Guidelines and Criteria

The Women | Tools | Technology Challenge is open to all types of individuals and organizations (charitable organizations, private companies, or public entities) from all countries. We consider all entries that:

• Reflect the theme of the challenge: Women | Tools | Technology: Building Opportunities & Economic Power
• Indicate growth beyond the conceptual stage and have demonstrated impact and sustainability. While we support new ideas at every stage and encourage their entry, the judges are better able to evaluate programs that are beyond the conceptual stage and have demonstrated a proof of impact.
• Are submitted in English, Spanish, French, or Portuguese.

Please complete the entire entry form and submit before April 14, 2010.

Assessment Criteria

The winners of Women | Tools | Technology will be those that best meet the following criteria:

Innovation: This is the knock-out test. The entrant must describe a systemic and/or transformational solution that, when applied, will expand women's access to and use of technology to support their economic advancement. The innovation will demonstrate a substantial difference from other initiatives in the field with potential for replication. The solutions may include:

• Development of a new technology that meets an unmet need for women
• Expanded distribution of an existing technology that already serves women
• Improved outreach and education that teaches women how to use a technology to their utmost advantage
• Better implementation processes - such as creative partnerships, distribution mechanisms or financing - that ensure technology use is effective and sustainable for women.

The ideas and solutions generated through this challenge must spark profound transformation in the way technologies used by women in developing countries are invented, designed, accessed, understood, used, or serviced.

Social Impact: It is important that the innovation provides a system-changing solution that expands women's access to and use of technology to promote their economic advancement. We will look for projects and solutions that have the potential to:

• Increase women's economic productivity or provide new economic opportunities
• Rethink women's engagement in significant economic sectors - like energy and information and communication technologies
• Identify and address at least one of the barriers which have prevented women from experiencing the benefits of technology
• Demonstrate how women are integrated in the lifecycle of the technology development process not just as technology users, but also as technology designers, manufacturers, marketers, etc.

Some innovations will have proven success at a small level, while others will have potential to grow, engaging millions of people. Still others will achieve their impact quickly, while some will seed change for the long term. We look for breadth and depth, numbers and stories that make a substantive difference in the lives of women and their communities. ExxonMobil has a special interest in supporting investment worthy solutions that support women's economic opportunities in the developing world.

Sustainability: For an innovation to be truly effective it must:

• Demonstrate a plan for financial support
• Explain how partnerships, community support, design, marketing, or distribution opportunities will support long-term viability

Entrants should describe not only how they are currently financing their work, but also how they plan to finance their work in the future. The most successful entrants describe a long-term vision with regional and or global targets and the financial model to support them. Entrants should also demonstrate that they have strong partnerships and support networks that help achieve the project's mission.

For more information about how to integrate women in the technology development lifecycle and the barriers that historically prevent women from accessing and/or using technology, see the International Center for Research on Women's (ICRW) white paper, Bridging the Gender Divide in Technology: How technology can advance women economically.

Challenge Deadlines and Procedures

Online submissions are accepted until April 14, 2010 at 5PM US EST. At any time before this deadline, participants are encouraged to revise their entries based on questions and insights that they receive through the Changemakers' collaborative process. Participation in the discussion enhances an entrant's prospects and provides the community and the judges an opportunity to understand the entrant's project more completely. Participants are reminded to include all revisions in the entry form. Revisions made in the comment field are less likely to be viewed by the judges.

There are four main phases in the challenge:

• Entry Stage, January 27 - April 14, 2010: Entries can be submitted until 5PM US EST on April 14, 2010, and throughout this stage anyone can participate in online discussion with the entrants. Early entries - received by March 1, 2010 - will be eligible for additional prizes.
• Online Review and Judging, May 25 - June 2, 2010: Online review and discussion continues. Simultaneously, a panel of expert judges and a team of Ashoka staff select 10-15 finalists.
• Voting, June 2 - June 16, 2010: The Changemakers community votes online to select the three award-winners from the slate of finalists.
• Winners Announced, June 23, 2010: The Women | Tools | Technology winners - the three finalists that receive the most votes - will each receive a cash prize of USD $5000.

Participation in the challenge provides the opportunity to receive feedback from fellow entrants, Changemakers staff, judges, and the Changemakers community. Showcasing initiatives and demonstrating social impact advise potential investors about how best to maximize the strategic impact of their investments.

Prizes

Early Entry Prize: The best two entries submitted by 6pm EST, March 1, 2010 will be eligible to win a digital camera (with a value equivalent of up to USD $400), to be featured in the Women in the World summit on March 12-14, 2010, and to be highlighted in Ashoka’s Changemakers marketing materials. Being an Early Entry Prize winner does not preclude you from winning the competition in any way, or guarantee finalist status. All entries will be equally evaluated per the Changemakers criteria at the completion of the entry period.

Challenge Winners: The top three entries will win USD $5000 each. Winners of the Women | Tools | Technology Challenge will also be invited to participate in a collaboration workshop with Ashoka’s Changemakers and ExxonMobil during summer 2010.

Disclaimer-Compliance with Legal Restrictions

Ashoka complies fully with all U.S. laws and regulations, including Office of Foreign Assets Control regulations, export control, and anti-money laundering laws. All grants will be awarded subject to compliance with such laws. Ashoka will not make any grant if it finds that to do so would be unlawful. This may prohibit awards in certain countries and/or to certain individuals or entities. All recipients will comply with these laws to the extent they are applicable to such recipients. No recipient will take any action that would cause Ashoka to violate any laws. Additionally, Ashoka will not make any grant to a company involved in the promotion of tobacco use.