Competition Guidelines
How to Improve Health for All

Welcome to the Changemakers Innovation Award on "How to Improve Health for All." Whether you are a competition applicant or a member of the Changemakers community interested in participating in the online forum and reviewing applications, please take a look at the competition criteria and timeline below. We look forward to surfacing and discussing innovative solutions that make a difference in the health of low-income and marginalized populations around the world. Before you share your comments on the entries in the discussion forum, please read the criteria below.

Eligibility Criteria

The competition is open to all types of organizations (charitable organizations, private companies, or public entities) from all countries. We consider in the competition all applications that:

• Reflect the theme of the competition: How to Improve Health for All. The scope of the competition is actual health solutions that include low-income and marginalized populations, ranging from health education and prevention to health financing, healthcare delivery or pharmaceutical development. Initiatives that consist only in health policy or advocacy fall outside the scope of the competition.

• Are beyond the stage of idea, concept or research, and, at a minimum, are at the demonstration stage and have demonstrable success.

• Are submitted in English and are complete.

Assessment Criteria

The winners of this Changemakers Innovation Award will be those entries that best meet the following criteria:

• Innovation: The initiative introduces novel elements—in the type of health products/ services provided, in the healthcare delivery model or financing mechanism, for example—that contribute to improving health for low-income and marginalized populations. It is based on leveraged points of intervention.

• Impact: The initiative addresses a major health issue for low-income and marginalized populations and has the potential to benefit a significant number of people not only in the location of origin but also at the country, regional, or global level.

• Strategy: There is a well-designed operational model to implement the initiative and reach out to beneficiaries. Additionally, there is a solid plan to expand or replicate the model beyond current beneficiary groups/ locations.

• Sustainability: The initiative has demonstrated a cost-effective approach to provide health solutions. There is a strong funding base and a strategy to sustain it financially over the long-term.

• Additional criterion: Strategic Business-Social Partnerships (This is not a requirement to qualify in the competition, but will only be taken into account for the Special Award): The initiative has developed or has plans to develop a partnership that includes at least one business and one citizen sector organization in order to provide a comprehensive response to a health challenge. The partnership is strategic, central to the initiative, and leverages the core competencies of all partners involved.

Competition Deadlines, Procedures, and Rules

Online competition submissions were accepted until May 24, 2006 at noon, U.S. Eastern Time. Prior to this deadline, competition participants could submit revised versions of their first entry based on questions and insights that they receive in the Changemakers.net discussion. Participation in the discussion enhances one's prospects in the competition and may give the community an opportunity to understand one's project more completely.

There are three main phases in the competition:

• March 15 - May 24: Entries could be submitted until 12 pm Eastern US time on May 24 and anyone can participate in an online idea review discussion with the entrants.

• May 25 - June 15: Online idea review discussion continues. In parallel, a panel of judges well-versed in the topic and Ashoka staff select the competition finalists.

• June 16 - June 29: Popular online voting to select the three award winners from the field of finalists. The Changemakers Innovation Award winners will be announced on June 30, 2006.

The Changemakers Innovation Award will include a cash prize of US$5,000 for the top three winners, one of whom will be recognized for an innovative business-social partnership.

Participating in the competition provides the chance to get feedback on your model and to advise potential health investors about how best to change funding/investing patterns for the sector and to maximize the strategic impact and effectiveness of their future investments. The competition will generate an Investor Advisory available to investors, foundations, and other funding agencies. Those participants whose contributions most help frame the contents of the advisory will be acknowledged and may be convened to advise investors at a global meeting.

Disclaimer—Compliance with Legal Restrictions

Ashoka complies fully with all U.S. laws and regulations, including Office of Foreign Assets Control regulations, export control, and anti-money laundering laws. All grants will be awarded subject to compliance with such laws. Ashoka will not make any grant if it finds that to do so would be unlawful. This may prohibit awards in certain countries and/or to certain individuals or entities. All recipients will comply with these laws to the extent they are applicable to such recipients. No recipient will take any action that would cause Ashoka to violate any laws.

For more information, contact health@changemakers.net.

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