Supporting Survivors of Modern Slavery Challenge
How can innovators leverage technology to improve and scale resources for survivors of modern slavery?
FAQs
Table of Contents
Who can apply to the Challenge?
What types of solutions are eligible?
How does Solve define technology?
How will my solution be evaluated?
What is the Challenge timeline?
What will I receive if my solution is selected?
Will my solution be publicly viewable?
How does the Challenge define key terminology such as human trafficking, forced labor, and modern slavery?
Human trafficking: HPE recognizes that modern slavery can take many forms, including forced labor and marriage, bonded labor, and human trafficking. HPE uses the ILO’s definitions of forced labor and human trafficking in its policies and programs, and therefore may use the terms “forced labor,” “bonded labor,” or “human trafficking” in addition to “slavery” or “modern slavery” in reference to this Challenge.
Who can apply to the Challenge?
We invite submissions from individuals, teams, and/or organizations. We especially encourage and welcome applications from survivors or those with lived experience of or proximity to human trafficking/modern slavery.
Solutions can be for-profit, nonprofit, or hybrid models and must be at least at the prototype stage.
Per MIT Solve’s Terms of Service, US law prevents MIT Solve from accepting applications from people who are ordinarily resident in Iran, Cuba, Syria, North Korea, or the Crimea, Donetsk People’s Republic, or Luhansk People’s Republic areas of Ukraine. Applications from people in Venezuela, Belarus, China (including Hong Kong), Saudi Arabia, and Russia will undergo legal review and may be removed from the website if US law prevents MIT Solve from accepting them.
What types of solutions are eligible?
This Challenge seeks innovative, human-centered, tech-based solutions. We are looking for a diverse portfolio of solutions across geography, development stage, and team members’ gender and background.
Solution applications must be written in English. The Challenge considers solutions at various stages of development. Concept-stage solutions will not be reviewed or selected. We define a Concept-stage solution as an idea being explored and researched for its feasibility to build a product, service, or business model, including prototypes under development. Until the solution has a functioning prototype, we would still consider it a Concept.
Prototype: An initial working version of a solution that may be in the process of getting initial feedback or testing with users (i.e. running a pilot). If for-profit, a solution that has raised little or no investment capital. Until the solution transitions from testing to consistent availability, we would still consider it a Prototype. (Often 0 users/direct beneficiaries)
Pilot: The solution has been launched in at least one community, but is still iterating on design or business model. If for-profit, is generally working to gain traction and may have completed a fundraising round with investment capital. (Often 10+ users/direct beneficiaries)
Growth: An established solution available in one or more communities with a consistent design and approach, ready for further growth in multiple communities or countries. If for-profit, has generally completed at least one formal investment round (Seed stage or later). If nonprofit, has an established set of donors and/or revenue streams.
Scale: A standard solution operating in many communities or multiple countries and is prepared to scale significantly by improving efficiency. If for-profit, has likely raised at least a Series A investment round.
How does Solve define technology?
We define technology broadly as the application of science and evidence-based knowledge to the practical aims of human life. We welcome solutions that are using apps, SMS technology, software, AI, robots, drones, blockchain, and virtual reality! We also welcome solutions that are leveraging traditional, ancestral, and natural technologies and knowledge systems.
While the challenge is open broadly to those leveraging technology, we especially welcome AI-native solutions, AI-enabled solutions, or solutions that can be transformed with AI integration.
What are HPE Foundation’s AI ethical principles, and how will these be considered for applications using AI?
An application question specific to those utilizing AI will ask applicants to explain how they are ensuring ethical and responsible AI use.
How will my solution be evaluated?
The judging panel for this Challenge will be composed of a diverse array of leaders and experts. After an initial screening and review by Solve and the HPE Foundation staff and community reviewers, ~10 solutions will move forward as finalists. These finalists will be invited to pitch their solutions at a virtual pitch event, where judges will then select the ~5 winners. Judges will score the screened solutions based on the following criteria. All criteria will be given equal weight:
Alignment: The solution uses technology to address the challenge and one or more Challenge dimensions
Potential for Impact: The planned solution implementation has the potential to impact the intended population.
Feasibility: The team has a realistic, practical plan for implementing the solution, and it is feasible in the given context.
Innovative Approach: The solution includes a new technology, a new application of technology, a new business model, or a new process for solving the Challenge.
Inclusive Human-Centered Design: Inclusive and equitable outcomes are considered in the design, implementation, and internal operations of the solution.
Scalability: The solution has a plan for financial viability and the potential to be scaled to affect the lives of more people.
Partnership Potential: The applicant clearly explains how the solution would benefit from the broad range of resources that the Solve, the HPE Foundation, and The Anti-Slavery Collective community is positioned to provide.
What is the Challenge timeline?
Challenge Opens for Submissions: May 1, 2024
Challenge Closes for Submission: July 8, 2024 [Extended deadline!]
Finalist Selection Announcement: by August 16, 2024
Finalist Preparation with Solve Staff: August 16 - September 2, 2024
Virtual Finalist Pitch & Interview Days: September 5 & 6, 2024
Winner Selection Announcement: September 23, 2024, at Solve Challenge Finals
Winner Support Program: October 2024 - March 2025
*While we aim to follow the schedule above, the following dates are subject to change. Applicants will be notified if changes occur.
What will I receive if my solution is selected?
Finalists will be invited to a virtual pitch event to present their solutions in front of distinguished judges. A total pool of $300,000 in funding is available for up to 5 winners of the Challenge. This funding will be disbursed as follows: $75,000 each to 2 grand prize winners, and $50,000 each to 3 runner-up prize winners.
In addition to funding, each Challenge winner will participate in a 6-month support program run by MIT Solve in collaboration with the HPE Foundation and The Anti-Slavery Collective. Selected teams should expect to commit ~20 hours to the program, which includes the following:
In-kind resources curated to support entrepreneurs across critical areas including pro bono legal support, software licenses, and marketing
Virtual orientation session
Virtual cohort convenings during the support program period
Virtual check-in meetings between Solve staff with each winner
Professional executive leadership coaching for winners
Virtual capacity building workshops hosted by experts focused on potential topics such as Participatory Design, Theory of Change, Impact Metrics, or other themes
Connections to expertise from global networks
Will my solution be publicly viewable?
Yes, when you hit submit, your solution will be published on Solve’s site. If you are concerned about protecting proprietary information about your solution, either because you have patents pending or for other reasons, you should only share what you feel comfortable sharing within the public domain. You can successfully answer the application questions while including only those technical details you feel comfortable sharing and are able to confidentially share technical information in more depth at later stages of our application process.
Will the intellectual property rights of applicants, as it pertains to their solution submissions, be protected by MIT Solve?
Your contributions are yours. Those who post information or materials on this website (the “Materials”) retain rights to their own work while giving us the right to distribute their work, and others the right to use the work with appropriate citation under the CC-BY-NC-SA license. Others’ work is not yours. You agree not to upload Materials to this website that you do not own or are not specifically authorized to use. You also agree to appropriately attribute references to works and ideas created by third parties, including other users of this website.
In order to upload content on this website, you must grant the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (“MIT”) a non-exclusive right to use the Materials. Unless specifically noted, all Materials on the website will be made available to third parties under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 United States License. You can review Solve’s full Terms of Service here.
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