Deadline August 22 | The Cleantech Innovation Essay Contest (PLN5,000/ $1,400* top prize | worldwide)

Deadline: 22 August 2012

(Note: The prize is PLN5,000 or roughly $1,400 based on PLN1: $0.28 conversion rate. The contest is open to any person of any nationality who is under the age of 35 by the start of the contest.)

Imagine this: you are a young woman who just gave birth. The nurse comes in and asks you, “Would you like to plant a tree in honor of your newborn son?”

You say yes and a new tree is planted. Your son receives a bracelet. So does the tree, which grows along with him. Now multiply that by 10 maternity wards in 10 cities in 10 countries.

It’s a simple model that could result in a very large largest afforestation program and potential carbon sink. That’s a cleantech innovation: replicable, scalable, marketable, sustainable. Write an essay about a cleantech innovation and be eligible to win a prize: 5000 PLN or an iPad!

HERE ARE A FEW OTHER CLEANTECH INNOVATIONS:

• Wrocław city hall finances trams that recover their kinetic energy while braking
• A utility installs turbines to turn the slow-moving Vistula River into electricity
• A new law mandates public buildings be renovated from energy savings

The idea doesn’t have to be original or not-yet-invented, so long as it can be applied in an original or novel way. Write your essay. Keep it simple, and easy to understand. It can be technical, but don’t use jargon that couldn’t be understood by a 15 year old. Add a photo or two or a drawing or a sketch or a conceptual design or a pro-forma on the business model.

EVALUATION BASIS

• Criteria 1: Simplicity and beauty of the idea: does it inspire the imagination? (up to 5 points)
• Criteria 2: The environmental benefit: does it promote sustainability principles? (up to 5 points)
• Criteria 3: The economics: how well does it do financially? Does it need a subsidy? (up to 5 points)
• Criteria 4: Originality: does this idea appear in a google search? Is it a novel idea? (up to 5 points)
• Criteria 5: Scalability: can this idea be applied anywhere? Is it location specific? (up to 5 points)

LANGUAGE: The essay can be in Polish or English but the executive summary must be written in English.

STRUCTURE

The essay has no mandatory structure but may contain the following:

• executive summary (up to 250 words)
• description of idea
• environmental benefit
• business model
• originality of idea
• scalability of idea

FORMAT

The first page should contain:

• Essay title:
• First name(s):
• Surname(s):
• Age(s):
• Nationality(ies):
• Academic focus or profession:
• Email:
• Telephone:
• Signature:

The first page should be signed by the author(s) and the following text should appear on the first page:

“This text is my own original work (or our own original work) and has not been published elsewhere. In submitting this text, I certify that I am (we are) 35 years or younger at the commencement of the contest. I hereby give Cleantech Poland permission to reprint in whole or in part any portion of the submission and allow the publisher to retain my personal data in accordance with applicable Polish laws on privacy and protection. I hereby agree to give the copyright to this work to Cleantech Poland Sp z o.o. with their registered office at ul. Pustelnicka 48/22, 04-138 in the district court in Warsaw under NIP 1132817017 and REGON 142596385, and agree to hold harmless the publisher for any typographical errors or errors of omission.”

Second page should contain:

• Executive summary
• Remaining pages:
• Page number (top right of header)
• Title of essay on each page (bottom right of footer)

SELECTION COMMITTEE

The contest will be evaluated by six professionals active in cleantech markets:

• Jolanta Chodkowska, Chairman of the Board, PR2 (Public Relations)
• Robert Dwiliński, President, Ammono (Technology)
• Peter Hogren, CEO, Greenfield Wind (Developer)
• Agnieszka Król, CEO, Esperotia (Developer)
• Christian Schnell, Partner, DMS Law Firm, (Lawyer)
• Agata Stafiej-Bartosik, Sustainability Manager, PwC (Consulting)

ELIGIBILITY

The contest is open to any person of any nationality who is under the age of 35 by the start of the contest, excluding immediately family and employees of the contest sponsors and selection committee.

TARGET

The contest is aimed at young innovators – graduating scholars, engineers or scientists, or recently graduated scholars, engineers and scientists, as well as economists, policy-makers, and business professionals.

HOW DO I SUBMIT?

• Format: an essay in English or Polish with optional supporting photos, figures, drawings
• Requirements: Please see the section FORMAT for details of the essays formal requirements. Besides these, you must demonstrate that the idea is achievable, not fantasy or science fiction
• Length: no more than 8 pp or 2,000 words
• Topic: can be on any subject such as agriculture, information technology, biology, energy, infrastructure, economics, public policy, marketing or advertising – but it must have a cleantech angle
• Submission Deadline: email must be time stamped before August 22nd, 2012 at 22:00
• Submission Mode: An electronic WORD document emailed as an attachment to contest at cleantechpoland dot com
• Subject line: Cleantech essay contest submission
• Winner Announced: September 15, 2012

PRIZES

• First prize: 5000 PLN
• Second prize: iPad (cash value: 2500 PLN)
• Third prize: a subscription to Cleantech Poland (cash value: 1750 PLN)

Other prizes announced as donated by sponsors of contest. It is the responsibility of the winner(s) to declare the receipt of goods as a taxable item.

WINNERS

The winner and runners-up will be announced at the fall Cleantech business mixer. The first place essay will be printed in the Q1 2013 edition of Cleantech magazine. Summaries or abstracts of the best essays will appear also in the printed magazine.



CONTACT INFORMATION:

For queries/ submissions: contest@cleantechpoland.com

Website: http://www.cleantechpoland.com

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