PRIZES, COMPETITIONS AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE BLUE AND GREEN ECONOMIES MARCH 2019

https://inhabitat.com/scottish-saltire-prize-worth-20-million/?variation=d

ALTIRE PRIZE: $20 Million for Renewable Ocean Energy

ENVIRONMENT

04/21/2008 under Announcements, Environment, Renewable Energy1 Comments

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by Inhabitat Staff

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Calling all marine renewable energy innovators! The Scottish Government announced a new prize at the beginning of April designed to encourage world scientists to push the boundaries for new clean, power generated from the sea. The Saltire Prize is worth a cool $20 million (£10 million) to the person or team who demonstrates innovation in marine renewable energy technology and is deployed in Scotland. The details of the prize are still being worked out, but it is time to get cracking if you have a great idea.

The Saltire Prize was inspired by other innovation prizes you may be familiar with like, the Ansari X Prize that led to the first private spacecraft launch, and also the Virgin Earth Challenge created by Richard Branson. Richard Branson’s prize is for scientists to create new ways to remove CO2 from the atmosphere. These challenges have created incredible innovation with a great return on investment. Did you know that the Ansari X Prize awarded $10 million, but led to $100 million worth of R&D? The

Scottish Government hopes their prize will lead to similar if not better innovations and further advance renewable energy technology.

Scotland is well situated to benefit from the innovations as a result of the prize. The potential for renewable energy in Scotland is considerable. They have the potential to generate 25% of Europe’s wind energy, 25% of Europe’s tidal power and 10% of Europe’s wave power. When an area of your country gets called the “Saudi Arabia of tidal power,” that means you have some potential. Plans are already underway to develop the Pentland Firth, between Orkney and mainland Scotland, which alone could generate up to 10 GW.

While Scotland has significant potential, in terms of installed capacity, only a 0.27 MW of wave power is installed and no tidal power at all. In fact Korea is building the largest tidal power plant, set to come online by 2015. This prize is meant to kickstart Scotland’s marine renewable energy program and help meet their target of generating 50% of their electricity demand from renewable energy by 2020.

+ Saltire Prize

+ $20 Million Prize for Renewable Ocean Energy Announced

https://www.southernoceanartprize.com/

https://namepa.net/education/science-awards/

8th Annual Marine Science Scholarship Competition

for High School & Undergraduate Students

Awarding the Next Generation of Marine Innovators

Presented by the ASA & NAMEPA

Go to Submission Portal

NAMEPA and the American Salvage Association (ASA) are once again collaborating on a Science Fair aimed at high school and undergraduate students to promote marine science. The winners of each category will be invited to receive their awards at an industry event, where winners can network with fellow researchers and professionals.

The American Salvage Association (ASA) and the North American Marine Environment Protection Association (NAMEPA) are seeking all students who have recently demonstrated their passion for the Marine Sciences by participating in a Science or Engineering Fair either individually or in a team (of up to three persons) to participate in its 8th Annual Marine Sciences Scholarship Competition. Winners will earn scholarship funds to further their education and research in this exciting field!

The competition is intended to highlight the importance of preserving the marine environment through the use of sound environmental practices, raise awareness of the art and science of marine salvage and engineering, and to promote careers within the greater maritime industry and in marine sciences.

All eligible students are invited to submit a project abstract of 300 words or less and a technical paper describing their project which will be reviewed by a technical committee of maritime industry and marine science experts. Each paper is evaluated on a wide range of criteria including: originality, data collection, supporting evidence, and tangibility within the real-world environment.

Papers and abstracts will be accepted from February 7th, 2019 – September 7th, 2019. Winners will be notified before September 30, 2019 and will be announced in a variety of official marine industry publications via a press release and social media. Scholarship recipients will be invited to receive their award at NAMEPA’s Annual Conference & Awards Dinner in New York, NY on Thursday, October 24th, 2019. This is a unique opportunity for winners to interact and network with highly regarded marine industry representatives, potential employers, researchers, educators, and regulators. You don’t want to miss it!

**Travel and accommodation expenses for the winning student(s) to travel to New York will be covered by the ASA and NAMEPA. Scholarship awards and certificates of achievement will be mailed to those students unable to travel.

#NextGenMarineInnovators

Student applications and supporting documents must be submitted online no later than Saturday, September 7th, 2019.

For additional information on the competition and to submit an entry, please click here. Contact Mrs. Rebecca Garcia-Malone with questions. Alternatively, education@namepa.net may be contacted.

Eligibility Requirements:

• Individual or Group Submissions (of up to three students)

• High School students must have been enrolled in grade 9 - 12 during the 2018 – 2019 school year

• Undergraduate students must have been enrolled full time during the Fall 2018 – Winter 2019 semester

• Project must have been completed during the 2018 – 2019 school year

• To be considered, your project should focus on one of the following subject areas:

• Marine Environmental Care

• Naval Architecture

• Marine Engineering

• Ocean Engineering

• Meteorology

• Underwater Robotics

• Air Emissions from Ships

• Alternative Fuel Supplies for Ships

• Oil and Chemical Spill Remediation

• Offshore Well Control

• Diving Systems

• Marine Biology

• Marine Ecosystems

• Marine Microorganisms

• Ship Design

• Ship Breaking

• Recovery of Sunken Ships

• Cargo, Fuel or Pollutants

• Marine Salvage

Expectation Requirements:

• Abstract of paper 300 words or less

• Technical Paper, no length limitation. Do not submit PowerPoint files of presentations, judges are looking for technical papers that follow proper format and scientific methodology.

• You may submit only the following file types: doc, docx, pdf, txt.

• Refrain from submitting simple research projects. The judges want to see studies and experiments reflecting originality and tangibility in the real-world environment.

• Student must provide supporting evidence which may include but is not limited to photographs, graphs, etc.

• Acknowledgements are encouraged.

• Submission should be clear of grammatical errors.

Scholarship Awards:

• High school (1st Place: $500 | 2nd Place: $250 | 3rd Place: $100)

• Undergraduate (1st Place: $500 | 2nd Place: $250 | 3rd Place: $100)

• All prize winners will receive recognition in industry publications

• All prize winners will receive an invitation to receive their awards at NAMEPA’s Annual Conference & Awards Dinner in New York on Thursday, October 24th, 2019.

• Travel and accommodation expenses for the winning student(s) to travel to New York will be covered by the ASA and NAMEPA. Scholarship awards will be mailed to those students unable to travel.

• Additional "special recognition" awards may be presented dependent upon submission and judging selection.

**The ASA and NAMEPA are proud to cover the lodging and travel expenditures for those scholarship recipients able to come to NY to accept their award. Costs incurred for accompanying parents or legal guardians are not included.

https://terravivagrants.org/tag/marine-coastal/

marine/coastalEuropean Investment Bank Institute — Social Innovation TournamentFebruary 28, 2019 | by Ilka | Cross-Cutting Subjects

The Social Innovation Tournament recognises and supports the best European social entrepreneurs in the themes of social, ethical or environmental impact. Prizes range from €20 thousand to €50 thousand. Finalists become members of the SIT Alumni Network and benefit from training opportunities, grants programs, participation in conferences around Europe and have access to a network […]

Tags: agriculture, awards/prizes, biodiversity, biology, biotechnology, climate, conservation, energy, fisheries, forests, march2019, marine/coastal, natural disasters, pollution, Russia/Eastern Europe, social enterprise, water, wildlifeRead more

International Marine Conservation Congress — Diversity Travel GrantsFebruary 28, 2019 | by Ilka | Biodiversity, Conservation, Wildlife

The International Marine Conservation Congress and Society for Conservation Biology Marine Section offer Diversity Travel Grants for delegates from developing countries (as defined by the World Bank). The Diversity Travel Grants will help offset some of the costs for qualifying delegates to present at the SCB Marine Section’s 29th International Congress for Conservation Biology (IMCC […]

Tags: all regions, individuals, march2019, marine/coastal, travel/mobility, workshops/conferencesRead more

European Marine Board — Young Ambassador ProgrammeFebruary 28, 2019 | by Ilka | Biodiversity, Conservation, Wildlife

The European Marine Board (EMB) seeks creative young ambassadors that are willing to play a role in advocating for EMB and promoting the role and relevance of marine science. EMB ambassadors will participate in various activities, including EMB Plenary meetings and external events or workshops. The Ambassador will receive a total grant of €2 thousand […]

Tags: all regions, early-career, individuals, march2019, marine/coastal, training/educationRead more

Mediterranean Marine Protected Areas Network — Grants for Small Projects on Habitat MappingFebruary 28, 2019 | by Ilka | Biodiversity, Conservation, Wildlife

MedPAN launches a new call for small projects to support Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in the Mediterranean. Small grants are available for habitat mapping in 4 sub-regions: Alboran Sea, Straight of Sicily/Tunisia, South of the Adriatic Sea/North of the Ionian Sea and Central Aegean Sea/Cyprus Basin. Applicants may request up to €20 for projects with a […]

Tags: business/enterprise, march2019, marine/coastal, MENA, nonprofit orgs, research, Russia/Eastern Europe, universitiesRead more

Society for International Development — Andrew E. Rice Award 2019February 28, 2019 | by Ilka | Cross-Cutting Subjects

The Andrew E. Rice Award for Leadership and Innovation recognizes the achievements of an exceptional young professional working in the field of international development. Past winners include field research on agriculture strategies and the creation of low-cost digital games that inspire social change. Candidates must be between 22 to 32 years old and have at […]

Tags: agriculture, all regions, awards/prizes, biodiversity, biology, biotechnology, climate, conservation, early-career, energy, fisheries, forests, individuals, march2019, marine/coastal, natural disasters, pollution, water, wildlifeRead more

International Union for Conservation of Nature — Red List of Ecosystems Photo ContestFebruary 28, 2019 | by Ilka | Biodiversity, Conservation, Wildlife

IUCN announces the IUCN Red List of Ecosystems Photo Contest – My Place in Nature. The contest is open to all photographers and aspiring photographers worldwide. Participants are

invited to share their story on ecosystems and show their very own place in nature. Winners will be announced on IUCN Red List of Ecosystems social media […]

