You should be considering the following when you submit your idea:
Potential social impact
- Your idea can be either a specific solution to a problem or simply the identification of need in a particular area.
- Your idea must be focused on a specific area of social need. We’re looking for ideas which tackle big problems.
- Think out of the box: we’re interested in ideas that really push the boundaries – stuff that will shake things up a bit and create new models for solving social problems.
The technology
- Web-based social software must have a significant and central use in the implementation of your idea. Take a look at our Big Idea to find out more about why we think this technology is important.
- We’re looking for ideas which have the potential to use technology in an innovative way, but they must also be user-centric. We’re interested in designing tools for ordinary people to use, not just creating something cool for the sake of it.
- If you will need access to data for your idea – ordinance survey maps for example – you should consider whether this is freely available in a usable format.
Stage of development
- We’re looking for very early stage ideas: the kernel of something interesting; back-of-the-envelop stuff. If you already have a team of developers and some early funding, you’re a bit ahead of us. Try Seedcamp, Launchpad or NESTA.
- We want you to take your idea forward. We’re after people who are able to devote some time to getting their idea off the ground after the Social Innovation Camp weekend.
Feasibility and potential
- We’re looking for ideas which might:
- Help a pre-existing not-for-profit or governmental organisation.
- Become a social enterprise, charity, community interest company or other business in its own right.
- Become none of the above. We’re interested in stand-alone ventures which you could just run in your spare time as well.
- We’ll be thinking about the likelihood of getting the idea off the ground as well as the potential to scale-up or replicate the idea when we make our selection. We will also be considering the depth of impact on individual beneficiaries and the number of individuals likely to benefit.
- We want to be sure that we have the time and resources needed to be of use to you. Take a look at how the weekend will work – is Social Innovation Camp the right place for your idea?
Who are we looking for?
- Anyone. You don’t have to know how to code software – we will introduce you to the people who can. And you don’t have to enter an idea which is anything related to your day job – although you can should you wish.