Innovation Award

The Innovation Award showcases organisations, coalitions or initiatives that are taking inventive approaches as they navigate a complex and changing external environment.

Organisations need to innovate to survive in a world shaped by shifting geographic powers, climate change and technological advances. We're looking for novel approaches that embrace change and are driven by the desire to make a lasting contribution to development.

“Winning a Bond Innovation Award was a fantastic endorsement of all that we have achieved with our partners in Rwanda. It helped us to raise the profile of the organisation as we scale our innovative work to other countries around the world.”   
   - Vision for a Nation, Innovation Award winner 2018

Are you innovating?

We're looking for innovators who embrace rapid change and are driven by the desire to make a lasting contribution to development. You may have:

• adopted new types of business models
• purposed or repurposed your missions in ways that shake up understanding of how to make a positive difference
• redefined how you work with the people or environments you serve
• used technology in new ways
• found new approaches to solving entrenched problems that affect people's lives
• sought to shift entire systems rather than cure symptoms.

Judging criteria

Your images and accompanying entry form will be judged on the following criteria:

• The narrative - how compellingly you tell the project's story
• The reach - who and how many people were benefitted and how was this measured
• The impact - what is the likelihood of impact and sustainability
• The innovation - how innovative, fresh, exciting and different

How to enter

Deadline for entries: 5pm on Friday 25 October 2019. There are two parts to the application.

1. Submit three images including their titles and locations. Click here to see our guidance on what the images should include - they can be simple and you will not be judged on the production values. Please email these to [email protected] by the deadline.
2. Complete the accompanying entry submission form. Here you can provide further information about the entry and explain why you think you should win.

The images do not need to be sent at the same time as the form, but both parts of the application need to have been received by the deadline. Your entry will not be considered if we do not have both parts of the application.

Please note: you have to be a Bond member to enter. Please read the terms and conditions before entering.

Complete entry form

Last year's winner

Last year's winner was announced at the awards ceremony on 18 March 2019.

Islamic Relief - ALO
This project supports orphans and their guardians to establish sustainable livelihoods, combining cash transfers with knowledge and skills building.

We received some great submissions from around the world and our judges chose the two projects below as finalists.

Finalist: The Salvation Army - Reintroducing edible caterpillars
This project based in the DRC aims to reintroduce edible insects, a traditional food in the region but one devastated by deforestation, into the local habitat.

Finalist: United Purpose - Carbon for Good
Carbon for Good asks organisations to offset their carbon emissions by investing in carbon-reducing projects.

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