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FAQs

Do you have questions about the “empowering people. Award”? See if you can find your answers here.

If you want to have information about the Terms & Conditions click here. 

Siemens Stiftung is looking for low technological solutions or products with sound business potential for basic supply problems in developing countries. empowering people. Award is addressed to any individual, team, organization or enterprise from any region in the world. The products or solutions have to already be in use.

The aim of the competition is twofold: Firstly, identify promising solutions that can be further scaled and have them implemented on site. Secondly, have these innovations prominently showcased in a central database on the website. Developmental cooperation organizations and institutions such as Siemens Stiftung may also approach inventors to further their products.

empowering people. Award is implemented by Siemens Stiftung.

www.siemens-stiftung.org

Siemens Stiftung operates in the fields of basic services, education, and culture. As a hands-on foundation, we develop own projects and implement them with a long-term view. Together with our partners, we aim to help people improve their living conditions. By doing so, we try to empower communities to have a good life. We are committed to international, impact-oriented, and transparent projects and focus on regions in Africa and Latin America as well as Germany and other European countries.

empowering people. Award is supported by Engineering for Change, MIT D-Lab, and Technology Exchange Lab.

empowering people. Award is open for individuals, teams, organizations or enterprises from any region in the world who comply with the terms & conditions of the award. A submitting enterprise has to follow values such as fairness, social responsibility and must not be a microfinance institution, private equity fund, or deposit taking institution. Employees of Siemens Stiftung, Intellecap and AT-Association are excluded from the competition.

Yes.

Entries will be evaluated according to:

Technology 

• Technical functionality and feasibility (resources at hand, functionality and reliability in local conditions)

• Environmental performance

Social impact

• Potential to help solve basic supply problems

• Income generation, job and training opportunities

Business

• Business model and financial resources

• Proof of Concept (time of operation, revenue streams, earnings)

• Financial planning and scaling options

Team/Organization

• Team competence and experience

• Organizational structure

We are looking for relatively simple, appropriate technical products and solutions in the categories Energy, Financial Technology, Food & Agriculture, Healthcare, Water & Sanitation, Mobility & Infrastructure, Waste Management, and Education & Training. Each product or solution submitted has to be implemented in a business-based project.

All intellectual properties will remain with the developer/developing team.

The Solutions Database will include the following information: Name of the product/solution, a short technical description, background information, social impact, product pictures, name(s) and email address(es) of the developer/developing team, URL of the website (if available), and a presentation and/or video.

The current Solutions Database can be found on empowering people. Network. Organizations working in the field of developmental cooperation may approach individual developers/developing teams to implement their product/solution in a developing country.

1st prize: 50,000 Euros

2nd prize: 30,000 Euros

3rd prize: 20,000 Euros

Runners-up: 7 x 10,000 Euros each

Special WASH Award supported by Knorr Bremse Global Care: 20,000 Euros

Community Prize: 10,000 Euros

Additional benefits: All winners gain from a long-term membership in empowering people. Network plus the solutions will be endorsed in the Solutions Database of the network to bring them under an international spotlight enhancing scope and impact.

Apply online via this website until 31st October, 24:00 CET.

- Launch on 5th July 2018: If you are interested in applying for empowering people. Award, fill out the application form on this website by October 31, 2018, 12:00 CET.

- By spring 2019: Pre-evaluation of all entries and creation of a shortlist of potential winners by technical experts.

- Summer 2019: Evaluation of the entries’ shortlist by the jury and Award Ceremony (date and location tbd.)

- From Summer 2019: Promotion of the winning products and solution.

Yes. Once you create your personal login, you can always go back, log-in and work on your submission.

No. All submitted applications will be considered as final. The only exception to this rule is a specific request by the evaluation team to provide further information.

We kindly ask you to submit your application in English or Spanish.

Documents, as requested in the submission form, can be uploaded together with the entry form. Please note that entries exceeding the stipulated file sizes and formats will not be considered.

Yes.

Two expert teams will conduct initial screening and identify a shortlist of 10 finalists. The top three winners will be selected by an independent, international jury. The expert teams and the jurors will be introduced on our website.

There is an additional Special WASH Award and a Community Prize which will also be selected from the shortlist

Yes. You can enter if you have a new or a further developed product or solution.

Yes. As long as you haven't won any of the previous empowering people. Awards with your solution or product.

Finalists will be notified in early summer 2019.The contact information you provided in the application form will be used to contact you.

Basic needs encompass food, water, sanitation, waste management, education, healthcare, and mobility. Siemens Stiftung believes the use of technology along with social entrepreneurship improves quality of life and social structures.