Tags: all regions, april2019, awards/prizes, forests, individuals, marine/coastal, media/journalism, wildlife, youthRead more

Partnership for Observation of the Global Ocean — Shipboard Fellowship 2019February 28, 2019 | by Ilka | Biodiversity, Conservation, Wildlife

The Partnership for Observation of the Global Ocean (POGO) offers a number of shipboard fellowship opportunities. This fellowship programme aims to promote training and capacity building leading towards a global observation scheme for the oceans. Eligibility extends to early career scientists, technicians, PhD and MSc students and Post-doctoral Fellows involved in oceanographic work at centres […]

Tags: all regions, early-career, fellowships/scholarships, individuals, marine/coastal, no deadlineRead more

Grassroots Justice Prize — Legal Empowerment for CommunitiesFebruary 19, 2019 | by Ilka | Cross-Cutting Subjects

The Grassroots Justice Prize recognizes grassroots institutions across the globe that are working to put the power of law into people’s hands. Three awards, each of US$10 thousand, are available to non-profit organizations, social enterprises, and public institutions that focus on legal empowerment to tackle poverty, injustice, or other social problems. (Note: These problems may […]

Tags: agriculture, all regions, awards/prizes, biodiversity, climate, conservation, energy, fisheries, forests, march2019, marine/coastal, natural disasters, nonprofit orgs, pollution, social enterprises, water, wildlifeRead more

Pacific Development and Conservation Trust — Community Projects in the Pacific IslandsFebruary 19, 2019 | by Ilka | Biodiversity, Conservation, Wildlife

New Zealand’s Pacific Development and Conservation Trust makes grants for conservation, cultural heritage, development, and goodwill in the Pacific Islands. The priority is community projects, including conservation projects that involve representative, endangered, threatened, or unique habitats and species. Eligibility for grants extends to citizens of New Zealand and eligible Pacific countries and territories. Most past […]

Tags: Asia-Pacific, community projects, conservation, forests, individuals, march2019, marine/coastal, nonprofit orgsRead more

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service — Caribbean Regional ProgramFebruary 19, 2019 | by Ilka | Biodiversity, Conservation, Wildlife

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service provides financial assistance to strategic projects that conserve, protect and enhance fish, wildlife and plants and their habitats. The Caribbean Regional Program funds projects to reduce the underlying threats to coastal and marine biodiversity, to conserve the coastal and marine flora and fauna, and to maximize conservation impact by […]

Tags: april2019, biodiversity, community projects, conservation, LAC, marine/coastal, nonprofit orgs, universitiesRead more

marine/coastalSave Our Seas Foundation — Small Grants 2019February 19, 2019 | by Ilka | Biodiversity, Conservation, Wildlife

Save Our Seas makes grants for marine research, conservation, and education worldwide. Only projects concerned with marine chondrichthyan species (sharks, rays, skates, sawfishes and chimaeras) will be considered. Small grants (average about US$5 thousand) are made to early-career scientists for projects of up 12-18 months. The next application period for small grants is 01 May […]

Tags: all regions, conservation, early-career, individuals, july2019, marine/coastal, research, wildlifeRead more

U.S. National Fish and Wildlife Foundation — Coral Reef Conservation Fund 2019February 10, 2019 | by Ilka | Biodiversity, Conservation, Wildlife

The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) awards grants in the USA and internationally to address negative impacts to coral reefs, and to improve the effectiveness of coral reef management. Priority for international projects will be given to activities in the Indo-Pacific and the wider Caribbean; however, all international tropical coral reef locations are eligible. […]

Tags: Asia-Pacific, community projects, conservation, individuals, LAC, march2019, marine/coastal, nonprofit orgs, researchRead more

French Ministry of Research and Education — Supporting International Young Scientists in Marine SciencesFebruary 10, 2019 | by Ilka | Biodiversity, Conservation, Wildlife

LabexMER is a program of France’s Ministry of Research and Education to address key questions about the global ocean, the deep ocean, and the coastal ocean. LabexMER offers two-year postdoctoral fellowships for international young scientists to propose research projects in marine sciences to be carried out in one or several LabexMER laboratories in western France. […]

Tags: all regions, early-career, fellowships/scholarships, individuals, marine/coastal, may2019, researchRead more

Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution — Ocean Science Journalism FellowshipFebruary 10, 2019 | by Ilka | Biodiversity, Conservation, Wildlife

The WHOI invites professional science writers, journalists, producers, and editors from all around the world to apply for the one-week residential Ocean Science Journalism Fellowship.

The program is designed to introduce science journalists to the interdisciplinary and wide-ranging fields of oceanography and ocean engineering through seminars, laboratory visits, and brief field expeditions. WHOI covers travel […]

Tags: all regions, individuals, marine/coastal, may2019, media/journalism, training/education, workshops/conferencesRead more

U.S. National Science Foundation — Geography and Spatial Sciences Program 2019February 10, 2019 | by Ilka | Cross-Cutting Subjects

The NSF funds an annual competition for research on the geographic distributions and interactions of human, physical, and biotic systems on the Earth’s surface. Projects on a variety of topics (U.S. and international) qualify for support if they offer promise of enhancing geographical knowledge, concepts, theories, methods, and their application to societal problems and concerns. […]

Tags: all regions, conservation, marine/coastal, natural disasters, pollution, research, september2019, wildlifeRead more

The University of Queensland — Online Course: Tropical Coastal EcosystemsJanuary 20, 2019 | by Ilka | Biodiversity, Conservation, Wildlife

The University of Queensland Australia, in partnership with edX, offers an online course on tropical coastal ecosystems. Participants will develop the skills and knowledge needed to help preserve tropical coastal ecosystems and have a basic understanding of the value, vulnerability, dynamics and sustainable management, as well as learning the process of designing and implementing an […]

Tags: all regions, individuals, january2019, marine/coastal, training/educationRead more

United Nations Development Program — Equator Prize for nature-based Sustainable DevelopmentJanuary 20, 2019 | by Ilka | Cross-Cutting Subjects

The Equator Prize for 2019 will recognize outstanding community and indigenous initiatives in nature-based solutions for local sustainable development. The Equator Prize welcomes nominations that highlight the initiatives of rural community-based groups in any of the 145 countries supported by the United Nations Development Program. Nominations are also invited to present the initiatives of indigenous […]

Tags: agriculture, all regions, awards/prizes, biodiversity, biology, biotechnology, climate, conservation, energy, february2019, fisheries, forests, marine/coastal, natural disasters, pollution, water, wildlifeRead more

National Geographic Society — Reducing Marine Plastic PollutionJanuary 20, 2019 | by Ilka | Biodiversity, Conservation, Wildlife

The National Geographic Society seeks proposals for its program “Reducing Marine Plastic Pollution” from all around the world. The aim is to explore solutions to reduce marine plastic pollution (including behavior change). Projects may be focused around conservation, education, research, storytelling, or technology. Preference will be given to applicants who are residents or citizens of […]

Tags: all regions, april2019, community projects, marine/coastal, media/journalism, pollutionRead more

United States – India Educational Foundation — Fulbright-Nehru Master’s Fellowships 2020-2021January 20, 2019 | by Ilka | Cross-Cutting Subjects

The Fulbright-Nehru Master’s Fellowships support Indians residing in India to pursue a master’s degree program at selected U.S. colleges and universities. The many eligible subject areas include environmental sciences such as toxicology, natural resource management, pollution prevention, environmental law, environmental engineering, and environmental policy analysis (among others). The fellowships are for one or two years. […]

Tags: biology, biotechnology, climate, conservation, energy, fellowships/scholarships, forests, individuals, marine/coastal, may2019, natural disasters, pollution, South Asia, training/education, waterRead more

Franklin Institute — Bower Award for Science Achievement 2020January 20, 2019 | by Ilka | Cross-Cutting Subjects

The Bower Award is made to individuals who have made significant contributions to understanding and quantifying perturbations of natural systems within the biosphere, atmosphere, or hydrosphere in the age of the Anthropocene. The award is a 14k gold medal and a cash prize of US$250 thousand. The competition is open internationally. Self-nominations are accepted. Notices […]

https://scholarshipport.net/2019/02/25/the-zayed-sustainability-energy-prize-2020-for-entrepreneurs-3-million/

https://www.bizcommunity.com/Article/196/708/187489.html

The Anzisha Prize program which is a partnership between African Leadership Academy and Mastercard Foundation has launched the call for 2019 applications. The prize is looking for Africa's most innovative social and business entrepreneurs between the ages of 15 and 22. 

Young entrepreneurs who apply will have the opportunity to win a share of US$100,000, connect to a global network of leaders and receive business consulting support. The grand prize winner will win US$25,000, 1st runner-up will receive US$15,000 and 2nd runner-up will receive US$12,500. 

With the launch of the 9th annual Anzisha Prize, the organisers look forward to celebrating the stories of successful entrepreneurship such as the winner of last year's prize, Melissa Bime. Bime is a nursing graduate and the founder of INFIUSS, an online blood bank which has distributed over 3800 pints of blood across 28 hospitals in Yaounde, Cameroon. When she was chosen as a finalist, she was flown to Johannesburg for an all expenses paid business accelerator run by the African Leadership Academy. At the end of the programme, she had the opportunity to pitch her business to a panel of renowned judges. She was chosen as the winner due to her innovative business model that demonstrated the importance of job creation and scalability. 

Women entrepreneurs win at 2018 Anzisha Prize AwardsGrand Prize winner and second-runner up are providing healthcare solutions that are changing lives in Africa...6 NOV 2018

Applicants are advised that judging criteria requires them to show commitment to growing their venture into a job-creation engine with the ability to demonstrate their contribution to society. 

The prize is open to very young African entrepreneurs who have founded or co-founded a running business in any sector on the continent. Applications are open in English, Portuguese, Arabic and French to encourage applicants from across the continent to recognise the diverse entrepreneurship efforts that are growing among very young Africans. 

