The Innovation Call, with the theme of “COVID-19 & Beyond – Innovation for Social Good”, seeks to develop solutions to address the challenges faced by our most vulnerable Singaporeans and businesses
The Infocomm Media Development Authority’s (“IMDA”) Open Innovation Platform (“OIP”) today launched a special Innovation Call to tackle challenges during and after COVID-19. The Innovation Call, with the theme of “COVID-19 & Beyond – Innovation for Social Good”, seeks to develop solutions to address the challenges faced by our most vulnerable Singaporeans and businesses.
Through the Innovation Call, IMDA and its industry partners aim to inspire the innovation community to apply digital technology to solve COVID-related problem statements1 . Examples would include developing a better food distribution network for underprivileged households, to efficiently test workers while minimizing any disruption to business operations, and helping migrant workers access self- help resources. Mr Tan Kiat How, Chief Executive, IMDA, said, “COVID-19 has had and will continue to have a profound impact on lives and livelihoods, especially for the more vulnerable segments of our society. Through this special Open Innovation Call, we are reaching out to our innovator community to crowdsource solutions to challenges that our people and businesses face, and help us adapt to a post-COVID ‘new normal’.”
Ms Melissa Kwee, CEO, National Volunteer & Philanthropy Centre,said, “Every crisis amplifies a nation’s strengths and weaknesses, and COVID-19 has brought the needs of many marginalised groups to our attention. Social innovation initiatives can foster greater 'whole of community' collaboration that identifies unmet needs and opportunities to rethink solutions and question our assumptions of what works in creating a truly inclusive society for hidden groups at the last mile.” OIP will host six challenges to address some of these problems aggravated by COVID-19, with total prize monies amounting to S$90,000. To help alleviate some of the initial risk of innovation, IMDA will co-fund 70% of each challenge’s prize money, with the remaining 30% supported by the partner. The call opens on 6 May 2020 and will close on 5 June 2020. Interested applicants can submit their proposals at https://www.covid.openinnovation.sg.
