On February 23, Google launched the second edition of the Google Brazil Social Impact Challenge, which will distribute R$10 million to NGOs that present the best ideas for using technology to solve problems. In addition to the cash prize, the winning projects will receive technical assistance and mentoring from company employees.
"There are incredible projects being developed all over Brazil by NGOs that are increasingly turning to technology to try to solve problems of all kinds: environmental, educational, health, etc. We want to find these talents, help them and show them to the world. We believe that, in this way, great solutions can become a reality," said Fabio Coelho, President of Google Brazil, in a statement.
The Social Impact Challenge has already been held in India, France, Japan, Australia, Germany and the USA, but only the UK and Brazil have hosted two editions. In the 2014 competition, one of the winning projects was presented by Geledés Instituto da Mulher Negra, one of the grantees by the ELAS Fund. Geledés' project was chosen by the public, with more than 475,000 votes cast during the nine days of voting, and aimed to improve access to protection for victims of domestic violence through the development of an app.
In the new edition, the ten best projects will compete in the final phase of the competition. The four best, three of which will be chosen by a jury and one by popular vote, will receive R$1.5 million. Each of the other six finalists will receive R$650,000. Entries are open until March 21 on the competition website. Any registered NGO with an idea on how to use technology to solve social problems is eligible to take part.
After the registration period, Google employees, together with external experts, will review the projects and select the ten finalists, who will be announced on May 23rd. Two NGOs will be selected from each region of the country. The finalist projects will be put to a popular vote online and, on June 14, the contestants will present their projects to the judges at an event at the company's headquarters in São Paulo. On the same date, the winners will be announced.
Find out more here.