"The Anzisha Prize currently has 102 fellows within its network since the program started in 2011. We are proud to have our entrepreneurs represent over 30 African countries within a diverse suite of sectors. We encourage all nationalities to apply so that we can continue to support exceptional young job-starters who are improving lives and will become a part of a truly Pan-African network." Josh Adler, VP of growth and entrepreneurship at African Leadership Academy. 

Finalists selected will become a part of the growing number of entrepreneurs receiving targeted business and entrepreneurial support. In addition to the call for applications that close on 31 March 2019, the Anzisha Prize team will be visiting key regional hubs in the next few months to tell the stories of youth entrepreneurship as part of the annual Anzisha Tour. The 2019 tour cities will include Dar es Salaam in Tanzania, Addis Ababa in Ethiopia and Yamoussoukro in Côte d'Ivoire.

All the criteria can be found on the Anzisha website at anzishaprize.org/apply.

https://www.technology.org/category/special-news/competitions/

Call For Papers: EMVA Young Professional Award 2019

February 12, 2019

Prestigious industry award rewards outstanding work with prize money, presentation at EMVA Conference in Copenhagen and free pass…

Global Case Competition at Harvard

February 3, 2019

The Global Case Competition at Harvard is the world’s most prestigious student-organized case competition. This year’s competition is organized…

IDEAS to Transform the Lives of Billions

February 3, 2019

Despite significant progress in recent years, one billion people are still unable to prove their identity, and millions…

Global A. I. Competition

February 3, 2019

There are millions of stray, homeless animals across the world, immensely suffering from starvation, diseases, abuses and accidents,…

Million Cool Roofs Challenge

February 3, 2019

The Million Cool Roofs Challenge is a $2 million global competition to rapidly scale up the deployment of…

SKYHIVE 2019 Skyscraper Challenge

February 3, 2019

The SKYHIVE 2019 Skyscraper Challenge is the second annual architecture competition which searches out the latest and greatest…

The Geneva Challenge 2019

February 3, 2019

The 2019 Advancing Development Goals International Students Contest invites teams of Master students from all academic programmes to…

https://www.skal.org/en/sustainableguidelines

Skål International is proud to announce that the 2019 Sustainable Tourism Awards are now

open!

Nominations Close: 31 May 2019

Skål International is an Affiliate Member of the UNWTO whose mission is to promote the development of

responsible, sustainable and universally accessible tourism. We have adopted the UNWTO Global Code of Ethics

in Tourism, and also support the ST-EP initiative (Sustainable Tourism-Eliminating Poverty). Skål is affiliated to

other important international organisations including PATA, IIPT, The Code, ECPAT, ICTP, STI.

Following the United Nations declaration in 2002 as the Year of Ecotourism and the Mountains, Skål International

launched our Sustainable Tourism Awards in the same year, to highlight and acknowledge best practices around

the globe. As an international organisation of tourism industry leaders, Skål International is a powerful force in the

travel and tourism industry to initiate change and encourage the conservation of the environment in order to

promote tourism and travel.

Any company from the public and private sector, NGOs, government agencies, educational institutions worldwide

are welcome to submit an entry in one of the following available categories:

1. Community and Government Projects

2. Countryside and Biodiversity

3. Educational programmes and Media

4. Major Tourist Attractions

5. Marine and Coastal

6. Rural Accommodation

7. Tour Operators-Travel Agents

8. Tourist Transport

9. Urban Accommodation

How to Enter

Simply complete the Application Form. You will be also asked to attach a letter of endorsement from a Skål Club

or another tourism organization, tourism government agency or local tourism authorities.  

Awards Ceremony

The 18th Sustainable Tourism Awards ceremony will take place on 15 September during the Opening Ceremony

of the 80thSkål World Congress, to be held onboard the Royal Caribbean “Symphony of the Seas” from 14 to 21

September 2019.

Why should you enter these Awards?

To enhance visibility and get recognition of your outstanding performance in terms of sustainable and

responsible tourism.

To increase your contacts and introduce your products and services to professionals from the tourism

industry from all over the world.

To obtain media coverage among the entire Skål membership worldwide and our international press

contacts.

To personally collect the award during the Opening Ceremony of the 80th Skål World Congress, an

excellent opportunity to network with tourism professionals from all over the world.

To experience the membership of Skål International first hand.

 

Applications close 31 May 2019 at 23:59 CET. Entry is free.

For full information, please download the brochure and click here to complete the online registration form.  

For queries regarding the Skål International Sustainable Tourism Awards 2019, please

contactsandra.vera@skal.org

Full information on the 2018 winners and judges here

https://ciltuk.org.uk/Events/National-Events/Annual-Awards

fisheriesEuropean Investment Bank Institute — Social Innovation TournamentFebruary 28, 2019 | by Ilka | Cross-Cutting Subjects

The Social Innovation Tournament recognises and supports the best European social entrepreneurs in the themes of social, ethical or environmental impact. Prizes range from €20 thousand to €50 thousand. Finalists become members of the SIT Alumni Network and benefit from training opportunities, grants programs, participation in conferences around Europe and have access to a network […]

Tags: agriculture, awards/prizes, biodiversity, biology, biotechnology, climate, conservation, energy, fisheries, forests, march2019, marine/coastal, natural disasters, pollution, Russia/Eastern Europe, social enterprise, water, wildlifeRead more

African Union — Support for Youth and Women in Livestock, Fisheries and AgribusinessFebruary 28, 2019 | by Ilka | Agriculture, Fisheries, Forestry

The African Union aims to promote the entrepreneurial agribusiness as means for job and wealth creation for Africa’s youth and women. Proposed projects under this call should address actions in the thematic areas of fisheries, aquaculture, animal farming and agribusiness networks. Existing agribusinesses and agribusiness startups may request grants of US$10 thousand or US$20 thousand. […]

Tags: Africa, agriculture, community projects, fisheries, march2019, social enterprise, women, youthRead more

Society for International Development — Andrew E. Rice Award 2019February 28, 2019 | by Ilka | Cross-Cutting Subjects

The Andrew E. Rice Award for Leadership and Innovation recognizes the achievements of an exceptional young professional working in the field of international development. Past winners

include field research on agriculture strategies and the creation of low-cost digital games that inspire social change. Candidates must be between 22 to 32 years old and have at […]

Tags: agriculture, all regions, awards/prizes, biodiversity, biology, biotechnology, climate, conservation, early-career, energy, fisheries, forests, individuals, march2019, marine/coastal, natural disasters, pollution, water, wildlifeRead more

Marine Stewardship Council — Student Research ScholarshipFebruary 28, 2019 | by Ilka | Agriculture, Fisheries, Forestry

The Marine Stewardship Council provides small grants to support students worldwide studying fisheries sustainability. Projects must focus on the study of some aspect of environmental improvement, performance or best practice in fisheries management, or seafood product traceability and supply chain management. Students worldwide can apply for up to £4 thousand to support their research. Applications […]

Tags: all regions, april2019, early-career, fellowships/scholarships, fisheries, individuals, researchRead more

Antarctic Wildlife Research Fund — Krill Fishing and Marine EcosystemFebruary 28, 2019 | by Ilka | Biodiversity, Conservation, Wildlife

The Antarctic Wildlife Research Fund (AWR) calls for proposals from scientific researchers who can aid in determining the impact of the krill fishing industry on the Antarctic marine ecosystem. Funding will range from US$25 thousand to US$100 thousand per project. The deadline for applications is 19 April 2019. Find the 5th call for proposals

Tags: all regions, april2019, conservation, fisheries, researchRead more

Erbacher Foundation — Support for Rural DevelopmentFebruary 28, 2019 | by Ilka | Cross-Cutting Subjects

The Erbacher Foundation supports rural development in subject areas that include livestock husbandry, crop production, drinking water, and environmental protection. The priority countries are India, Tanzania, and Uganda. Applications are invited from Germany charitable

organizations involved in development cooperation. Applying organizations need to have partnerships with local NGOs. The German institution is responsible for project […]

Tags: Africa, agriculture, august2019, community projects, conservation, energy, fisheries, nonprofit orgs, South Asia, waterRead more

Grassroots Justice Prize — Legal Empowerment for CommunitiesFebruary 19, 2019 | by Ilka | Cross-Cutting Subjects

The Grassroots Justice Prize recognizes grassroots institutions across the globe that are working to put the power of law into people’s hands. Three awards, each of US$10 thousand, are available to non-profit organizations, social enterprises, and public institutions that focus on legal empowerment to tackle poverty, injustice, or other social problems. (Note: These problems may […]

Tags: agriculture, all regions, awards/prizes, biodiversity, climate, conservation, energy, fisheries, forests, march2019, marine/coastal, natural disasters, nonprofit orgs, pollution, social enterprises, water, wildlifeRead more

The Pollination Project — Seed Capital for Community Projects in East AfricaFebruary 19, 2019 | by Ilka | Cross-Cutting Subjects

The Pollination Project (TPP) offers start-up grants of up to US$1 thousand to compassion-driven visionaries in who need seed capital to get started. Currently, TPP makes grants for community projects in Kenya and Uganda. Topics for projects include education, clean water, afforestation, and many others. The deadlines for applications are 15 April and 01 August […]

Tags: Africa, agriculture, april2019, august2019, community projects, fisheries, forests, social enterprise, waterRead more

Zayed Future Energy Prize — Zayed Sustainability Prize 2020February 19, 2019 | by Ilka | Cross-Cutting Subjects

The Zayed Sustainability Prize recognizes achievements that are driving impact, innovation and inspiration in environmental stewardship and global sustainability. The Prize is awarded across several categories: (i) Health; (ii) Food; (iii) Energy; (iv) Water; and (v) Global high schools

(i.e., high schools in five world regions). The prize winners will divide US$3 million. The closing […]

Tags: agriculture, all regions, awards/prizes, energy, fisheries, may2019, waterRead more

Future Agro Challenge — Agripreneur Global ChampionshipJanuary 31, 2019 | by Ilka | Agriculture, Fisheries, Forestry

Future Agro Challenge (FAC) is a global competition for food and agribusiness startups. Ideas and ventures will be selected to compete for the title of “Agripreneur of the Year”. The challenge is open to ideas in many areas such as agroforestry, sustainability, agriculture tourism, and others. Selected agripreneurs will gain access to mentors, investors, potential […]

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https://www2.fundsforngos.org/category/agriculture-and-fish-farming/

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Latest Grants and Resources for AgricultureLatest grants, calls for applications, calls for proposals, requests for proposals and other resources for NGOs and individuals for Agriculture.Call for Nominations: 2019 #YAFF Awards Competition for South Africa

Deadline: 15 April 2019 The Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries is inviting stakeholders in the sector to nominate young top

producers either in agriculture, forestry or fisheries to enter for the 2019 #Youth in Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Awards Competition. Categories AGRICULTURE AWARDS: The entrant should be involved in the cultivation of horticultural or field crops and / or the rearing livestock or poultry to produce meat, wool or other products … [Read more...]

