EXPO URGES START-UPS TO BID FOR $100,000 GRANTS
Expo Live awards will help to tell story of region’s ‘change-makers’
Dubai Expo officials are looking for innovative companies that are changing lives, making social change or improving the environment as part of an Expo Live global competition.
With a week left for submissions to secure a US$100,000 (Dh367,300) grant in the third round, the project has already begun working with 45 winners across 30 countries.
The deadline is December 2, National Day, and the Expo has called for more local and regional organisations to apply.
“We are really looking to pass the message to UAE and GCCbased start-ups because we feel it’s a strong opportunity for them to get financial assistance and access to the Expo, where they can meet and interact with the right people and companies,” said Yousuf Caires, vice president of Expo Live.
“We have received many applications from the region, we just want to see more of it.
“We would like to see more young Emirati, UAE-based or GCC companies that have found issues they want to solve through their businesses here, challenges specific to the UAE or the region. We are looking for companies that were founded and designed for a purpose.
“That is like a jackpot because this is the story we want to tell at the Expo, about change-makers from our region dedicating themselves to fixing an issue.”
A pilot was launched last year and grant recipients from five continents have presented their ideas on sectors including education, waste management and renewable energy.
They include literacy programmes for Afghan women and girls, solar-powered cold storage for the perishable crops of Indian farmers and a UAE group teaching English to thousands of workers through a smartphone application.
Many successful business initiatives are less than five years old with clear, fully developed plans, Mr Caires said. People with concepts that are still at an early stage are encouraged to register their companies.
“We are not accepting just individuals with ideas,” Mr Caires said. “It needs to be somebody who has made the jump and is trying to secure some support to get it off the ground, to get it to grow and get it to market.”
A long-term link with the Expo will ensure funding continues as the company grows.
“The programme offers $100,000 and, if the start-up performs well, we are interested in providing further opportunities,” he said. “We are ready to fund more if they remain committed. They become part of the Expo family. We want to make sure they grow.”
The applications open in sixmonth cycles, so those who miss next month’s deadline can prepare submissions for next year.
Those shortlisted from online applications are invited to Dubai to pitch their projects to an evaluation panel that will whittle down the list.
“Expo Live’s Innovation Impact Grant Programme is already showing inspiring and exciting results,” said Aman Merchant, chief executive and co-founder of Impact Hub and an evaluation committee member.
“I am confident that with the support of Expo Live, the successful projects will make a real impact in their local communities and potentially globally.”
Most submissions are digital projects, but some lack an intrinsic social purpose.
“We tend to receive tech-oriented solutions that are fan-
tastic if they are dedicated to reduce a gap or provide greater access to people who don’t have access to certain services,” Mr Caires said.
“We welcome more of this. For those that already have a business, but lack a social initiative, they are made to understand the Expo Live concept.
“We help them understand why we are pushing for social impact, why it matters.
“Everybody wants to make money, but who wants to leave an impact on the way people live or on the environment?”