15. Challenge prizes can kickstart the economy
We examined how prizes invest in relevant innovators to achieve the ambitions of the UK government’s innovations policy by focussing on the goals of Net Zero and post-COVID economic revival as part of our Great Innovation Challenge paper.
14. Rapid Recovery Challenge winners were announced
Launched to address the financial fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic, the two winners offered new tools and solutions providing rapid and personalised support with finances and jobs to people across the UK.
13. A smart wheelchair won the Mobility Unlimited Challenge
A fine example of how innovation is often sparked by personal experience, discover the story of the smart wheelchair that pushed forward one innovator’s dream of success.
12. The Amazon Longitude Explorer Prize was a challenge to young minds to design and develop solutions to the big issues of our time
Delivering social benefit was also obligatory. From a two-way AI-enabled British Sign Language (BSL) translator to a self-contained mealworm larvae digester box…
11. One of our prizes named a ‘climate policy breakthrough’
The Million Cool Roofs Challenge is a $2million partnership that aims to increase access to solar-reflective “cool” roofs in developing countries suffering heat stress.
10. Global Surgical Training Challenge Discovery Award winners announced
Ten teams from a field of 41 applicants were each awarded grants of up to $200,000 for their innovation in surgical training across a broad range of surgical specialisms.
9. Chile used challenge prizes to respond to COVID-19
Now challenge prizes have evolved to become part of Chile’s larger innovation strategy to grow the country’s knowledge-based economy and improve its citizens’ quality of life.
8. The winner of the CareerTech Challenge secured £120,000 for their job coaching tech
Those involved in producing it explained what it is and its innovation in helping job seekers identify their skills and potentials, especially benefiting those marginalised groups in employment markets such as refugees.
7. The Government’s new Innovation Strategy intends to make the UK the most exciting place in the world for innovators
We explained how challenge prizes are the ideal vehicle for making that happen and how they are a valuable contributor to the strategy.
6. Winners of the first Water Breakthrough Challenge were revealed
The nine winning initiatives spanned everything from cleaning up the UK’s rivers to reducing customer bills through using AI to prevent leaks and reduce wastage.
5. Scaling marine plastic solutions through human-centred design innovation
We explored how human-centred design helps empower women in relation to reducing marine plastic pollution solutions.
4. Ten London-based initiatives were named as winners in the Mayor’s Resilience Fund
Each of these organisations contributing to the UK capital reinvigorating itself post-pandemic received £40,000 to implement their solutions.
3. The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the landscape of loneliness
We caught up with two of the Tech to Connect Challenge finalists, to find out how the coronavirus has changed their approaches to tackling social isolation and loneliness.
2. Winners of the European Social Innovation Competition were announced
Three social innovation projects were awarded 50,000€ each for their ideas to help people and organisations adapt and thrive in a changing world.
1. Winners of the first Water Breakthrough Challenge were revealed
Eleven collaborative initiatives led by water companies received up to £250,000 each to tackle the biggest issues facing the water sector in England and Wales.
