NASA, USAID, The Department of State, and NIKE joined together to form LAUNCH: Energy Challenge in an effort to identify, showcase and support innovative approaches to global sustainability challenges. LAUNCH searches for visionaries whose world-class ideas, technologies or programs show great promise for making tangible impacts on society in the developed and/or developing worlds. A panel of experts will select up to 10 innovations for support, networking and mentoring from influential business and government leaders. The Challenge is open for submissions until September 9, 2011.

The Challenge invites everyone from companies, entrepreneurs, inventors, social enterprises, and nonprofit organizations to research institutions and venture capitalists to submit projects. Applicants in all categories should be poised to pilot-test, “go to market” and/or scale up their innovations. A principal from the organization must be ready to attend the LAUNCH: Energy Forum at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida from November 10 - 13, 2011.

Do you believe that we can leverage renewable and distributed sources of energy that utilize small, local and intelligent technology to generate and store energy? Do you think we can provide equitable and affordable access to energy resources across the developed and developing worlds? Choose the most suitable category, come up with a project proposal, and enter the challenge!

Pick the Category

LAUNCH seeks submissions in seven categories including:

• Community Applications: Self-contained generation systems (for settings from individual homes to small communities, including next generation cookstoves for the developing world, MicroGrid solutions, and other solutions for the developing world)
• Education to inform, align and encourage best energy practices by consumers, utilities, and policy makers
• Deployment: Programs, tools and networks to enable adoption and use

Keep in mind the judging criteria

LAUNCH will assess innovations using the following Technical Requirements:

•     Impact: Applicant’s proposal should demonstrate how the innovation will affect the maximum population for the least resources, with the scale-up goal in the “millions of people reached/affected” range
•     Timeframe: LAUNCH is most interested in reviewing proposals in which scale and impact can be realized within 1–3 years (any time required for regulatory, patent, or other approvals is not included).
•     Affordability: Low-cost, especially for developing markets.
•     Appropriate Technology: Requires an efficient use of resources to implement and maintain. Resources required must be obtainable in the region of interest.
•     Strong business or program model: Economically viable and replicable.
•     Urgency and Scale: Innovation submissions should clearly demonstrate the potential to positively impact one or more of the following outcomes at a large scale:
•     Energy efficiency
•     Broader access to energy (at the regional, community, or household level)
•     The reduction of greenhouse gas emissions
•     Increased reliability of power
•     Reduced unit cost of energy
•     Reduced toll on human health associated with energy use
•     Reduced local environmental impacts (such as deforestation)
•     Improved implications for livelihoods

Win!

The best proposals submitted to the LAUNCH: Energy Challenge will be chosen by a panel of experts. Approximately 10 innovators will be invited to a three-day event hosted by NASA, USAID, The US Department of State and NIKE at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. There is no cash price, but each innovator will receive:

•     All expense paid travel to attend the event.
•     Individual access for two days to energy experts, business and governmental leaders, and investors.
•     Specific, honest, face-to-face critiques of presentations, business/program model, etc. and recommendations to help accelerate their innovation.
•     Assistance with creating a concise, high-impact presentation, which will be streamed live during the forum and recorded on DVD for future use.
•     A professional video of their innovation story which will be featured on Launch.org.
•     Post-Forum help to integrate LAUNCH Forum recommendations that will move each innovation closer to successful implementation.

LERAN MORE

To learn more about the event and submit your proposal go to the LAUNCH: Energy Challenge website

To view former Innovators’ presentations and comments about their experiences at LAUNCH please visit www.launch.org