An open innovation marketplace uses “crowdsourcing” to solve water and sanitation challenges in exchange for the opportunity to earn cash awards.

Corporations and non-profits referred to as "Seekers" come to InnoCentive.com to post "Challenges" - unique professional, academic and research problems for which they are seeking a solution. Each Challenge contest offers a cash award for solutions chosen from all those submitted. Anyone can create a free account to become a "Solver" and offer his or her unique solution to a challenge.

Cash awards offered range from US$ 5,000 to US$ 1 million (€ 3,500 - € 700,000 ). Up to November 2009, nearly US$ 5 million (€ 3.5 million) in prize money has been awarded to 539 Challenges.

One group of Challenges – the GlobalGive Back Innovation Challenge - focuses on solving problems in developing countries. Within this group, the Rockefeller Foundation is sponsoring a series of water and sanitation challenges. In 2008 it awarded a prize for a design for dry-based biolatrines for rural schools in Africa. Currently it is offering US$ 20,000 (€ 14,000) for each of the following two water challenges (deadline 11 March 2010):

• Design of a Low Cost Rainwater Harvesting Storage Tank in a Wetland Region (India)
• Make Water from Lake Victoria Safe to Drink!

Web sites:

• InnoCentive.com - GlobalGive Back Innovation Challenge
• InnoCentive.com - Developing Countries Pavilion

Contact: InnoCentive, Inc., Waltham, MA, USA, contact page

Source: ARA / Atlanta Daily World, 19 Nov 2009

Tags: africa, ecological sanitation, financing, south asia, water supply