COVID-19 Innovation Prize
Local Ugandan & refugee-led proven innovations in response to the Coronavirus pandemic.
Hosted by the Uganda Response Innovation Lab | Powered by Save the Children | Supported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Norway
The Challenges
Uganda is registering increasing numbers of COVID-19 infections and this, along with a prolonged lock-down, has had impacts on the population directly and indirectly:
Learning has been disturbed for millions of children in refugee settlements and other communities have had their learning interrupted because of school/child-friendly space closures and once out of school for long, there is a risk that many will never go back to learning. The majority of those out of school cannot access the necessary facilities and materials or technology to catch up with learning.
Families in refugee and host communities as well as vulnerable Ugandan communities/least well-off families have lost their livelihoods and are struggling to make ends meet, resorting to negative coping mechanisms. A considerable proportion of families are having one meal a day, preventing children from consuming the nutrients they need to develop and enjoy their childhood.
Most vulnerable groups, children, youth, women, the elderly, persons with disabilities, etc around the country and more so in settlements face increasing threats to their safety and well-being – including mistreatment, gender-based violence, emotional distress, exploitation, social exclusion, and separation from caregivers – because of preventive measures taken to contain the disease, while many are missing out on life-saving services and medication. These factors and the possibility of anxiety, stigma, and discrimination increase vulnerability to abuse, exploitation, and psychological distress.
With thousands of refugees and Ugandans falling into at-risk categories, living in hard-to-reach areas, and with minimal resources available to ensure their wellbeing, there is an urgent need to find innovative ways to address critical challenges to limiting the spread and impact of the virus. Fortunately, Ugandan and refugee communities have demonstrated time and time again their ability to respond to serious crises with creativity and resilience. The thriving civil society ecosystem and growing innovation hubs are well-positioned to develop and implement quick and effective solutions.
Credit: Louis Lesson / Save the Children / Uganda
In response to these challenges and recognizing the potential in the ecosystem, the Response Innovation Lab Uganda (RIL), in collaboration with Save the Children and with the support of the Government of Norway, is launching a Covid-19 Innovation Prize for 2020. They will be used to support locally-sourced innovations responding to the pandemic (prevention and treatment), secondary socio-economic challenges, and disruption of basic services caused by the virus or the preventive measures in place to flatten the curve.
The Prize
The Covid-19 Innovation prizes recognize work that was already completed by innovators and innovative companies/organizations prior to applying for the award, and benefitted women, men, and youth in terms of protection, adapted livelihoods, and resilience from the effects of the pandemic. The prizes recognize locally-implemented innovations responding to the pandemic (prevention and treatment), secondary socio-economic challenges, and Covid-caused disruption of basic services.
The funding will be in form of prizes for the best Covid-19 innovative solutions. A total of UGX 82 million is up for prize funding for the innovations that meet the criteria.
Individual prizes will range from 1 million to 3 million shillings for winners, runner-up, and third place categories.
Awards to registered organizations will range from 2 to 7.5 million shillings.
All cash prizes will be subjected to statutory deductions. Non-cash prizes (i.e. certificates) to innovations worth promoting but not meeting thresholds for prizing will also be awarded.
The Winners
Over 80 applications were received and vetted by a multisectoral expert panel which shortlisted 26 of the best innovations for a cash prize and 12 additional applications for the recognition of their creative and community-driven work. To learn more contact us.
THEME 1: RESPONSE, TREATMENT, AND PREVENTION
Nine prizes were granted to initiatives providing solutions to the outbreak of the virus and the secondary effects of the preventive measures. Among them 3 innovators are distinguished for producing innovative protective personal equipment locally throughout the country, responding to a ride demand. The other innovations were remarked for how they tried to resolve some of the challenges in addressing the COVID-19 preventive measures such as social distancing with solutions that include digital payment models, contact tracing, maintaining access to health services during the pandemic, e.t.c.
Best Innovation
Runner-Up
Special Category: PPE
Notable Mentions
THEME 2: CONTINUOUS EDUCATION
With the outbreak of COVID-19 came the lockdown which interrupted learning as schools were closed. There was a risk that many would not go back to school after the extended breaks. The innovators below were recognized for their efforts in ensuring learning continued amidst the pandemic by rolling out small-group community-driven learning activities, using digital Ed Tech solutions where accessible, or promoting the use of low-tech tools such as radios and board games to make sure education remains accessible by low-resource families too.
Best Innovation
Runner Up
Notable Mentions
THEME 3: ECONOMIC RESILIENCE AND/OR ADAPTED LIVELIHOODS DURING COVID-19 AND SOCIAL DISTANCING
Under this category, we are looking for ideas that have been implemented to:
Address the impact of COVID on economic inequalities faced by women and/or marginalized groups.
Ensure continued income streams for small businesses and social enterprises during the pandemic and in respect of the preventive measures.
Find alternative income-generating solutions in response to economic vulnerability and loss of livelihoods during Covid-19 without resorting to negative coping mechanisms.
Best Innovation
Runner-Up
Honrable Mentions
THEME 4: REFUGEE-LED INNOVATIONS (ANY COVID-19 RELATED INNOVATIONS)
An innovation implemented by refugee-led organizations in responding to challenges created by COVID-19 in Kampala and in settlements across the country.
Best Innovation
Runner-Up
The Prize Competition
Criteria for Applicants
Individual innovators (Ugandans or refugees registered in Uganda).
Local organizations and refugee-led organizations (local NGOs, Academic institutions, CBOs, CSOS, and start-ups, and private sector companies). The applicant preferably is registered formally and active for a minimum of 6 months.
The innovation is already being implemented by the innovation team using pre-existing resources. The prizes will not be provided to ideas that have not been tested.
Judging Criteria
How unique/innovative is the intervention from the others you know?
Is the innovation locally-led and implemented?
The innovation has been tested/evaluated and developed with local input (those affected and interested in the innovation).
The solutions is technically viable in line with the existing standards, team strength, response frameworks and local context.
Applicants demonstrate that the innovation/solution responds to one of the identified challenges, is better compared to the business-as-usual approaches and has started yielded positive impact on society (concrete evidence available).
Potential/evidence and existence of plans for rapid scaling of the solution and impact in terms of number of people.
Is the solution affordable? Would it be possible to scale it up in the Ugandan context?
Existing and potential buy-in and support from relevant authorities, particularly national government ministries, humanitarian coordination structures, WHO, or other UN agencies, CDC, other national or international organizations active in this specific field.
2020 Timeline
13 November: Applications open.
13 - 20 November: Send us questions to answer during the webinar on.
24 November, 9:30 am EAT: Webinar about the prize. Register here.
29 November, 11:59pm EAT: Submission deadline via the online Google form - click to access.
7 December: Shortlisting and scoring of proposals by.
14-18 December: Final selection.
January 2021: public announcement of the results.
Process
Following submission, the RIL will shortlist the innovations which satisfy the legibility criteria. This will be followed by the scoring by the external review panel to identify the best projects.
Support will be provided to ensure the applicants follow the guidelines before submission of their evidenced work. A webinar will be organized for that purpose. Successful applicants will be notified by mail.
Selected winners will be highlighted by RIL and materials such as photos, and testimonials will be requested.
Thank You!
Many thanks to our partners for funding and supporting this local prize call.