AU-IBAR Call for Proposals: Support implementation of Youth and Women in Livestock, Fisheries and aquaculture Agribusiness Incubation

Deadline: 28 March 2019 In the framework of the implementation of the Member state funds to “Support implementation of Youth and Women in Livestock, Fisheries and aquaculture Agribusiness Incubation”, AU-IBAR will undertake to utilize these funds to empower African youth and women to effectively participate in the animal resources sector. In order to empower African youth and women to effectively participate in the animal resources sector AU-IBAR will provide a Grant to support existing … [Read more...]

Access Agriculture: 2019 Young Entrepreneur Challenge Fund

Deadline: 21 March 2019 Access Agriculture is inviting applicants for its 2019 Young Entrepreneur Challenge Fund to propose innovative ideas to make a business, or expand their existing business, around the dissemination of agricultural videos. Access Agriculture is a non-profit organisation that supports the distribution of quality training videos to share practical knowledge on farming and food processing across the global South. Farmers in Latin America, Africa and Asia can learn from … [Read more...]

Fellowships To Generate Evidence On “Youth Engagement In Agribusiness And Rural Economic Activities In Africa”

Deadline: 15 March 2019 The International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) has announced 30 research fellowships for 2019 under the framework of the CARE project. The fellowships are action-oriented and target young academics and professionals, and graduate students at the post-course work/research stage of their programs. The fellowship program seeks to contribute to policy development on youth engagement in agribusiness and rural economic activities in Africa. It is designed to … [Read more...]

Call for Incubation at a-IDEA: Inviting Innovative Agri, Allied, and Agri-Biotech Startups

Deadline: 15 March 2019 a-IDEA, The Technology Business Incubator of NAARM is delighted to seeking applications from innovative Agri, Allied, and Agri-Biotech startups to enroll for incubation support. The objective is to help early-stage startups to build their idea/ prototype/ venture through technology mentoring, validation, intellectual property support, marketing strategy, team building, fund raising advisory etc. a-IDEA is an Agriculture focused incubator for supporting startups … [Read more...]

EU Call for Proposals: IPA Agriculture and Rural Development Support Grant Scheme

Deadline: 14 April 2019 The European Union is currently accepting proposals from eligible organizations for a program entitled “IPA Agriculture and Rural Development Support Grant Scheme”. Objectives The global objective of this grant scheme is to support improved access to and competitiveness on the national and international markets for Kosovo's agri-rural goods and services. The

specific objective of this grant scheme is support Kosovo's farmers and agri-rural economic operators … [Read more...]

Rashtriya Swayamsiddh Samman: Awarding NGOs, Grassroot Leaders and Innovators

Deadline: 28 February 2019 The JSPL Foundation, the CSR arm of JSPL, has announced the third edition of 'Rashtriya Swayamsiddh Samman' to reward and highlight the untold stories of courage and determination of similar grass-root leaders and social innovators in India. The ‘Samman’ will be conferred upon 20 Change Agents i.e. individuals and organisations from across India through a robust process of jury meetings at regional and national levels. O. P. Jindal Global University (OPJGU), will … [Read more...]

USDA-NIFA: Secondary Agriculture Education Challenge Grant Program

Deadline: 16 April 2019 The National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), is seeking applications for its Secondary Agriculture Education Challenge Grant

Program. Objectives Program seeks to: promote and strengthen secondary education and two-year postsecondary education in the food, agriculture, natural resources and human (FANH) sciences in order to help ensure the existence of a workforce in the United States that’s qualified … [Read more...]

USAID/Burma: Agriculture and Food-Systems Development Activity

Deadline: 15 March 2019 The United States Agency for International Development in Burma (USAID/Burma) is seeking applications for a cooperative agreement from qualified entities to implement the Agriculture and Food-Systems Development Activity. USAID/Burma intends to award an assistance activity under the US Government’s Feed the Future (FTF) Initiative, through a competitive Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO), subject to the availability of funding. The Feed the Future Burma … [Read more...]

Plan Plastic: The Million Pound Challenge for Innovative and Creative Projects

Deadline: 24 February 2019 Applications are open for the Plan Plastic: The Million Pound Challenge for innovative and creative projects. It is created by Waitrose & Partners in partnership with HUBBUB. Project Areas Projects should address one of the following challenge areas: Plastics in the community: Projects encouraging and enabling plastic recycling and the circular economy linked to social impact. Education: Campaigns aimed at children and young people to raise … [Read more...]

Cities Alliance Innovation Programme: Secure Tenure in African Cities- Micro Funds

Deadline: 14 March 2019 The Cities Alliance Innovation Programme has launched a Call for Proposals to award small grants for community organisations working on innovative ways to improve tenure security, property and land rights in African cities at the local level. The Secure Tenure in African Cities: Micro Funds for Community Innovation initiative will address the connection between the issue of land tenure, Africa’s growing young population, and its capacity to innovate and deploy … [Read more...]

Common Fund for Commodities announces 14th Call for Proposals to Support Commodity Development Activities

Deadline: 15 April 2019 The Common Fund for Commodities (CFC) is inviting applicants for support of commodity development activities in its member countries. The CFC provides a range of financial and technical instruments in support or business activities contributing to commodity sector development in Developing Countries. Examples include agriculture, commodity value addition and trade, minerals and metals. Besides generating a viable financial return, eligible activities should also … [Read more...]

USDA-NIFA: Farm Business Management and Benchmarking Competitive Grants Program

Deadline: 9 April 2019 The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) is seeking applications for its “Farm Business Management and Benchmarking (FBMB) Competitive Grants Program” to provide funds for improving the farm management knowledge and skills of agricultural producers by maintaining and expanding a national, publicly available farm

financial management database to support improved farm management. Goals Maximize the … [Read more...]

GCHERA: Seeking Nominations for World Agriculture Prizes 2019

Deadline: 30 April 2019 Nominations are open for GCHERA World Agriculture Prizes 2019 with an aim to encourage the development of the mission of higher education institutions in education, research, innovation and outreach in the agricultural and life sciences by recognizing the distinguished contribution of an individual to this mission. GCHERA has the mission to encourage mutual understanding and global co-operation among higher education associations and their constituent member … [Read more...]

Call for Applications: ERBACHER Foundation Grant Program

Deadline: 1 August 2019 Applications are open for ERBACHER Foundation Grant program to sponsor charitable projects that make life in the country possible, worth living and future-oriented. Project Categories Projects in selected developing areas that directly pursue

the purpose of securing healthy and balanced nourishment. The Foundation sponsors agricultural methods to safeguard a permanent and survivable income in an economically smart and responsible way and to improve … [Read more...]

USADF/MCA Niger: Request for Applications for Climate Resilient Agriculture Grants Facility

Deadline: 10 March 2019 United States African Development Foundation (USADF) and Millennium Challenge Account (MCA)-Niger are seeking applications for grant financing and local support from qualified cooperatives, producer groups, and enterprises with innovative solutions to increase investment in capital assets and adoption of environmentally sustainable agricultural practices that extend their own capabilities to support sustainable growth of agricultural enterprises and increase incomes of … [Read more...]

BIRAC announced 8th Call for Proposals under SPARSH Programme in India

Deadline: 11 March 2019 The Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC) has announced its 8th Call for Proposals under Social Innovation Programme for Products Affordable and Relevant to Societal Health (SPARSH) that aims at finding innovation solutions to society’s most pressing social problems by supporting development of various Products, Processes and Technologies through biotechnological approaches. Objectives To identify and provide support to cutting edge … [Read more...]

The IMRF Awards 2019 – for maritime search and rescue – are now open for nominations

.. The IMRF Awards 2019 are now open for nominations It’s time to thank the exceptional, inspirational people who save lives at sea The International Maritime Rescue Federation (IMRF)   is calling for outstanding individuals, teams, professionals or volunteers, companies and organisations...

MARCH 4TH, 2019 | AWARDS, EVENTS, CONFERENCES,FORUMS AND SYMPOSIUMS, HEALTH AND SAFETY, MARITIME

ACCIDENTS, SAFETY AND SECURITY, SALVAGE, TOWAGE, WRECK REMOVALS | READ MORE

Is your port successful in reaching out in a direct and transparent way to the port citizens? Submit your project for the ESPO award 2019!

Is your port successful in reaching out in a direct and transparent way to the port citizens? Submit your project for the ESPO award 2019! 01 March 2019 The ESPO Award on Societal Integration of Ports is entering its 11th edition. The theme of this year is “Transparency and the role of social media...

MARCH 1ST, 2019 | AWARDS, PORTS & TERMINALS |READ MORE

http://www.opportunitydesk.org/category/contests/

http://www.opportunitydesk.org/2019/03/04/shark-tank-of-wellness-student-global-competition-2019/

http://www.opportunitydesk.org/2019/03/04/africa-innovation-fellowship-2019/

http://www.opportunitydesk.org/2019/03/04/rewrite-climate-change-10-month-climate-journalism-mentorship-2019/

https://unfccc.int/news/applications-for-2019-un-global-climate-action-awards-now-open

Applications for 2019 UN Global Climate Action Awards Now OpenICT tools help Colombian farmers build resil

Bonn, Germany, 11 February 2019 – Starting today, organizations, cities, industries, universities, governments, and others taking bold leadership on climate change can nominate their work for a UN Global Climate Action Award.The award, the focus of United Nations Climate Change’s Momentum for Change initiative, recognizes the most innovative projects in the field of climate action.

