The world has solutions to poverty. Can you distribute them to those in need? D-Prize Entrepreneurship Challenges welcome you.
Our world has already invented many effective poverty solutions, but sadly most fail to reach actual people in need. Millions of lives would improve if people had access to proven energy, education, health, and other interventions. Can you start a new social enterprise and solve this problem?
D-Prize is a call to the world’s boldest entrepreneurs. Can you design a new social enterprise and solve one of the distribution challenges below? If selected, we will award you up to $20,000 to launch a pilot in Africa, India, or another other developing region. D-Prize will award 5-15 social entrepreneurs funding. If your pilot is successful, we will help you find future funding and grow to impact millions.
The Challenges
Girl’s Education
SUGAR DADDY AWARENESS CHALLENGE: 14 million unintended teen pregnancies occur annually in sub-Saharan Africa, and girls are 5x more likely to be infected with HIV. A one-hour “sugar daddy awareness” class reduces these risks 28%. Can you teach “sugar daddy awareness” classes to girls in need?
SCHOLARSHIP CHALLENGE: Fewer than 50% of girls in developing countries will finish high school because they cannot afford fees. A $250 scholarship can quickly change a young girl’s life. Can you create a fundraising website and raise money from developed-world donors?
Energy
SOLAR LAMP CHALLENGE: 600 million people in sub-Saharan Africa use kerosene lanterns to light their homes. Solar lamps are cheaper, cleaner, create cost savings, and increase household incomes by 30%. Can you sell solar lights to rural or slum-dwelling households in need?
COOK STOVE CHALLENGE: 3 billion people cook on traditional stoves, which cause chronic smoke exposure and are the cause of 4% percent of the global disease burden. A $13 modern stove provides cost savings and health benefits. Can you sell cook stoves and maintain long-term adoption rates?
Education
FLIPPED CLASSROOM CHALLENGE: By 2030 Africa will need to fill an impossible 4.1 million teaching positions. “Flipped classrooms” and deskilled curriculum can be run by a facilitator, and reduce the need for expert teachers. Can you implement an effective curriculum to teach students in a resource-limited classroom?
TESTING CHALLENGE: In sub-Saharan Africa, 40% of children remain illiterate even after five years of school. Testing and public scorecards increase accountability in poor education systems. Can you launch an organization that tests student and school performance, and makes the information publicly available?
Governance And Infrastructure
TRANSPARENCY CHALLENGE: Public services in developing countries are rife with corruption. Public reporting and scorecards creates real accountability. Can you improve transparency and report data on the public service performance?
ROAD MONITORING CHALLENGE: World Bank infrastructure projects see a high social ROI, yet only 19% of roads in sub-Saharan Africa are paved. New road projects often cuts corners and may not even be finished. Can you create a simple road-construction mapping and monitoring system?
Global Health
VACCINE CHALLENGE: For $20, a child can be vaccinated against a range of infectious disease for life. Yet millions of vaccines are wasted. Can you create a simple management system that tracks vaccine supplies?
CORRECTIVE SURGERY CHALLENGE: Obstetric fistula, cervical cancer, club foot, and cataracts all have effective treatments. Yet identifying patients among large populations is difficult. Can you create a way to identify patients and connect them to early treatment solutions?
MATERNAL HEALTH CHALLENGE: Misoprostol is a $3 drug that could prevent 100,000 maternal deaths from postpartum hemorrhaging. Can you develop an organization to train birth attendants to administer misoprostol?
Custom
Propose your own challenge! If you know of another proven intervention in need of greater distribution, we would like to hear it. The only requirements are to choose an already proven poverty solution that is in need of distribution to more people in the developing world.
DOWNLOAD SUGGESTED CHALLENGE PARAMETERS
Who Should Compete?
D-Prize is for all aspiring entrepreneurs. You may come from anywhere in the world, be any age, and have any background. You must be committed, highly skilled, and ready to work hard to scale-up your impact as a long term career.
We will fund some existing organizations, especially if your organization wants to pilot a new distribution-focused initiative. If you are over 12 months old, have already raised more than $100,000, and are not piloting a new distribution-focused initiative, D-Prize is unlikely to offer funding.
FIRST ROUND
Submit a resume and two-page concept note by Aug 26 (early deadline), Sept 7 (regular deadline), or Sept 21 (limited extension). Early submissions encouraged.
SECOND ROUND
The top 5% of entrepreneurs will be invited to submit a full 10 page proposal. Full plans are due within four weeks of being invited to submit.
FINAL ROUND
The top entrepreneurs will interview with judges. Winners will receive up to $20,000, mentorship, and other support as you launch.
GET STARTED
Launch your idea. Spend the next three months using all of your talent to start a venture and help millions of people.
