So it begins! Today we launched the Global Innovation Competition! £65,000 to the winner. £35,000 each to the two runner-ups and seven £5,000 prizes. Hosted annually, this competition will tackle a different problem each year in the citizen to government feedback loop in order to improve government performance. It is unique through a crowdsourcing and peer review process and the fact that all finalists will receive expert mentoring by our Jury upon arrival in Nairobi for the Global Innovation Week starting on March 31, 2014. This year the Global Innovation Competition (GIC) is awarded to applicants that have something particularly edgy, either a proven concept or an idea that is to be developed should they win. Anyone, no matter where they are in the world, is welcome to apply. Not just organisations, even individuals can apply. However, the applicant must prove they will implement the idea / proven concept in a Making All Voices Count country. The Making All Voices Count countries are: Bangladesh, Ghana, Indonesia, Kenya, Liberia, Mozambique, Nigeria, Pakistan, the Philippines, South Africa, Tanzania and Uganda. The inaugural GIC was announced at the Open Government Partnership (OGP) Summit in London on November 1, 2013. In keeping with this, the topics for the inaugural year are aligned with the OGP’s eligibility criteria and are therefore:

• Fiscal Transparency;
• Access to Information;
• Disclosures Related to Elected or Senior Public Officials; and
• Citizen Engagement.

Any application adhering to one of the four topics, can be submitted. These topics are directly related to the overarching goal of increased government transparency and accountability of Making All Voices Count. For more information on the criteria, click here. In the first round 30 semi-finalists will be selected through crowdsourcing. The public will be casting their votes on the best ideas or proven concepts on our online platform. Our Innovation Competition Committee reserves the right to award wildcards to its favourite submissions, thus positively impacting the chances of applicants from less ICT-enabled communities to win a place in the semi-final. The semi-finalists will undergo a peer review, meaning that they will review and vote on each other’s submissions. Our Jury, which will consist of experts in the field, will monitor the semi-final and award wildcards. The ten finalists will subsequently be invited to Nairobi for the Global innovation Week where they will not only get an excellent networking opportunity, but also receive expert mentoring from the Jury. Finally, Making All Voices Count will host the Global Innovation Gala night, where the finalists will present their ideas/concepts in front of their peers and the Jury and the three winners, selected by the Jury, will be unveiled. To learn more about the GIC and to submit your idea/concept, check out: http://ideas.makingallvoicescount.org/ The submission deadline is on December 13, so you still have time to hone your idea or concept. Bounce thoughts and ideas off of your friends. Talk to your plants if you have to. Because, ready or not, by December 16 the public voting begins! Are you the one that will take centre stage and impress the world!? Are you our £65,000 winner!?

 
Dates:

01-Nov:   Competition pre-announced at the OGP Summit
15-Nov:   First Round of Applications open on the platform
13-Dec:   First Round of Applications close
16-Dec:   Voting begins
18-Dec:   Jury is announced
30-Jan:   First Round voting closes
05-Feb:   The 30 semi-finalists are announced
19-Feb:   Semi-finalists Peer Review begins
07-Mar:   Semi-finalists Peer Review ends
14-Mar:   Finalists announced
31-Mar:   Global Innovation Week starts
03-Apr:   Global Innovation Gala Night
04-Apr:   Global innovation Week ends