Winning activities encompass scalable and replicable examples of what people are doing to address climate change, in the hope of inspiring others to act. The selected activities will be recognized and celebrated at the UN Climate Change Conference (COP 25) in Chile.

Past recipients of the award have maximized their impact and scaled up globally.

For example, Bhungroo, a rainwater management system used in dry spells to provide food security and sustainable livelihoods to marginal farmers

across India, won the award in 2015. Today, Bhungroo is also being implemented in Ghana, Zimbabwe, Togo, and Madagascar.Liter of Light, a solar lighting project that can be implemented with everyday objects and carpentry skills, won the award in 2011. It began in the Philippines and has since spread to 30 countries. In 2015, Liter of Light went on to win the coveted Zayed Future Energy prize.Past winners have also included Google, Microsoft, and the Government of British Columbia, Canada.

“With the adoption of the Katowice Climate Package, we have entered a new era in our collective efforts to address climate change; one demanding increased climate action at all levels,” said Patricia Espinosa, Executive Secretary of UN Climate Change.

“The UN Global Climate Action Award is an opportunity to recognize leaders who are not only taking such action, but providing an inspiring example for other governments, businesses, cities and communities to follow. I therefore encourage those currently leading projects—from large corporations to small cooperatives—to apply.”

The 2019 award will recognize climate action that is already achieving real results in four categories:

1. Planetary Health: recognizing novel solutions that balance the need for both human health and a healthy planet.

2. Climate Neutral Now: recognizing efforts by individuals, companies and governments that are achieving real results in transitioning to climate neutrality.

3. Women for Results: recognizing the critical leadership and participation of women in addressing climate change.

4. Financing for Climate Friendly Investment: recognizing successful financial innovations for adaptation and climate mitigation.The award’s Advisory Panel, made up of senior experts from various fields and countries, will select the winners. The panel is part of the secretariat’s Momentum for Change initiative, which is implemented with the support of The Rockefeller Foundation and operates in partnership with Climate Neutral Now, donors supporting the implementation of the UNFCCC Gender Action Plan, and the World Economic Forum.Applications for the 2019 UN Global Climate Action Award will be accepted from 11 February through 30 April 2019 at: https://momentum.unfccc.int/

For more information, please contact:Sarah Marchildon, Momentum for Change Team Lead, UN Climate Change

SMarchildon@unfccc.int | +49 228 815 1065Melissa Angel, Momentum for Change Communications Specialist, UN Climate Change

MAngel@unfccc.int | +49 228 815 1602Digital assets available for download here.

https://www.aquacultureawards.com/

The Aquaculture industry is projected to grow significantly over the next 10 years and at a greater rate than any other protein producer.

These Awards recognise the achievements in different elements of the sector and give due recognition to those making an exceptional contribution to the industry, now and in the future. They are open to everyone involved in the global aquaculture industry, no matter how large or small.

The awards go to those who:

Employ the highest standards of aquaculture husbandry

Farm with a high level of environmental awareness

Deliver a high-quality end product to local, national or international markets

Organised by the Aquaculture UK team and supported by a number of commercial partners, the awards are free to enter.

The presentation of the awards will take place during a special Awards Dinner held at Dynamic Earth, Edinburgh on the 29 May 2019. Ticketing details will be announced early 2019. More information…

CATEGORIES

Applied Research Breakthrough

Open to any research project involving collaboration between the industry and academic sectors. The winner will be the project that is most likely to have an impact on the industry and has already demonstrated some tangible measures of success.

SustainabilityWill be presented to the organisation that is able to demonstrate the consistency of its contribution to the environmental, ethical and economic sustainability of the industry. All entrants will need to highlight ways they are addressing each of the three E’s.

International ImpactAn award set to promote companies and/or new initiatives with a truly international impact. Projects that promote cross-industry collaboration and/or make their results freely available for the greater good of the sector will be viewed particularly favourably.

People’s ChoiceIndividuals are invited to nominate a person from within the sector whose attitude and achievements in the last 12 months have been particularly inspirational. The public will be able to vote for anyone from

the shortlist, which will be drawn up by the judging panel based on the best of the nominations received.

Most Promising New EntrantNominations sought for people, companies or products that have arrived on the aquaculture scene since January 2018.

Acoura

Animal WelfareAny initiative that has improved the welfare of the farmed animals and/or the wildlife they interact with since January 2018. Initiatives can cover a range of factors, including genetic, pharmaceutical and technological innovations, or improvements in husbandry and farm management protocols.

Technical Innovation

An award for the developer of novel hardware or software that has, or is projected to, improve the performance of any aquaculture sector.

Diversity

The employer that has done the most to promote diversity in their workforce and/or the sector in general since January 2018.

http://ventureburn.com/2019/03/circular-economy-2030-sap-google/

Grand prize of $100k up for grabs in Circular Economy 2030 contestBy Staff Reporter on 4 March, 2019

The winner of the Circular Economy 2030 global sustainability contest launched last week by SAPand Google Cloud will receive over $100 000 in prize money and get to take part in a Google Cloud for Startups’ Bootcamp.

Through the contest, launched last Thursday (28 February), SAP and Google Cloud are seeking revenue-generating ideas that use data analytics and machine learning to power circular economy businesses. Applications close on 17 March.The term “circular economy” — where consumption and emissions are minimised through such things as recycling, reuse, refurbishing and repair — has gained ground at a global level.

The Global Footprint Network estimates that in 2018 the global demand for resources was 1.7 times more than what the Earth could support. By 2030 it calculates that humans may need two Earths to sustain the current way of life.The first prize of the Circular Economy 2030 contest includes $100 000 in prize money, while four other finalists will each receive $25 000In addition, 2015 research by Accenture, estimates that a circular economy that increases social well-being and economic output while fostering a healthy environment could generate $4.5-trillion of new economic output by 2030.In a statement yesterday (28 February), SAP Africa head of CSR Sunil Geness said urgent action is needed to ensure the world corrects to a more “sustainable path” and achieves the ambitions set out in the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Geness said through its partnership with Google, SAP is hoping the initiative will ignite a “new wave” of innovation among social entrepreneurs, as the two companies search for data-driven and technology-enabled solutions that can help the world “run better” and improve people’s lives.

As part of the Circular Economy 2030 initiative, SAP and Google Cloud are working closely with experts in the fields of circular economy and sustainable development. These include UN Environment, the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, the World Wildlife Fund, and the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development Data.Prize pool of $200k

While the Circular Economy 2030 winner will receive $100 000 in prize money, four other finalists will each receive $25 000 in prize money. The finalists will be selected at the Google Cloud Next

Conference which takes place between 9 and 11 April in San Francisco.Thereafter, the finalists will participate in a hackathon on 12 April. Judges will look for original ideas that can benefit any aspect of the global economy.

To be considered for the contest, participants must include in their proposals a viable business model and outline a vision for advancing Sustainable Development Goal number 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production). They should also use both SAP and Google Cloud solutions to enable the idea to scale.

https://conservationxlabs.com/grand-challenges-for-conservation

THE GRAND CHALLENGES FOR CONSERVATION

PRIZES AND CHALLENGES TO TACKLE WICKED PROBLEMS

THE GRAND CHALLENGES FOR CONSERVATION: HARNESSING A GLOBAL COMMUNITY OF

SOLVERS & ENTREPRENEURSPrizes and Challenges are global competitions to create solutions for a wicked conservation

problem, with a cash prize for the most innovative and impactful ideas. We run open prizes and challenges to harness the collective ingenuity of thousands of entrepreneurs, makers, engineers,

researchers, and innovators.

Conservation X Labs has provided millions of dollars to support ideas and innovative businesses that address key underlying drivers of extinction and disrupt the field of conservation as we know it. We have launched Grand Challenges for oceans, invasive species, cooling, and freshwater ecosystems. After each open innovation competition, we design programs to help

scale and accelerate solutions tailored to the industry and field.

EXPLORE OUR PRIZES, CHALLENGES, & IMPACT BELOW

Current Prizes & Challenges

THE GLOBAL COOLING PRIZE

A $3 million innovation competition to develop a climate-friendly residential cooling solution that can provide access to cooling to people around the world without warming the planet. The Global Cooling Prize was launched in partnership with the Rocky Mountain Institute and the government of India in 2018.

LEARN ABOUT THE PRIZE

THE ‘O’HIA CHALLENGE

An invasive fungal pathogen called Rapid ‘Ōhiʻa Death (ROD) has decimated Hawaiian forests.  Conservation X Labs, the U.S. Department of the Interior, and the National Park Service are partnering to identify advanced technological solutions to detect and prevent the spread of ROD. 

SUBMIT YOUR SOLUTION

THE WATER CHALLENGE

The first Saving Water for Nature Grand Challenge will launch in 2019 in partnership with the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation informed by our report on the Ten Grand Challenges for Water & Biodiversity Conservation. Get notified of the launch and join the Grand Challenge Coalition as a partner below.

JOIN THE COALITION

Our Impact: The Blue Economy ChallengeThe Blue Economy Challenge was the first Grand Challenge for Conservation that sought solutions for alternative protein, new ocean products, and fish-free feed that were scalable,

transformative, impactful, feasible, and financially & ecologically sustainable. Conservation X Labs ran the $2.3 million challenge in partnership with InnovationXChange, Australia’s

Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), SecondMuse, and World Wildlife Fund US (WWF).

221 entries with innovative solution ideas across 3 Challenge categories. 517 individuals across 71 countries entered the competition. $2.3M was awarded to 10 winners. Learn more about the winners here. Launching the Grand Challenges for Ocean Conservation Working Paper became a

widely regarded landscape analysis for oceans innovation. Identified winners to join the follow-on Oceans X Labs accelerator in partnership with

WWF.

