If you have an idea for an innovative social project that can create significant social value, here's your chance to win US$1 million. The Lien i3 Challenge hopes to catalyse social innovations by providing both funding as well as advice, to ensure good projects get launched and are sustainable. The challenge is open internationally but preference would be given to projects that benefit communities in Asia. Also, for a chance to win, the project must demonstrate innovation, impact and implementability – the i3. The challenge has been established by the Lien Centre for Social Innovation at Singapore Management University (Lien Centre at SMU).
The challenge is a three-stage process, which culminates with the implementation of the winning projects within a year. In the first stage, participants must submit their ideas in a two-page proposal by March 31, 2009. Participants will then be shortlisted to proceed to the second stage, where they will each be given US$1,000, mentorship and support by the panel of judges to further develop their ideas. The participants will have to submit 'refined' entries by August 31, after which the judges will select the final participants to award the US$1 million grant money to implement their ideas in the third and final stage. The winners will be announced in October.
