Rockefeller Foundation-Acumen Student Social Innovation Challenge 2019

Published: 04 Sep 2019 1,147 views

The Rockefeller Foundation has opened applications for the Rockefeller Foundation-Acumen Student Social Innovation Challenge 2019.

About The Programme:
The students selected by the Foundation, will for the Social Innovation Challenge, develop innovative solutions to problems associated with poverty and pitch for a chance to win up to $20,000 cash prize plus an invite to a community of experienced entrepreneurs and investors to help them turn their ideas into an impactful enterprise.

In addition to supporting on campus competitions, Acumen and The Rockefeller Foundation are hosting a Virtual Challenge with the aim of inspiring and equipping students from all over the world with the skills and support to solve problems associated with poverty. World-changing ideas can come from anywhere in the world, so they’re hosting a Virtual Challenge for every student who doesn’t have access to an existing campus competition.

There are three phases to the Virtual Challenge:

• In Phase 1, teams of students will enroll in the 6-week Lean Startup online course and submit their social venture ideas.
• In Phase 2, the top teams will join an 8-week Student Social Enterprise Accelerator, where they will be provided one-on-one coaching and participate in a final pitch showcase.
• In Phase 3, the winning teams will receive up to $20,000 to transform their idea into a real-life social venture. They will also be invited to join Acumen’s Community of Social Innovators, an exclusive network of Acumen Fellows, social entrepreneurs, and change-makers.

Challenge Areas:
They challenge areas are in:
Health
Food and Agriculture
Energy
Workforce development
Financial Inclusion

The  Social Innovation Challenge is open to students worldwide.

Acumen Student Social Innovation Undergraduate Scholarship

Application Deadline	October 15, 2019
Funding Type	Partially Funded
Type	Undergraduate
Sponsor	Acumen Student Social Innovation
Gender	Men and Women

Benefits of Acumen Student Social Innovation Undergraduate Scholarship

Are you a university student that wants to solve problems that matter? You’re in the right place.

• Learn about social challenges from experts in the field
• Form a team and an idea for solving one of them
• Refine your idea through online courses and Learning Labs
• Pitch your idea for a chance to win funding, mentorship, and support

The best ideas will win up to $20,000 in funding as well as an invitation to an exclusive community of experienced entrepreneurs, investors, and change agents, who will help transform these ideas into successful enterprises.

 

The total prize pool for the Virtual Challenge is $200,000. They anticipate distributing $100,000 in funding in the Fall Virtual Challenge, and $100,000 in the Spring Virtual Challenge.

Requirements for Acumen Student Social Innovation Undergraduate Scholarship

1. Open to students worldwide
2. Anyone can participate in the Virtual Challenge (and compete for $20,000 in funding per team!), so long as you meet the following eligibility and participation requirements:
   1. Form a team of two people or more. At least one team member must be actively enrolled at a higher education institution.
   2. Complete 4 of the 5 assignments in the Lean Startup course (including the final assignment) and submit an application for the Accelerator program. At least two team members must complete the Lean Startup course.
   3. Interview for and be selected to participate in the Student Social Enterprise Accelerator program.
   4. Participate in at least 7 of the 8 Accelerator Learning Labs and submit all assignments, including a final pitch deck. The pitch deck must include a budget for the prize funding and a three-month work plan including key milestones and dates.

Application Deadline

October 15, 2019

How to Apply

Interested and qualified? Go to Acumen Student Social Innovation on ra.acumenacademy.org to apply