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE BEC

DOWNLOAD THE PDF

THE LANDSCAPE ANALYSISAs part of our scoping and design process for The Grand Challenges for Conservation, Conservation X Labs develops a landscape analysis that encompasses all current innovation in the industry.

These reports demonstrate our thought leadership and are considered industry standards for open innovation. Each report identifies the most pressing challenges in the field where technology and innovation can create exponential solutions to extinction’s underlying drivers.

Our first report, Launching the Grand Challenges for Ocean Conservation, outlines the most impactful ocean conservation challenges and a pathway to solve them.

DOWNLOAD THE REPORT

LEARN HOW WE SCALE SOLUTIONS

SCALING & ACCELERATORSAfter each Grand Challenges for Conservation, we work to bring promising innovations to scale by creating incubator and accelerator programs.

Launched with World Wildlife Fund (US), Oceans X Labs was the world’s first conservation technology accelerator designed to develop scalable innovations that directly address wicked sustainability challenges for aquaculture, and to bring the most transformative innovations from the Blue Economy Challenge to scale.

Conservation X Labs built and operated OXL securing $2M+ of external investment for the 6-company cohort of aquaculture companies.

LEARN HOW OXL SCALED SOLUTIONS

Running a Grand Challenge with CXLTHE CXL PROCESSConservation X Labs selects and designs our challenges through a multi-month research and development process that consults dozens of global experts and applies our proprietary analysis to identify wicked problems for conservation ripe for innovation. These activities include:

Gathering world-class experts for Big Thinks Consulting global field leaders Conducting extensive research Leveraging our proprietary analysis Applying our open innovation expertise Building & strengthening partnerships Designing exponential open innovation competitions Creating follow-on opportunities to scale winners

Global Leaders at the Water & Biodiversity Conservation Big Think, 2018

https://www.nationalgeographic.org/innovation-challenges/plastic/

https://www.desalination.biz/news/0/Waves-to-Water-Prize-targets-ocean-powered-desal/9218/

Waves to Water Prize targets ocean-powered desal27 February 2019, source desalination.bizThe US Department of Energy (DOE) has introduced the Waves to Water Prize for wave-powered desalination technologies and is seeking feedback on the initiative.

The new Waves to Water Prize aims to use the power of competition to drive innovationThe $2.5 million prize aims to provide a route for innovators from initial concept through technical design, prototyping and field-testing. The DOE simultaneously issued a request for information seeking feedback on the initiative with a deadline of 15 March 2019.

The prize’s aims are to:

* Evaluate the economic basis for small-scale, modular, wave-powered desalination;* Demonstrate desalination and marine renewable energy integrations; and* Validate technologies in a field-test setting that meet quantifiable benchmarks for freshwater production, ease of installation, cost and reliability.The initiative will feature a series of contests intended to support development of small, modular, cost-competitive desalination systems that use the power of the ocean to provide potable drinking water.

The prize forms part of the DOE’s Water Security Grand Challenge launched in October 2018.It is led by the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) Water Power Technologies Office (WPTO) and administered by the National Renewable energy Laboratory on the Americn Made Challenges platform.

INNOVATION CHALLENGES

Ocean Plastic

INNOVATION CHALLENGEOCEAN PLASTICTHE OCEAN PLASTIC INNOVATION CHALLENGE:

Compete for a share of $1.5 million in awards and investment. Register Now.

TURNING THE TIDE ON PLASTIC WASTEThe Ocean Plastic Innovation Challenge, a key component of National Geographic

and Sky Ocean Ventures’ partnership to reduce plastic waste, asks problem solvers from around the globe to develop novel solutions to tackle the world’s

plastic waste crisis.  

More than 9 million tons of plastic waste end up in our oceans each year, and without interventions, this number is expected to almost double to 17 million tons

per year by 2025. The Ocean Plastic Innovation Challenge will focus on three strategic ways to address this growing crisis: designing alternatives to single-use

plastic, identifying opportunities for industries to address plastic waste throughout supply chains, and effectively communicating the need for action through data

visualization. 

Teams will compete for aggregate prize purses of up to $500,000, and qualified participating teams may have the opportunity to receive a minimum of $1 million in

aggregate investment from Sky Ocean Ventures.

OCEAN PLASTIC INNOVATION CHALLENGE TRACKSThe challenge is a one-year competition composed of three complementary tracks that will run simultaneously—Design, Circular Economy, and Data Visualization.

Design Track

The Design Track challenges teams to identify pragmatic, investable solutions to improve food and beverage packaging and containers. 

L E A R N M O R E A B OU T T H I S T R A C K 

Circular Economy Track

The Circular Economy Track challenges teams to develop scalable business models and technology solutions, applicable across industries, to reduce plastic packaging waste and encourage the reuse and repurposing of plastic alternatives instead of discarding them after one use. 

L E A R N M O R E A B OU T T H I S T R A C K 

Data Visualization Track

The Data Visualization Track challenges teams to represent a relevant, credible data set related to the global challenge of plastic waste as a data visualization.

L E A R N M O R E A B OU T T H I S T R A C K 

THE PLASTIC PROBLEMSky Ocean Ventures and National Geographic have joined forces in the fight to eradicate the destructive impact of plastic waste in the world’s oceans. Sky Ocean Ventures was launched in March 2018 with a £25 million cornerstone commitment from Sky and the objective of seeking out investment opportunities in start-up innovation businesses that can help solve the ocean plastic waste crisis. The National Geographic Society is bringing together its global network of scientists and academics to support the fund’s vision, along with a financial commitment focused on activity that aligns with its mission, values, and objectives.

Planet or Plastic?    We depend on plastic. Now we’re drowning in it. Learn what else National Geographic is doing to address the plastic waste crisis.

Sky Ocean Ventures    Sky Ocean Ventures is a media-powered impact investment fund that’s accelerating ideas to solve the ocean plastic crisis.

KEY DATES February 11, 2019

Registration opens

June 11, 2019

Initial Submission Deadline

Week of July 8, 2019

Finalists Selected

Week of November 11, 2019

Finalists’ Submissions Due

Week of December 9, 2019

Finalists Pitch Their Solutions to a Panel of Expert Judges

Week of December 9, 2019

Winners Announced

SUBMIT YOUR SOLUTIONSPrepare and submit your Ocean Plastic Innovation Challenge solution in our online

portal.

REGISTER NOW

Nor-Shipping Next Generation Ship Award

With a focus on innovation, the Next Generation Ship Award honors the most promising design for ships that will be at sea in the coming decade.

What ship project will be the next to impress the jury and the maritime industry and receive the Nor-Shipping Next Generation Ship Award 2019? Time is ticking to enter the Nor-Shipping Next Generation Award. As we are now in the first week of February, the 1 March closing date for the award is just weeks away.

Bring your work to a wider audienceSince the last Nor-Shipping exhibition in 2017, a high number of innovative ships have either been delivered or have been announced as in development or on order.This is an exciting period in ship design and construction, while trading conditions may not be the best that have ever been experienced, there is ample evidence that ship designers and shipowners are prepared to take bold pioneering steps to meet the latest challenges.

Nor-Shipping would like to invite those owners and designers to bring their work to a wider audience and to perhaps have the opportunity to see it recognised by carrying off the prestigious Nor-Shipping Next Generation Ship Award 2019.

The award will be handed out in front of a prominent industry audience at the Nor-Shipping Opening Ceremony. All four nominees will be publicly honored for their innovative ship design.

Open to all ship typesThe award is open to all ship types from small ferries and tugs to the largest box ship, bulker or tanker and everything in between. Although it may difficult to evaluate such differing ship types, a highly experienced jury will do just that. Judging each ship on its merits and eventually selecting a winner.

There may be only one prize and one winner (joint entries are permitted and each party will be recognised), but every entrant will see their vessel or design showcased to all visitors and exhibitors at this year’s major maritime exhibition.

Full details of the entry criteria and appropriate forms can be found atthe   Next Generation Ship Award website .

https://marineenergy.biz/2019/03/01/offshore-energy-awards-nominations-begin/

https://www.nymic.org/news-events

When: March 29-31, 2019

Where: TBA

Hosted by the New York Maritime Innovation Center (NYMIC) and R1 Labs, the NYC Maritime Hackathon will address real world challenges around data in the shipping industry, focusing on ports, logistics and supply chain. Topics include Maritime Big Data, Cyber Security and Supply Chain Velocity.

From shipboard navigation, engineering, and cargo handling systems, to port and intermodal operations, through cargo and logistics technologies - big data offers significant opportunities to enhance operational and environmental safety, increase efficiency, and improve reliability and visibility in commerce. But the increasing reliance on data also presents challenges to security, standardization, and interoperability.Hackathon participants will have access to industry data sets. Problems participants may tackle include:

How can machine learning and data analytics be used to optimize energy consumption, reduce emissions, and provide savings?

How can the marine transportation incorporate IoT?

Can we make shipping units smart with GPS tracking, IoT, and transceivers?

Can we use Predictive Analytics or Machine Learning to shorten the time an ocean shipment goes from origin to destination?

100+ participants (developers, designers, domain experts) will convene for 36 hours of building prototypes, rapid fire market validations and business model inventions. Participants will have rare access to top maritime industry and tech executives, investors and entrepreneurs so they can effectively work on building MVPs for commercially viable solutions.

Grand prize winners will be offered a cash sum, plus a unique chance to participate in the inaugural NYMIC Bootcamp Accelerator and work with industry execs and investors to grow their solutions for market-readiness.

The hackathon kicks off Friday night with industry leaders, partners, and sponsors introducing the state of the shipping industry and presenting the critical issues and problem sets to tackle and demos from the weekend will be presented Sunday afternoon.

Additional partners, sponsors, prizes and programming will be announced closer to the event date.

FEBRUARY 2019

THE AWARD

The Green Alley Award is the award for startups and entrepreneurs in the circular economy.

