Deadline: April 22, 2024
Applications for the UpLink Biodiversity Challenge 2024 are now open. This challenge calls for innovative ecopreneurial solutions that promote the conservation, protection, and restoration of biodiversity, while enabling the maintenance of services that are crucial for the health of terrestrial ecosystems.
The focus areas of this challenge include:
- Biodiversity monitoring and measurement
- Incentivizing demand and innovative financing for biodiversity
- Strengthening local value chains
Benefits
Between 10-20 submissions will be selected as winners, recognized as Top Innovators, and become part of the UpLink Innovation Ecosystem, a curated programme designed for Founders, CEOs, Executive Directors, etc., which provides:
- Access: Opportunity to participate in select World Economic Forum and partner-led events, projects, and communities.
- Visibility: Global exposure via the Forum’s and UpLink’s digital media channels.
- Connections: Strategic introductions to select organizations in the Forum’s and UpLink’s networks.
- Targeted support: Including programming and support on technical, business, and operational matters.
Eligibility
- Environmental impact: Solution tackles drivers of biodiversity loss, such as habitat degradation, species extinction and climate change, ultimately helping strengthen efforts to conserve, protect and restore biodiversity. Must have a robust M&E framework to measure impact in place.
- Socio-economic impact: Extent to which local communities are engaged, and opportunities for empowerment such as increased income, employment, and education are realized, with a robust M&E framework to measure impact.
- Innovative potential: Solution addresses important market gaps, exhibits novelty, has undergone market testing and promises commercial viability, while showing potential for/is currently operating at scale.
- Governance and operating model: Solution has an equitable revenue-sharing model, inclusive and transparent decision-making processes, and well-defined land tenure relationships.
- Business model: For-profit start-ups or social enterprises that are already generating revenue and have a sustainable funding model. Not-for-profit organizations with a clearly defined, revenue-generating project may be considered.
- Stage: Beyond the ideation phase and demonstrating the potential to scale or replicate and achieve long-term financial viability, impact, and sustainability. Selected Top Innovators have typically reached the pilot to growth/scale phase of their operations.
- Management team: Committed, diverse and values driven management team with demonstrated execution capabilities.
- Geographic scope: Submissions from across the globe that are scalable in their local contexts and potentially replicable in different parts of the world.
Application
For more information, visit UpLink Biodiversity Challenge.
