How often have your felt that the distance between a great idea and great change is only a matter of funding? The United Nations is organizing a competition to help bridge just that gap; the winners get to share a prize money of $63,000 as well as receive help from industry mentors to transform winning ideas into a real-world solution.

The leading UN agency for information and communication technology (ICT), International Telecommunication Union (ITU) has launched a global competition to give 60 innovators the chance to participate in the ITU Telecom World 2011 event to be held in Geneva from October 24 to 27. The event will play host to participants from across the globe and all walks of the industry including some 250 global leaders spanning heads of state and government, ministers, city mayors, industry CEOs, and technology gurus, all of whom will come together to share their vision and knowledge, shape global industry policy, and collaborate on a Manifesto for a connected world.

Those with innovative groundbreaking ideas will have the opportunity to pitch their ideas to leaders of the ICT industry. Explaining why ITU initiated this competition, Dr Hamadoun Touré (secretary-general, ITU) says, “We wanted to engage all ICT stakeholders in a neutral conversation about the full social and economic impact of connecting the unconnected and we considered that the voices of young innovators were a crucial part of this cross stakeholder debate. A competition such as the innovators contest provides a great way to identify and develop young talent from around the world and bring fresh thoughts to our new format of the event.” He adds, “As well as access to top-level industry participants, winners will have the chance to network with peers from across the world and see the world through a global perspective. It will also give them a great opportunity to raise their profile, as they will be promoted across many different channels including social media such as YouTube. And, of course they will learn key lessons about the pitching process – a crucial part of professional development – after all, successful entrepreneurs are people who can clearly express their business ideas to win backing.”

You can submit your ideas online on or before the 15th of September 2011 in either of the following two competition categories:

Young Innovators: 18-25-year-olds can submit ideas that have been developed independently of any project with their current employer. Women and those still looking to enter the workforce are encouraged to apply. Visit http://world2011.itu.int/younginnovators.

Digital Innovators: Ideas that can help ICTs further their causes in areas such as environmental sustainability, improved access to health and education, digital accessibility, or the alleviation of poverty, are invited in this category. Entrants are required to partner with an NGO or a not-for-profit organization. For those who have an idea and are unable to find an NGO to partner with, Dr Touré suggests, “We have briefs from some NGOs and not-for-profits seeking solutions on our website. If prospective innovators are able to come up with a solution to this brief, they have the possibility to engage with the respective NGOs and enter.” vist HTTP://WORLD2011.ITU.INT/CALLIN G-ALL-GEEKS-AND-NOT-PROFITS.

Entries will be judged on innovation, feasibility (technical implementation/ cost), and applicant experience (ability to deliver). First the online community of ITU Telecom World will vote to choose 60 most popular ideas from each category. The shortlisted ideas will be submitted to a high-level selection panel of independent experts from the public and private sector who will choose the finalists. Also, an online vote of delegates attending ITU Telecom World 2011 will decide three winners from each category; the three will share the prize money totaling over CHF 50,000 ($63,000) to help them turn their vision into reality. In addition, industry mentors will also continue to work with the six winners after the event to help them transform their digital concepts into concrete ideas.

Apart from winning big prizes and the opportunity to network with industry leaders, the finalists will have an enriching experience that will help them succeed in the competitive world of ICT development. So, put on your thinking caps and go change the world!
Besides winning an all-expenses-paid trip to Geneva, the finalists will also benefit from a two-day intensive training on how to best pitch their concepts culminating in a final pitch at a grand final event on October 25.

Remember, last date of submissions is September 15, 2011.