Our mission is to turn the linear into a circular economy and transform the waste and recycling industry as we know it today. This annual European prize was created in 2014

by Landbell Group, the leading supplier of global environmental services, along with Germany’s crowdfunding pioneer, Seedmatch. Over time, more partners have joined

– Bethnal Green Ventures, a UK accelerator programme for startups using tech for good, and R2Pi, an EU Horizon 2020 project on circular economy business models.

Together, we nurture and promote promising business ideas that use new services, products and technologies to turn waste into a resource.

Enter The Eco-Logic Awards 2019

You are invited to nominate an eco-champion that you believe is making a positive contribution towards creating an eco-logical society and environment – or nominate your own organisation, product or project under one (or more) of the following 13 Categories. Closing date for entries is the 15th of February 2019.

(Please note: The Eco-Logic Awards are currently only for organisations operating in South Africa)

Read more on judging criteria here.

1. The Biodiversity AwardAwarded to an organisation for a successful biodiversity protection, rehabilitation, or damage mitigation programme

2. The Climate Change AwardAwarded to an organisation that has achieved a substantial reduction in Greenhouse Gas emissions or has created effective mitigation or adaptation programmes to address climate change

3. The Eco-Innovation AwardFor a new product or service that is financially viable and sustainable, that serves the needs of humans whilst being equally beneficial to the Earth and its eco-systems

4. The Energy Efficiency AwardFor a product or service that results in energy saving

5. The Recycling and Waste Management AwardFor a policy, programme or project that has demonstrably contributed to a greater public understanding and participation in waste reduction, re-use and recycling

6. The Eco-Build AwardFor innovations, adaptations, products or services that improve the environmental sustainability and/or resilience of a (new or existing) building.

7. The Water Conservation AwardFor a product or service that results in water saving.

8. The Green Economy AwardFor a business organisation that provides a product , service or programme that supports the growth of the Green Economy in South Africa.

9. The Municipalities AwardAwarded to a municipality that has developed solutions using its risk assessment and management expertise, forming strategic partnerships to improve sustainability, as well as service delivery in municipal functions.

10.The Eco-Community AwardFor a community that has acted collectively to protect, preserve, or restore the Earths life forms, eco-systems, or natural resources.

11. The Eco-Youth AwardFor an individual of 26 years or under who can show that their actions have protected, preserved or improved the Earth’s eco-systems and natural resources.

12. The Eco-Angel AwardFor an individual, whose actions have conserved, nurtured or restored the Earth’s life forms, eco-systems, or natural resources.

13. The Eco-Warrior AwardFor an individual, whose actions have defended, protected or prevented damage to the Earth’s life forms, eco-systems, or natural resources.

Enter The Awards!Enter Online

Complete your entry form using the link below (as a precaution please save your answers in a Word Doc to prevent loss of information in case of a web error):

Enter Online (NOTE: If you do not receive a confirmation of entry email please notify us – networking@enviropaedia.com )

Nominate

networking@enviropaedia.com

BusinessGreen Leaders Awards 2019 ✨

ENTRIES NOW OPEN!The BusinessGreen Leaders Awards, now in their ninth year, are back for 2019! The Leaders Awards provide pioneering businesses with the perfect opportunity to showcase their sustainability efforts.The UK's most prestigious and high profile green business awards will bring together the best and brightest from across the green community to celebrate the projects, individuals, teams and organisations that are redefining what it means to be a successful business. 

The awards shine a light on the UK's leading green businesses and recognise the immense progress the UK's green business community has made in recent years, as sustainable business models and clean technologies have continued to force their way into the mainstream. The theme of this year's awards is ambition, in recognition of the boldness and determination that now defines all the best green businesses, projects, and initiatives.

The awards celebrate businesses, NGOs, public sector bodies and individuals across 25 different categories and are rigorously judged by a panel of sustainability professionals and green economy leaders. The awards ceremony will take place on Wednesday 26 June at The Brewery in London.

Entries are now open and will close on Friday 15 March, 5pm. Click here to enter now.

GREEN PRODUCT AWARD

https://gp-award.com/en/gpaward

esign, Sustainability & BusinessThe international Green Product Award provides a platform for manufacturers, design studios & agencies that are distinguished by their products & services in terms of design, innovation and sustainability and who want to present themselves on the German market.

Highlight 2019: The products of the Green Selection form the heart of the new Green Campus special area at the International Crafts Fair in Munich. With 125,000 visitors and 2500 square meters of space for the presentation and sale of green products, the Green Campus is the largest green marketplace in Europe.

The products will be presented in curated green showrooms on the 350 sqm special award area. A green pop-up store offers green accessories to take away and in the Future Shop, the best green concepts and prototypes show the future.

https://conservationxlabs.com/grand-challenges-for-conservation/

THE GRAND CHALLENGES FOR CONSERVATION: HARNESSING A GLOBAL COMMUNITY OF

SOLVERS & ENTREPRENEURSPrizes and Challenges are global competitions to create solutions for a wicked conservation problem, with a cash prize for the most

innovative and impactful ideas. We run open prizes and challenges to harness the collective ingenuity of thousands of entrepreneurs,

makers, engineers, researchers, and innovators.

Conservation X Labs has provided millions of dollars to support ideas and innovative businesses that address key underlying drivers of extinction and disrupt the field of conservation as we know it. We

have launched Grand Challenges for oceans, invasive species,

cooling, and freshwater ecosystems. After each open innovation competition, we design programs to help scale and accelerate

solutions tailored to the industry and field.

EXPLORE OUR PRIZES, CHALLENGES, & IMPACT BELOW

Current Prizes & Challenges

THE GLOBAL COOLING PRIZE

A $3 million innovation competition to develop a climate-friendly residential cooling solution that can provide access to cooling to people around the world without warming the planet. The Global Cooling Prize was launched in partnership with the Rocky Mountain Institute and the government of India in 2018.

LEARN ABOUT THE PRIZE

THE ‘O’HIA CHALLENGE

An invasive fungal pathogen called Rapid ‘Ōhiʻa Death (ROD) has decimated Hawaiian forests.  Conservation X Labs, the U.S. Department of the Interior, and the National Park Service are partnering to identify advanced technological solutions to detect and prevent the spread of ROD. 

SUBMIT YOUR SOLUTION

THE WATER CHALLENGE

The first Saving Water for Nature Grand Challenge will launch in 2019 in partnership with the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation informed by our report on the Ten Grand Challenges for Water & Biodiversity Conservation. Get notified of the launch and join the Grand Challenge Coalition as a partner below.

JOIN THE COALITION

Our Impact: The Blue Economy ChallengeThe Blue Economy Challenge was the first Grand Challenge for

Conservation that sought solutions for alternative protein, new ocean products, and fish-free feed that were scalable,

transformative, impactful, feasible, and financially & ecologically sustainable. Conservation X Labs ran the $2.3 million challenge in partnership with InnovationXChange, Australia’s Department of

Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), SecondMuse, and World Wildlife Fund US (WWF).

221 entries with innovative solution ideas across 3 Challenge categories.

517 individuals across 71 countries entered the competition.

$2.3M was awarded to 10 winners. Learn more about the winners here.

Launching the Grand Challenges for Ocean Conservation Working Paper became a widely regarded landscape analysis for oceans innovation.

Identified winners to join the follow-on Oceans X Labs accelerator in partnership with WWF.

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE BEC

DOWNLOAD THE PDF

THE LANDSCAPE ANALYSISAs part of our scoping and design process for The Grand Challenges for Conservation, Conservation X Labs develops a landscape analysis that encompasses all current innovation in the industry.

These reports demonstrate our thought leadership and are considered industry standards for open innovation. Each report identifies the most pressing challenges in the field where technology and innovation can create exponential solutions to extinction’s underlying drivers.

Our first report, Launching the Grand Challenges for Ocean Conservation, outlines the most impactful ocean conservation challenges and a pathway to solve them.

DOWNLOAD THE REPORT

LEARN HOW WE SCALE SOLUTIONS

SCALING & ACCELERATORSAfter each Grand Challenges for Conservation, we work to bring promising innovations to scale by creating incubator and accelerator programs.

Launched with World Wildlife Fund (US), Oceans X Labs was the world’s first conservation technology accelerator designed to develop scalable innovations that directly address wicked sustainability challenges for aquaculture, and to bring the most transformative innovations from the Blue Economy Challenge to scale.

Conservation X Labs built and operated OXL securing $2M+ of external investment for the 6-company cohort of aquaculture companies.

LEARN HOW OXL SCALED SOLUTIONS

Running a Grand Challenge with CXLTHE CXL PROCESSConservation X Labs selects and designs our challenges through a multi-month research and development process that consults dozens of global experts and applies our proprietary analysis to identify wicked problems for conservation ripe for innovation. These activities include:

Gathering world-class experts for Big Thinks Consulting global field leaders Conducting extensive research Leveraging our proprietary analysis Applying our open innovation expertise Building & strengthening partnerships Designing exponential open innovation competitions Creating follow-on opportunities to scale winners

Global Leaders at the Water & Biodiversity Conservation Big Think, 2018

Glob

http://www.bluegrowth.gr/

n order to reach their full potential, maritime and water economic activities need synergies, innovation and the sustainability principles in practice. This approach, combined with a long-term focus, would enable them to respond effectively to the current social and environmental challenges. The engagement of local communities and administration, as well as adequate support from local, national, and international policy will also be crucial to this progress.

Within this framework, the Blue Growth marine challenge competition is looking for original innovative business ideas for products and services in the following categories:

Information & Communication Technologies Environmental Protection & Energy Conservation Fisheries Sustainable Maritime Tourism Water use Shipping & Logistics

3d Bluegrowth Patras Competition

Call for entryCall for entry of 3rd BlueGrowth Patras Competition is now open!

The Bluegrowth aims to inspire and support startups with innovative ideas relating to the blue economy, including shipping, tourism, fisheries, and the marine ecosystem. The process is carried out through the competition Bluegrowth, that was organized for the 3nrd year in a row, in which take part teams that have submitted their proposals. The selected ones join the “incubation” program of BlueGrowth Piraeus, building a strong foundation to entry the “business world.

