Choose A Language

This website is translated using a plugin. There may be errors or inconsistencies.

If in doubt or have questions, please refer to the  Entrant Handbook  for the correct information:

Entrant Handbook (English) |  Entrant Handbook (French)  |  Entrant Handbook (Indonesian)  |  Entrant Handbook (Portuguese)  |  Entrant Handbook (Spanish)

The Good Start Challenge: Southeast Asia

We are looking for teams that can advance innovative solutions to improve the wellbeing of parents and other caregivers of young children (aged 0-6) in disadvantaged circumstances in Indonesia and/or the Philippines. 

We are interested in supporting the following: 

  • Single parents
  • Adolescent parents
  • Parents affected by displacement and migration
  • Parents in financially vulnerable situations

In Southeast Asia, we are particularly interested in solutions with a focus on disaster-prone and rural communities.

Enter now

Why focus on disaster-prone and rural communities?

In Southeast Asia, caregivers in rural and disaster-prone areas are under increasing pressure as climate change accelerates. Rising global temperatures bring challenges such as water scarcity, food insecurity, and extreme heat, all of which add to caregivers’ daily workload and the health issues that they and their children face. The physical, mental, and emotional toll of unpaid caregiving is intensifying as environmental pressures heighten, especially for women and girls who bear the brunt of these responsibilities. 

The impact of climate disasters is more extreme in remote and rural communities whose livelihoods often largely depend on agriculture and fisheries. Climate-induced disasters, such as floods and typhoons, frequently devastate crop production, leading to income loss and higher food prices. For caregivers in remote areas, recovery is even harder. Limited access to healthcare, education, and basic infrastructure means they have fewer resources to rebuild their lives after a crisis. 

Supporting these caregivers isn’t just about resilience – it’s about ensuring they and their children can thrive despite the growing challenges of climate change.

VN2017_023 (1) (1)

Why take part in the Challenge?

If chosen as a finalist, you will receive a €50,000 grant to develop and test your innovation, with the chance to win a €200,000 grant. You will also receive:

edit-11-512

A full package of support from experts to help you:

  • Create robust business and sustainability plans
  • Understand different ways to scale a solution and create a feasible scaling strategy
  • Develop an evidence base and integrate strong monitoring, evaluation and learning
  • Connect with parents and caregivers to test and refine how your solution can meet their needs
  • Make lasting connections with a network of entrepreneurs, funders and government stakeholders
chat-4-512

Access to a powerful network of partners.

  • Work with organisations that can provide invaluable real-world insights, feedback, and testing opportunities with parents and caregivers
  • Meet and connect with influential leaders from government agencies, philanthropies and investors to support implementation at scale after the Challenge
  • Participate in a global, in-person Summit in February 2026 in Kenya with other finalists, partners, and global experts
newspaper-10-512

Global recognition of your work and ideas.

  • Media coverage and exposure at regional events to showcase your solution
  • Opportunities to present your solution to funders, government partners, innovation hubs and experts

Timeline (click to scroll through)

silhouette of a rocket ship
22 May
Good Start Challenge launches
calendar icon with a clock icon
17 September
Entries close
icon of a speaker
November
Finalist announcement
Up to 22 finalists will each receive €50,000 to develop their solutions
icon of a hand holding a gear
December-June
Finalist development and support
Finalists will attend the Good Start Summit, where there will be networking opportunities, capacity building and coaching
icon of a speaker
August
Winners’ announcement
Up to 6 winners will each receive €200,000 each
icon of a trophy
August-October
Winners’ showcase
  • 2025
  • 2025
  • 2025
  • 2025-2026
  • 2026
  • 2026

Eligibility Criteria

To participate in the Southeast Asia strand of the challenge, you must meet the following requirements:

Judging Criteria

This is the criteria that will be used by assessors and judges to assess entrants and select the finalists. The same criteria will apply throughout the challenge.

Do you have more questions? Refer to the entrant handbook for more detail.