Proposed solutions must be focused on improving the wellbeing of parents and other caregivers of young children aged 0-6 that are displaced or at risk of displacement in the following target countries: Ethiopia, Kenya, Senegal, and/or Uganda.

You must be established as a legally registered organisation to enter. 

• If you are proposing solutions in Senegal, the Challenge is open to:  
  • Non-profit organisations (including charities or other foundations); Private company/enterprises; Educational or research institutions.
• If you are proposing solutions in Uganda, Kenya, and/or Ethiopia, the Challenge is open to:
  • Non-profit organisations (including charities or other foundations); Educational or research institutions; “Social Enterprises”*
    • *We define a Social Enterprise as an organisation that: (i) is prohibited from paying out dividends, or utilising other methods of distributing profits or assets to owners, investors and/or shareholders etc; and (ii) is obligated pursuant to its governance documents (and in particular it articles of association) to reinvest all profits back into their mission, fostering sustainable solutions. 

• Government entities are not eligible to apply in any country or region. 

You must demonstrate legal registration in any country in Sub-Saharan Africa, including Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cabo Verde, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Congo (Democratic Republic), Congo (Republic), Cote d’Ivoire, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zambia and/or Zimbabwe.

You must be able to legally operate, and implement your solution, in Ethiopia, Kenya, Senegal and/or Uganda. You must satisfy yourself of this before applying. Challenge Works is not responsible for providing specific legal advice in respect of this matter.   

You can apply as a single organisation or as a consortium.

• In Senegal, all organisations within the consortia must be legally registered as: Non-profit organisations (including charities or other foundations); Private company/enterprises; Educational or research institutions. 
• In Kenya, Uganda or Ethiopia, All organisations within the consortia must be legally registered as: Non-profit organisations (including charities or other foundations); Educational or research institutions; Social Enterprises. 

Teams that enter as a consortium must nominate one organisation as the lead entrant.

• The lead entrant must meet all eligibility criteria.
• The lead entrant will enter into contracts and receive funding.

You must own or be licensed to use relevant intellectual property relevant to their entries and solutions.

The lead entrant must be able to receive funding in Euros from a UK-based organisation. The funding must be able to be received to a bank account in the name of the lead applicant located in the country in which they are legally registered for the purposes of the application.

Applications must be submitted in English or French.

If you are proposing solutions in Uganda, Kenya, and/or Ethiopia you will need to have a Child Safeguarding Policy in order to receive the funding. The Child Safeguarding Policy must align to all applicable legislation and regulation, as well as internationally accepted best practice. If you do not have a Child Safeguarding Policy, under the grant agreement you will be required to commit to creating one within the first month following selection as a finalist.

This criterion focuses on the potential of the solution to positively impact the wellbeing of parents/caregivers in disadvantaged circumstances. An impactful solution will be: 

• Relevant: The solution will align with the needs of the proposed context and target audience/user.
• Impactful: The solution will improve parent/caregiver wellbeing.
  • If you are proposing solutions in Uganda, Kenya, and/or Ethiopia, we are interested in how your solution has the potential to ultimately benefit children as well.

We are particularly interested in demonstrated impact for parents and caregivers. If known, we are also keen to understand any downstream impact on the wellbeing of the child or wider impact on root causes that affect parental wellbeing. 

Solutions should take the strengths of families as a starting point, build on the resources and skills they have, and under no circumstances adopt an attitude or preconceived notion based on judgments or a lack of appreciation for the experiences and resources of parents.

We are open to seeing both qualitative and quantitative evidence and expect innovators to be able to clearly identify the areas of desired impact. For example, depending on the area of impact, evidence might include data from testimonials, focus groups, interviews, or surveys.

This criterion focuses on the originality, creativity, and novelty of the solution and/or approach in addressing the problem when compared to existing alternatives.

Innovation can take many forms, from new products or services, business models and partnerships to shifts in organisational processes, service delivery, and user engagement. We are open to a wide range of impactful approaches which could include:

• Creative distribution strategies, 
• Fresh approaches to user experience,
• New funding mechanisms, 
• New packages or add-ons to existing programs, or
• Technological or digital solutions.

This criterion assesses the solution’s ability to eventually scale up, scale out, or scale deep, ensuring long-term impact beyond the life of the challenge. A scalable solution will: 

• Have a robust financial operating model which is sustainable over time.
• Be in-demand and ready for its target market.

When considering scale, we are interested in:

• Scaling Up – Growing vertically by increasing resources, capacity, or adoption at higher levels. Often involves scaling through policy by integrating the solution into existing systems and government programs. E.g., a local health solutions scaling up by becoming part of a national healthcare system.
• Scaling Out – Spreading horizontally by replicating or expanding the solution to new locations or groups. Involves reaching more people or areas with the same model. E.g., a successful peer-to-peer support program reaches more users by creating a digital platform to complement in-person meet-ups.
• Scaling Deep – Involves maximising impact within a specific community or context by fostering cultural, behavioural, or mindset shifts. The focus is on deepening the quality of engagement and influence. E.g., a community program scaling deep by embedding itself into the local culture.

This criterion focuses on the resources, team expertise, and practical capacity to deliver the solution effectively. A solution scoring highly on Implementation Capacity will have: 

• The availability or realistic plan to secure adequate human, technological, and other resources required to implement the solution.
• The expertise, knowledge, and track record of the team to implement the solution.
• A clear and actionable implementation plan outlining how the solution will be executed effectively within the proposed timeline and context.

This criterion focuses on how well the team understands and connects with the proposed context and target audience, particularly in vulnerable or underserved communities. This includes:

• User Access and Engagement: The team’s experience with and potential for engaging users, including vulnerable populations. This includes demonstrating how design has been co-created with or specifically designed for the target audience, as well as a clear and feasible plan for building trust, gathering feedback, and incorporating user perspectives throughout the solution’s development and implementation.
• Local Network: The team’s relationships with and access to key partnerships, networks, or collaborations necessary for success.
• User Acceptability: Evidence that the solution is desirable, usable, and culturally appropriate for the target audience.

Users include:

• Parents and primary caregivers who benefit directly from the proposed solution
• Other organisations who you work with in order to indirectly support parents and caregivers

This criterion focuses on the extent to which the entrants have integrated the safeguarding of target users into the solution and its associated processes. This includes treating all participants equally and without discrimination, managing the risks involved with working with the relevant target groups,managing data and privacy in a transparent and accountable manner.