The NetSquared Challenge Process was developed to mine, profile, and accelerate innovative projects using Web and mobile-based technologies focused on social change, locally and globally.

Take a closer look at how the process works below, or visit the Global Project Gallery to find projects that interest you. You can explore any current (open) Challenges and browse closed ones through the menu on the left.

The Challenge

NetSquared sponsors an annual global Challenge, calling for submissions from around the world of innovative applications for technology that support social change. Previous Challenges have focused on mashups (combining existing tools to produce something new), mobile applications, and more.   NetSquared also collaborates with Partner organizations to bring Partner Challenges to the Community. These Partner Challenges often focus on a specific sector of social benefit work and technology, like the UC Berkeley Human Rights Center Mobile Challenge, the USAID Development 2.0 Challenge, and Social Actions Change the Web Challenge.

The Submissions

After a Challenge launches, interested groups have between 6 and 8 weeks to submit their projects.

Project submissions are easy to fill out, and are designed to help showcase the reason behind the Project, the current work being undertaken, and areas for collaboration and support from the Community.

You can submit Projects to the Global Project Gallery outside of currently open Challenges, as well. The Global Project Gallery contains all Projects that have been submitted to all previous Challenges and those which have not participated directly in any. This continually growing repository of social innovation Projects is a great place to get ideas and find collaborators.

The Input & Output

Feedback is an important part of Challenges. Projects may find volunteers interested in helping, collaborators working on similar work, or people from the target sector with ideas about how the technology could be applied to help.

To enable feedback, our Project Gallery has commenting and staring options.  Registered users can comment on Project pages to create open conversation.  Users can also send direct messages (via a private email form) to Project submitters.  Stars allow users to show support for their favorite Projects by adding a star to the Project page.  Both comments and stars are sorting features when browsing Projects in the Gallery.

The Implementation

Project teams are encouraged to continue developing their submission and product during the submission period.  With feedback and/or collaboration with new supporters, Project descriptions can be updated or changed up until the submission period closes before voting.  This is a great time to show developments to the community and to draw in support for specific Project areas that need attention.

The Award

The Community Vote determines the top selected Featured Projects to move on to the final round of judging.  On the NetSquared Vote platform, registered users can cast a ballot during a one-week window for between 3 and 5 Projects.

Challenge judges, selected by NetSquared or by Partners, select the Finalists from the small pool of Featured Projects.  These 3 Final Projects receive varying amounts of funding via cash prizes, with specific amounts determined by the Partner or NetSquared Challenge purse.

The Results

All Projects are encouraged to continue working on their ideas, updating the NetSquared Community about their needs and progress (via the Community Blog and the Project Gallery), whether they received funding from cash prizes in a specific Challenge or not.  The NetSquared Community of innovators and changemakers is active in contining to answer calls for new ideas and focus on implementing Projects with support for Community members.  NetSquared is focused on enabling real change; the Challenge model is our way of highlighting new ideas and promoting the Community to take a lead in making the best ones really happen.