If you have an innovative idea relating to the blue economy, submit your proposal for the 3rd BlueGrowth Patras Competition.

Call for papers: Ocean Yearbook Student Prize   2019 The Ocean Yearbook‘s annual competition for students writing research papers on “marine affairs” is open to submissions until 13 May 2019. The Student Prize 2019 will include publication in a subsequent issue of the Ocean Yearbook. A definition of maritime affairs is included within the call.

For more information on eligibility and submissions, see here.

MONDAY JANUARY 28TH, 2019BY BIANCA LA PLACA

Equator Prize 2019, the call for nominations is openThe Equator Prize 2019 will be awarded to outstanding community and indigenous initiatives that are advancing nature-based solutions for local sustainable development. Each winning group will receive USD 10,000 and will be invited to participate in a series of policy dialogues and special events during the United Nations General Assembly and the Secretary-General’s Climate Summit in New York in September 2019, culminating in a high-level award ceremony at the beginning of Climate Week.

The Equator Prize 2019 will have a special focus on

–        initiatives that protect, restore or sustainably manage natural environments–        initiatives that promote local models for climate-smart food and agricultural production systems–        innovative ways to finance nature-based solutions for sustainable development and climate change

The nomination deadline will be 26 February 2019.Nominations can be submitted in 8 languages. For further information and to nominate visit the website or contact prize@equatorinitiative.org

PRIZE PURSE: $5 MILLION PHASE: Solution Development

AI to solve the world’s challenges

The $5 million IBM Watson AI XPRIZE is a global competition challenging teams to develop and demonstrate how humans can collaborate with powerful AI technologies to tackle the world’s Grand Challenges.

PRIZE PURSE: $10 MILLION PHASE: Registration

Anywhere is possible

The $10M ANA Avatar XPRIZE is a four-year global competition focused on the development of an Avatar System that will transport a human’s sense, actions, and presence to a remote location in real time, leading to a more connected world. 

PRIZE PURSE: $20 MILLION PHASE: Testing & Certification

Recycling CO₂ into valuable products

The $20 million NRG COSIA Carbon XPRIZE is a global competition to develop breakthrough technologies that will convert CO₂ emissions from power plants and industrial facilities into valuable products like building materials, alternative fuels and other items that we use every day. 

PRIZE PURSE: $15 MILLION PHASE: Testing & Certification

Empowering children to take control of their own learning

The $15 million Global Learning XPRIZE challenges teams from around the world to develop open-source, scalable software that will enable children in developing countries to teach themselves basic reading, writing and arithmetic within 15 months.

PRIZE PURSE: $0 MILLION PHASE: Seeking Title Sponsor

The new space race

Thanks to the concluded Google Lunar XPRIZE, at least five private companies have solidified launch contracts and are hoping to land on the surface of the Moon within the next two years. Because of this tremendous progress, XPRIZE has decided to re-launch a Lunar-focused XPRIZE competition with new parameters that will complete our original mission of making the impossible possible.

Welcome to the next chapter of this new space race.

PRIZE PURSE: $7 MILLION PHASE: Testing & Certification

Transforming the lives of low-literate adults

The $7 million Barbara Bush Foundation Adult Literacy XPRIZE presented by Dollar General Literacy Foundation is a global competition challenging teams to develop mobile applications for existing smart devices that result in the greatest increase in literacy skills among participating adult learners in just 12 months.

PRIZE PURSE: $7 MILLION PHASE: Testing & Certification

Discovering the mysteries of the deep sea

The $7 million Shell Ocean Discovery XPRIZE is a global competition challenging teams to advance deep sea technologies for autonomous, fast, high-resolution ocean exploration.  

PRIZE PURSE: $1 MILLION PHASE: Registration

Transforming one million lives through literacy 

The $1 million Adult Literacy XPRIZE Communities Competition challenges communities and organizations across the country to empower adults with low literacy skills to download and use a free, effective, convenient and private mobile learning tool. XPRIZE will provide the educational apps – you just have to get them into the hands of learners.

Observations7 Award-Winning Apps Launch a Mobile Age for the Ocean EconomyAnnouncing the winners of the XPRIZE Ocean Initiative's challenge to turn data into much-needed ocean servicesBy Matthew Mulrennan, Ayana Elizabeth Johnson on February 16, 2018

Credit: Alexander Rhind Getty Images

Every single day over 20 terabytes (that’s 20 million megabytes!) of ocean data are collected by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)—not to mention all the other organizations collecting data about the ocean. These bytes help us understand currents, water quality, fish populations and coral reefs. But despite being publically available, barely anyone accesses the government and academic data repositories. So, is it available? Technically yes. But is it easily accessible in a useful way? No, not really. These ocean data are valuable, and the fact that it’s collecting dust is a market failure. From shipping, to fishing, tourism, and recreation, the U.S. “blue economy” produces $352 billion in goods and services, and employs more than 3 million people. How might we unlock this wealth of data and put it to use for business, conservation and recreation?To answer that question, the  XPRIZE Ocean Initiative launched the  Big Ocean Button Challenge on Herox—a global mobile app development competition to turn ocean data into needed ocean services. This competition was designed to encourage app developers and data scientists to work toward a future where the world’s ocean data is available at our fingertips, visualized in a user-friendly and meaningful way.We share the vision of a “new blue   economy ," a diverse and solution-based ocean economy built on environmental intelligence and data, not just extractive industries. Commercial weather data is worth billions of dollars, and ocean data shouldn’t be far behind, once the data products and markets mature. We aren’t there yet, but the winners of the Big Ocean Button Challenge are leading the way toward an ocean that is healthy, valued and understood.ADVERTISEMENTOut of 80 submissions, these seven winners will be splitting $100,000 in prizes for the best apps in shipping and trade, exploration, public safety, fishing and ocean acidification, with bonus prizes for conservation, education and integrating multiple datasets.

Credit: Navisea1.  Navisea (Winner: Shipping and Trade) Navisea is designed for planning and tracking ocean voyages, and includes data on traffic, ports, docks, navigation and weather. This app can make navigation tools accessible to smaller vessels and marry data from the economic-focused shipping industry with the environmental-focused government and NGO datasets.“There's no reason that we can't begin to develop practices in the shipping industry that take environmental factors into further account.” — Navisea team  

Credit: FishAngler2. FishAngler (Winner: Fishing) FishAngler enables anglers (a.k.a. recreational fishermen, of which there are over 45 million in the U.S.) to log fishing experiences, discover new spots and access NOAA and USGS weather and water data. This app could be a platform to crowdsource fish catch data, which would help fisheries managers, the scientific community and the fishing community to better understand and protect fish stocks.“I got bored being retired and I wanted to bring technology to the fishing industry and build something unique that captures one's fishing memories across family generations!” — FishAngler team

ADVERTISEMENT Credit: SeaStatus3. SeaStatus Marine Weather (Winner: Public Safety, Integrating Multiple Datasets) SeaStatus delivers personalized marine weather data to anyone with an internet-connected mobile device. This app translates super complex datasets into a simple interface, and helps mariners navigate safely.“With incredible weather, nautical communities, and access to everything the Pacific Ocean has to offer, the impetus for this app was to empower [Southern Californians] to take advantage of what they have.” — SeaStatus team

Credit: SeaSee4. SeaSee (Winner: Exploration, Education) SeaSee App shows us what the world would look like if the oceans were drained of water, using bathymetric (seafloor depth) data to generate 3D views. This app allows you to explore the ocean floor, from shipwrecks to marine habitats.

Sign up for Scientific American’s free newsletters.Sign Up “If our app helps inspire a few young people to find out more and become scientists, engineers or oceanographers then it will have done its job.” — SeaSee team

Credit: SOpHIE5. SOpHIE (the Surface Ocean pH Interactive Explorer) (Winner: Ocean Acidification) SOpHIE was designed to serve those working in aquaculture, fisheries and coastal monitoring, by delivering daily metrics of ocean acidification. This app lets users know if a site that matters to them is at risk from ocean acidification.ADVERTISEMENT“Having SOpHIE to take publicly available data and transform it, to create completely new data and offer some kind of interpretation, will hopefully go a long way in addressing the needs of stakeholders.” —SOpHIE team

Credit: Chile es Mar6.  Chile es Mar (Winner: Judge's Award) Chile es Mar aims to bridge the information gap between science, fishermen and seafood consumers. The app connects local catch data from artisanal fishers with seafood purchasers, and promotes fair compensation for local, sustainable and traceable seafood. The developers’ hope is to export this model to support small-scale fishing communities in other Latin countries.“We bridged four different sectors: from artisan fishermen to consumers and from scientists to chefs in one place.” — Chile es Mar team

Credit: Endangered Waves7.  Endangered Waves   (Winner: Conservation) Endangered Waves can empower and incentivize surfers (there are 24 million worldwide) to monitor the health of their coastlines through crowdsourced data. Surfers can use this app to create crowdsourced data to identify and then reduce hazards in their local surf breaks. In the U.S., tourism and recreation comprise 72 percent of employment in the ocean economy and 31 percent of its gross value. Creating apps that cater to this market isn’t indulgent, it’s good business sense.“We have relied on a number of great partners to get where we are today ... so it really is the story of the surfing and technology communities coming together to create a tool to protect what we love.” —Endangered Waves teamADVERTISEMENT

Check out all of the finalist apps, which tackled topics from  reporting illegal fishing,  to visualizing sea level rise ,  identifying fish species with a picture and using  augmented reality to display real-time ocean data .In the next five years, mobile apps are  projected to be worth $6.3 trillion, global app use will expand to over 6 billion people and the time spent using apps will more than double. Ocean data can ride this wave of mobile app services and help scale how we explore and protect our blue planet.The views expressed are those of the author(s) and are not necessarily those of Scientific American.Rights & PermissionsMatthew MulrennanAyana Elizabeth Johnson