizations and service providers that have implemented innovative and effective solutions in the water, sanitation and solid waste sectors.

This year the jury will award, two prizes given to organizations working throughout Latin American and the Caribbean, and two for organizations working in Argentina, sponsored by the Government of the City of Argentina for organizations working in Argentina, sponsored by the Under Secretariat of Water of Argentina from the Ministry of the Interior, Public Works and Housing of Argentina and by the Water and Sanitation of Water Subsecretaría Argentina de Recursos Hídricos del Ministerio del Interior, Obras Públicas y Vivienda, and by Agua y Saneamientos de Buenos Aires (AySA).

REQUIREMENTS

• Startup representative must be a citizen and resident of an IDB borrowing member country.
• Applicant must be at least 18 years old.
• Applicant must be the founder or co-founder of the organization.
• The organization must have at least six months and no more than three years since being established and it should be legally registered.
• Applicant must operate in an IDB borrowing member country
• Applications must be submitted through this website.
• Applications must be submitted in any of the four official languages of the IDB (Spanish, French, English or Portuguese)
• Applicant organization must have a solution or product already (not an idea), or at least a minimum viable product with users already testing it.
• The organization startup must be ready to raise funds to go onto a new level of growth and impact.
• A video pitch of no more than 2 minutes is required. The video must show all team members of the organization in front of the camera. The video must be custom made for this call. It must be uploaded to Youtube, as part of the application (no password protection please).

The video must answer the following questions:

• What is the problem that the product/service is addressing?
• What is the solution that your product/service offers?
• What are the organization growth plans?
• What is the composition of your team?
• Why should you be selected?

Along with the application, 2 letters of recommendation must be submitted:

• Letters should come in an official letterhead and have the name and signature of the person recommending you and the organization.
• One letter has to be from an external collaborator or client, endorsing the organization’s work;
• The second letter must be from another type of organization familiar with the organization’s work and accomplishments that could validate the work being done;
• The letter of recommendation needs to endorse the individual and his or her work in the applicant organization.
• Recommendation letters cannot be from family members.
• Diplomas, invitation letters to events, or letters of recommendation for other contests will be disqualified.