UN Project Inspire 2016 – Win $25,000 and a trip to Singapore!

Deadline: July 1, 2016

Hey changemaker, do you have an idea that can change the world for women and girls? Submit it now and stand a chance to win an all-expenses-paid trip to pitch your idea in Singapore for a US$25,000 grant!

About

Project Inspire: 5 Minutes to Change the World is a joint initiative from the Singapore Committee for UN Women and MasterCard, to help young change-makers create a better world for women and girls in Asia and the Pacific.

Project Inspire 2016 will take on the theme of ‘Empowering Women Through Safety and Security’. Applicants will be asked to demonstrate how their ideas harness safety and security concepts to empower women throughout Asia and the Pacific.

Prizes and Benefits

• Grand Prize: Thanks to MasterCard, the grand prize winner will receive a US$25,000 grant to implement their project.
• Financial Inclusion Award: Thanks to Mazars and MasterCard, one Financial Inclusion Award winner will receive a US$10,000 grant to implement their project.
• Hackathon Award: Four Code4Impact winners will receive a dedicated crowdfunding page to raise funds and exposure for their projects.

Ten Finalists will each receive: 

• 1 return flight from the finalist’s capital city to Singapore, to participate in the Grand Final.
• 1 ticket to the Project Inspire Grand Final in November.
• 4 nights accommodation in Singapore, plus meals and transfers.
• Exclusive INSEAD and Bain & Company workshops, plus one-on-one mentoring.

Eligibility

1. This competition is open to both males and females.
2. Participants must represent an existing organization.
3. Participants may submit entries as an individual or as a team of up to three members.
   • If submitting as an individual, you must be between the ages of 18-35. You will be considered as the team leader for the purpose of this competition.
   • If submitting as a team, at least one member of the team must be between the ages of 18-35. A team leader must be chosen and will be between the ages of 18-35.
4. The team leader will travel to Singapore to represent your project in the finals. The team leader must attend the entire duration of the finals.

Project:

1. The project must empower disadvantaged women and/or girls.
2. The project must encompass safety and/or security concept(s).
3. The project can either be a new initiative or based on an existing initiative.
4. The beneficiaries of the project must be women or girls in Asia and/or the Pacific.
5. The proposed project must not propagate any political views or religious doctrines.
6. The project must be designed to be implemented with a budget of US$25,000.
7. The winner of this competition must commence the fieldwork for their project by 1 February 2017.

Eligible Countries

Asia-Pacific:

Australia, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brunei, Burma (Myanmar), Cambodia, Canada, China, Chile, Cook Islands,Fiji, French Polynesia, India, Indonesia, Japan, Kiribati, Laos, Malaysia Maldives, Marshall Islands, Micronesia,Mongolia, Nauru, Nepal, New Zealand, New Caledonia, Niue, North Korea, Pakistan, Palau, Papua NewGuinea, Peru, Philippines, Russia, Samoa, Singapore, Solomon Islands, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Thailand,Timor-Leste, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, Vietnam, United States.

Middle East:

Bahrain, Cyprus, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia,Syria, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, Yemen.

Africa:

Algeria, Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cape Verde, Cameroon, Central African Republic,Chad, Comoros, Congo, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the, Cote d’Ivorie, Djibouti, Egypt,Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia,Libya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria,Rwanda, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, South Sudan, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe.

Submission Requirements

1. Each participant must submit (i) an application form, and (ii) a (maximum) 5-minute video if applicable.
2. The video is to be uploaded on any public video-sharing sites and the link to the video must be provided on the application form.
3. Each submission should address the following questions by completing the application form:
   • What is your inspirational idea?
   • How will your project change the lives of women and girls in the short and long term?
     • Tell us how many women and/or girls will benefit directly and indirectly from your
       project.
   • How will you/your team carry out the project?
     • Please include a timeline for the project, indicating key phases relevant to your
       project i.e., ground preparation, pilot phase, training period, evaluation etc.
     • Tell us the activities you have planned to help reach your goal.
   • How will you spend the US$25,000 grant to carry out the project?
     • Within your proposal, include a detailed budget plan on how the US$25,000 grant
       will be utilized. The budget should clearly indicate the project expenses, operational costs, manpower costs, and other spending relevant to your project.
   • How will you measure the success of the project?
4. Submissions must be made in English.
5. Each submission will only be considered complete once the application form has been submitted and accompanied by information on the existing initiative (if applicable); biographies of the team members; and any supporting materials (e.g. website, social media channels, media clippings, past awards).
6. A valid email address is required for submission.
7. Deadline for submissions is to be affirmed.

Judging Criteria

The panel of judges will evaluate the creativity, efficacy, impact and sustainability each project demonstrates. Entries will be judged based on the following criteria: