Challenge goals

1. To reward the most innovative ideas, according to the jury, from organizations or groups working with young people in Latin America and the Caribbean or those institutions from around the world who want to replicate their models in Latin America and the Caribbean.
2. To give more exposure and visibility to these initiatives.

Participants

All organizations or groups of young people who are using creativity to build a culture of peace or conflict-free society can enter this Challenge. This would include foundations, civic associations, federations, and youth groups.

Organizaing institutions/sponsors

Mi SangreMi Sangre is a non-profit organization that was founded in 2006 by the initiative of singer-songwriter Juan Esteban Aristizabal, or Juanes, who has always shown great concern about the ravages of violence in Colombia, as a human being and also in his career. In the words of the Mi Sangre Foundation, “Our value proposition is to co-create a protective environment for children, adolescents and young people to discover and exercise their powers as peacemakers through art and play.” For more information: http://misangre.org.NEXSONEXSO is an online platform where social innovators, entrepreneurs and investors promote their development solutions and opportunities to get support to improve their social impact in Latin America and the Caribbean. NEXSO is an initiative of the Multilateral Investment Fund (MIF), a member of the IDB Group. For more information visit:https://www.nexso.org.

About the Challenge

This Challenge is organized and developed by NEXSO and the Mi Sangre Foundation (the “Organizers”), who are solely responsible for the launching, development process, and final selection of the potential winners. NEXSO will be used as a platform for sending ideas or solutions. The NEXSO platform is an initiative of the Multilateral Investment Fund (MIF), a member of the IDB Group. The ideas or solutions presented in this Challenge shall remain posted on NEXSO as part of its learning and sharing community, and would also be eligible to participate in other opportunities promoted by NEXSO and its partners.

Timeline

This Challenge will be valid for the period between September 16th, 2014 and November 25th, 2014. The Challenge will close at 5 pm Eastern Time on the 25th of November.

Criteria

The criteria required by the initiatives presented which will be evaluated are described below:

Degree of innovation of the experience: Whether the solution is innovative for its environment and its beneficiaries, and has a different approach from what already exists in the context in which it is being developed.

Alignment with the objectives: Whether the solution is clear about how it is contributing to creatively achieving a culture of peace in young people, making them key players in conflict resolution.

Sustainability and replicability of the solution:Whether the solution requires minimal resources to be maintained over time, demonstrating that it can be applied to other contexts and target audiences to achieve greater impact and reach over time.

Impact on participants: Whether the solution demonstrates specific actions and benefits for the intended audience, and whether the results to date and those expected in future are concretely explained.

Implementation Strategy: Whether the solution clearly describes the specific activities and actions that have been and will be developed to implement the initiative presented; the type and number of participants (direct and indirect), and the budget required to ensure that each activity can achieve the desired outcomes.

The first prize will be awarded to the organization that best meets these criteria and demonstrates:

• Institutional viability and financial sustainability
• Impact and scope of the solution
• Replicability and potential
• Creativity and originality

Submissions

Each institution or group may submit more than one solution. All entries must be submitted through the NEXSO platform and accept the terms of use.

For the registration to be valid, all the fields in the online form must be completed.

Registering and entering

Participation is free.

Registration is completed online through the NEXSO platform and completed by the deadline.

The presentation of a entry reflects, to all effects, the Civil Society Organization´s acceptance of all conditions, standards and requirements stated here. By submitting a proposal you are accepting the publication of the idea or solution on the NEXSO platform.

Who can participate in the Competition?

1. The experience should have a minimum of one year in operation.
2. The initiative that is presented should have been developed by and for youth. The target audience for this competition could be organizations that work on behalf of youth, or youth with experience in transforming conflict transformation or working with youth in risky situations.
3. The organizations or groups that participate may or may not have established legal status.

Can I participate in the Competition if my Institution doesn’t work in Latin America or the Caribbean?

Yes, but your solution should be written in a way that it could be applied or replicated in Latin America or the Caribbean.

How can I participate in the Competition?

In order to participate you have to follow all of the steps indicated in the online platform in NEXSO. You have until Tuesday, November 25th 5 pm (Washington DC, USA timezone) to complete the online form.

What criteria will the panel take into account when choosing the winning organization?

In evaluating the initiatives, the panel of experts will take into account the following criteria:

The experience’s degree of innovationWhether the solution is innovative for its environment and beneficiaries, and has a different approach than what already exists in the context in which it is being developed.Alignment with objectivesWhether the solution is clear about how it will contribute creatively, to achieving a culture of peace among youth, making them key actors in transforming conflict.Sustainability and replicability of the solutionWhether the solution requires minimal resources to maintain itself over time; demonstrating that it can be applied to other contexts and audiences to achieve major impact and reach over time.Impact on participantsWhether the solution demonstrates specific actions and benefits for the intended audience, and whether the results to date and those expected in future are concretely explained.Implementation strategyWhether the solution clearly describes the specific activities and actions that have been and will be developed to implement the initiative presented; the type and number of participants (direct and indirect), and the budget needed to ensure that each activity can achieve the desired outcomes.

Awards will be presented to organizations that comply with these criteria and best demonstrate:

1. Institutional viability and financial sustainability
2. Impact and scope of the solution
3. Replicability and potential
4. Creativity and originality

Can an organization design a new idea for this Challenge?

No. It is important to present initiatives that are already active and can demonstrate results and impact.

What kinds of initiatives are eligible?

Initiatives that can be presented are developing ideas or at a final stage of design. The Challenge will not allow innovative ideas in their initial stage of conception, but is looking to enhance and give momentum to the efforts of organizations or groups in implemeting their innovation.

Participating initiatives should demonstrate certain progress and concrete results.

Should I spend the entire award on the implementation of the initiative?

Yes. The award money delivered should be invested in some activity that promotes the development, replication or impact of the solution.

If my idea needs more funding than provided by the award, may I use other funds available to me?

Yes. You can use other funds to implement your initiative in order to ensure the program’s success and to generate a greater impact on your work with and for youth.

The Mi Sangre Foundation and NEXSO seek to identify and share experiences designed for youth that help transform conflict into new forms of cooperation through fun activities, games, art, and creativity. Such initiatives, by working with youth in risky and vulnerable situations, develop innovative solutions in which creativity is a fundamental component of improving their lives.

The Mi Sangre Foundation’s goal is to contribute to creating environments where adolescents and youth can become peacemakers through art and fun activities.

Two thousand US dollars will be awarded to the Latin American or Caribbean organization that is selected as the winner. There will also be second and third prizes of technical support awarded to two other organizations in the region.

Who can participate?

• The initiative must have been operating for at least one year.
• The initiative presented should have been developed by and for youth. The population to which the initiatives are presented could be organizations that work to support young people, or youth who have developed approaches to conflict resolution or working with at-risk youth.
• The organizations or groups that participate may or may not have established legal status.

How to participate

Organizations should complete an online form, which can be found on the NEXSO platform.

It is necessary to complete the online form in order to confirm your participation in the challenge.

Presentations should be submitted before Tuesday, November 25, 2014 at 5 pm (Washington DC, USA timezone).

Questions? Please refer to our Frequently Asked Questions document.

If your question is not addressed, or for other matters, please contact us through  Nexso@iadb.org.

Timeline

• Launch: Tuesday, September 16th, 2014
• Call for proposals open: Tuesday, September 16th until Tuesday, November 25th, 2014
• Deadline: Tuesday, November 25th, 2014
• Panel of Judges: Tuesday, December 16th to Wednesday, December 17th, 2014
• Announcement of winners: Friday, December 19th, 2014

Awards

First Prize: US$2,000 (two thousand US dollars).

Second Prize: 10 hours of technical support to improve the selected project’s sustainability and scalability.

Third Prize: 10 hours of technical support in communication and media.

The entire prize must be dedicated to strengthening the innovative solution presented.

Selection process

The presentations will first be evaluated by a committee of experts. The members of this committee will select the best innovations, taking into account their quality and the evaluation criteria.

After this pre-selection stage, a jury will decide which innovative solution is the winner.

Evaluation Criteria

The following describes the criteria that will be used to evaluate presented initiatives.

The experience’s degree of innovation: Whether the solution is innovative for its environment and beneficiaries, and has a different approach than what already exists in the context in which it is being developed.

Alignment with objectives: Whether the solution is clear about how it will contribute creatively, to achieving a culture of peace among youth, making them key actors in transforming conflict.

Sustainability and replicability of the solution: Whether the solution requires minimal resources to maintain itself; demonstrating that it can be applied to other contexts and audiences to achieve major impact and reach over time.

Impact on participants: Whether the solution demonstrates specific actions and benefits for the intended audience, and whether the results to date and those expected in future are concretely explained.

Implementation strategy: Whether the solution clearly describes the specific activities and actions that have been and will be developed to implement the initiative presented; the type and number of participants (direct and indirect), and the budget needed to ensure that each activity can achieve the desired outcomes.

Awards will be presented to the organization that best complies with these criteria and that demonstrates:

• Institutional viability and financial sustainability
• Impact and scope
• Replicability and potential
• Creativity and originality

For more information about the selection criteria, please consult the Terms and Conditions.

About

Mi Sangre

Mi Sangre is a non-profit organization that was founded in 2006 by the singer and composer Juan Esteban Aristizábal, better known as Juanes, who as a human being and throughout his artistic career has always expressed serious concern about the damage caused by violence in Colombia.

In the words of the Mi Sangre Foundation: “Our value proposition is to co-create protected environments so that children, adolescents, and youth discover and exercise their power as peacemakers through art and fun.” For more information, visit: http://misangre.org.

NEXSO

NEXSO is a community-driven platform that promotes solutions for social impact. The platform will increase systemic social, environmental and economic impact through promoting and marketing innovative solutions for the development community in Latin America and the Caribbean. NEXSO is a public good built by the Multilateral Investment Fund (MIF), a member of the Inter-American Development Bank Group. For more information, visit: https://www.nexso.org.