Applications Invited for ITU/UNOSSC Global South COVID-19 Digital Innovation Challenge 2021

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ITU/UNOSSC Global South COVID-19 Digital Innovation Challenge 2021

Do you have a digital solution that addresses the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic in the Global South?

The Global South COVID-19 Digital Innovation Challenge, in response to COVID-19, is co-organized by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and the United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation (UNOSSC). The challenge will identify scalable innovative digital solutions that will enable countries, societies, communities, institutions and individuals from the Global South to deal with the cascading effects of the pandemic – across governance, economic and social sectors, and wellbeing – and contribute to the organizations’ respective focuses on South-South cooperation and digital technologies.

The Challenge objective is to promote South-South cooperation by replicating or scaling up existing innovations with a potential partner/ country in the South. The Challenge will provide a mentorship scheme to increase the potential/ capabilities of the selected proposals/ teams to scaling up innovations across developing countries.

Benefits:

The organizations/institutions whose submissions have been finally selected by the selection committee as the winning proposals will, through their appointed representatives:

• Attend a virtual boot camp to further refine their plans and their milestones (e.g. market entry, deployment, impact traction).
• Will be provided with seed funding up to USD $25,000 to implement/improve/scale up their proposed solution(s), with mentorship and training support, in a new market (developing country) by end of April 2022. Both the seed funding will be provided by ITU subject to the terms and conditions of agreements signed between ITU and each winning institution/organization.
• Present virtually their digital innovation solutions/prototypes at UNOSSC’s annual Global South-South Development (GSSD) Expo and ITU’s 2021 Global Innovation Forum, where they will also share knowledge and explore opportunities for potential partnerships.
• Be eligible for additional fundraising and resource mobilization support from UNOSSC through a crowdfunding window of the South-South Galaxy platform.

Eligibility:

1. Only legally registered organizations/institutions from developing countries are eligible to participate in this challenge. The challenge is open to governments, intergovernmental organizations, NGOs, private sector and start-ups, research institutions, academia, and civil society organization (CSOs).

2. Applying organizations/institutions must have an existing project or minimum viable product (MVP) that:

• promotes South-South cooperation by replicating or scaling up existing innovations with a potential partner/country in the South,
• demonstrates a new innovative project/prototype, outlining its potential for scaling up through South-South cooperation, and
• is a digital solution

3. Only one submission per applying organization/institution is permitted (in case of multiple submissions, only the first one received will be considered). 

4. All submissions must be made in the English language only.

5. Applying organizations/institutions will be required to submit proof of their legal registration.

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