The Spindle Award for Best Innovation 2018 (Pitch in the Netherlands and win €5000)

Deadline: July 31, 2018

The Spindle Best Innovation Award 2018 is open for submissions. The Spindle rewards the best innovative concepts in the field of international development. They aim to accelerate innovations in the field of development cooperation and showcases these during the annual Partos Innovation Festival on Thursday October 11th 2018.

They welcome innovative applications from all over the world and from all types of actors and organisations. Win The Spindle Award for ‘Best Innovation 2018’ at Partos Innovation Festival, €5000 for a scale-up strategy plus support in resource mobilisation! Do you have the winning innovation The Spindle is looking for?

Benefits

Main prize: The Spindle Award for Best Innovation

• Award granted by the jury
• Cash prizes (to be announced) for numbers 1, 2 & 3
• Fundraising clinic by Han Valk Fundraising Consultancy

Subcategory – Public Award for Best Innovation

• Award granted to winner online voting
• Fundraising clinic by Han Valk Fundraising Consultancy

Subcategory – Celebrate Inclusion Award

• Award granted by our jury
• Cash prize (to be announced)

Eligibility

• Open to innovations from all over the world and from all types of actors and organisations
• They are looking for new solutions that work for inclusive and sustainable development. New projects, programmes, policies, business models or approaches within the existing realm of NGOs.
• But they also target new products, ventures or services that emerge from start-ups, social entrepreneurs, business or knowledge workers outside the development sector. These could be initiatives that have already proven to be effective or have just passed the first test pilot phase. Are you, or do you know someone, who works on such an initiative? Then this innovation might win The Spindle Award for ‘Best Innovation 2018’.

While selecting the 10 best innovations of 2018, the jury focuses on the following criteria:

• Thematic focus: The innovation contributes to the achievement of the SDGs and creates impact in one or more of The Spindle themes.

1. Civic Power
2. New Ways of Working together
3. Making Data Count
4. Leave No One Behind

• Recent: The innovation was introduced no longer than three years ago.
• A clear problem: The innovation contributes to the solution of a clear problem in development cooperation and/or civil society organisations.
• Originality: Does your innovation provide a distinctive, new solution to a development cooperation need?
• Impact: How big is the impact you can (potentially) create with your innovation?
• Involvement: How is the (local) target group involved in the innovation?
• Sustainability: How (financially) sustainable is your innovation?
• Gender: Does the innovation contribute to gender balance, and/or improve the situation of women?
• Scalability: How and to which extent can you scale it up?
• Appealing: Can you make people enthusiastic about your innovation?

Do you have an innovative idea that contributes to an inclusive, just and sustainable world? They welcome you to apply for ‘Best Idea 2018’.

Application

• July 31st – Call for Innovations closed
• August 9th – Jury selects shortlisted ten
• September 10th – 30th – Public Voting – Online voting is open from 10th until 30th of September. All teams that have fully and thoroughly completed the application form will be published on The Spindle website, where all visitors can vote for their favourite.
• October 9th – Selecting three nominees – All ten shortlisted applicants are invited to the pitch event on Oct 9th in The Netherlands, where the jury decides which three will proceed to the finals, two days later.
• October 11th – The winners – During the Partos Innovation Festival, the winner of the Best Innovation Award, the Public Award, the Inclusive Innovation Award and their related prizes will be announced.

Make sure you take a look at the selection process, the selection criteria and the terms and conditions of The Spindle Awards. If you need any assistance or have any doubts, please contact us through info@thespindle.org.

You can find all this information plus the application form here.