There are proven ideas to alleviate poverty all across the globe. Can you distribute them to the people most in need?
From vaccines to classroom tools to solar lamps, society has already invented effective interventions to alleviate poverty. But, these tools and techniques often fail to reach the people who actually need them. Rather than the next big prototype or innovative technology, this competition seeks innovative ideas to distribute an existing intervention with evidence behind it. Pitch your distribution idea to solve one of the D-Prize challenges already identified, or propose another proven intervention that is failing to reach people who need it. If selected, NYU and D-Prize will award you up to $15,000 to pilot your new venture in a developing region this summer.
The NYU Social Entrepreneurship Program and NYU Office of Sustainability are proud to be founding members of The NYU Social Entrepreneurship D-Prize Global Social Venture Competition Consortium. Cutting-edge universities around the world have joined together to conduct their own intra-school competitions and support their students’ efforts to scale sustainable, proven poverty solutions in the developing world. The consortium does more than provide students a chance to launch a world-changing venture. It also pools university resources, encourages shared value and curriculum and multiplies the power of each university.
How To Get Involved:
Step 1: Review the D-Prize Challenges & sign up for email updates. They have already identified several distribution challenges that stop sustainable and effective poverty interventions from reaching the people who could benefit from them. These challenges will give you a framework for designing your new social venture.
Step 2: Design your social venture. Choose the challenge that most inspires you, or propose your own. The NYU D-Prize Round 1 Application Packet explains the competition rules, process, and instructions on how to draft and submit your proposal. Participate in four global webinars with students from all consortium institutions and refer to the guidance and tips listed in the support tab of theChallenges section of this website.
Step 3: Write and submit your concept note by February 4, 2018. Refer to the NYU D-Prize Round 1 Application Packet for guidelines and submission details. After reviewing the concept notes, judges will invite the most promising social entrepreneurs to submit a full ten-page proposal.
Step 4: Write and submit your proposal. Selected teams will write and submit a full ten-page proposal outlining the details of their social venture.
Step 5: Finalists interview. Selected finalists will interview with the judges. If a winner is selected, the venture will be awarded up to $15,000 to launch a pilot or improve an existing venture.
What happens when you win? You book a plane ticket, hire a staff, and launch your startup over the summer. You will spend the next three months using every last shred of ability and talent that you have to grow a new organization that will change the world.
Learn more about the NYU Social Entrepreneurship/D-Prize Social Venture Competition Consortium.
Questions? Contact socialentrepreneurship@nyu.edu.
