Innovative businesses up for $15,000 in prize money

And then there were 10.

The South Island Prosperity Project has narrowed the number of idea submissions for pilot projects that could improve the quality of life in the region, to a workable list that will compete to win one of three $15,000 prizes.

“We were very impressed with the number and quality of submissions. It’s gratifying to see so many people in our region interested in making this a better place to live,” said Emilie de Rosenroll, chief executive of SIPP. “We view this as an ideal way to engage our community in ways to solve the challenges we face as a region. It aligns with our mission to facilitate and promote the development of a strong and diverse economy on south Vancouver Island.”

Sixty-nine ideas were submitted to the Smart South Island Open Innovation Challenge that was announced in December. The top projects have been invited to develop more detailed proposals. Proponents will pitch their ideas in front of an expert panel and live audience at a Dragon’s Den-style event on March 11 at the University of Victoria.

The challenge was to find homegrown solutions to some of Greater Victoria’s most pressing challenges: Transportation and mobility, housing and affordability, economic resilience, and inclusion, human and environmental health.

The finalists for the award are the Victoria Carpool Program; Harvesting Abundance in the Urban Orchard; Leisure Access Victoria App; South Island Food Processing and Distribution Facility; Green City Initiative — Leveraging Analytics to Drive a Green City; HomePod — Personal Mobile Homeless Shelter; AIM Project — Providing Equality Access for All; ElderConnect Wellness Navigation System; Nal-Pal — Notification for Naloxone Volunteers; and CABOOST — an out-of-the-bike innovation.