CHALLENGE INFORMATION

Food Security is a topic that has made its way into everyone’s thoughts and conversations. Increasing concerns over the rising cost of food, access to reliable sources of healthy food and the stability and reliability of the current food supply chain globally has inspired a new wave of backyard gardens and local farm stands on Vancouver Island and across the nation.

The Food Security Challenge seeks solutions in the form of sustainable, technologically innovative locally anchored businesses that reduce, eliminate, or more efficiently utilize our locally obtainable food resources.

In a circular economy, nothing is waste. The circular economy retains and recovers as much value as possible from resources by reusing, repairing, refurbishing, remanufacturing, repurposing, or recycling products and materials. It’s about using valuable resources wisely, thinking about waste as a resource instead of a cost, and finding innovative ways to better the environment and the economy.

The tech & innovation challenge in waste reduction seeks solutions in the form of sustainable, technologically innovative, locally anchored businesses that reduce, eliminate, or remanufacture waste products from one industry to benefit the same industry or another. It focuses on utilizing waste as a resource and solution.

The tech & innovation challenge in healthcare seeks solutions in the form of sustainable, technologically innovative, locally anchored businesses that reduce, eliminate, or more efficiently track, supply and monitor health and emergency related events.

The pandemic has had a huge impact on travel, media and the form in which they are provided. With the focus on reduced and safe travel and events, in order to limit the spread of disease and the impact on the environment, this will forever impact the industry. Now, with the shortage in frontline workers, this industry is being impacted again.

The tech & innovation challenge in tourism and media seeks solutions in the form of sustainable, technologically innovative, locally anchored businesses that benefit or streamline the operations and provision of tourism and media related enterprises or products in order to enhance the safety, reduce environmental and social impacts on communities and/or reduce the reliance on front line staff.

Social enterprises are revenue-generating businesses with a twist. Whether operated by a non-profit organization or by a for-profit company, a social enterprise has two goals: to achieve social, cultural, community economic and/or environmental outcomes; and, to earn revenue. (from The Centre for Community Enterprise).

Not-for-profit / non-profit organizations are independent, democratic organizations that are required to comply with the Societies Act and their own constitution and bylaws, they do not earn any profits for its members.

Both of these operating structures are important to the community, as they provide services and products to the community with the goal of benefitting society over the gain of profits. As such, the NexStream tech challenge recognizes that they are innovators as well and deserve to have their own category to meet their unique operating model.

Entrants of the Wildcard Challenge must provide both a clear description of a locally-relevant problem or challenge, and a detailed description of their proposed technology-based solution. Submitted entries must also document verifiable functional specifications and quantitative performance specifications that the proposed solution will meet, along with a draft business plan for bringing the proposed solution to market.