Jul 28 2017
Competition was fierce in each of our photography categories: we received photos from over 200 people in more than 50 countries! We are pleased to feature the winners below – just click to open the gallery and learn more about the people in the photograph as well as the photographers themselves. In addition to their …
Permanent link to this article: https://e4sv.org/congratulations-winners-smart-villages-2017-photo-competition/
May 31 2017
Smart Villages is pleased to announce Nafa Naana as the winner of the Off-grid Energy Challenge for West Africa. Nafa Naana is a social business that improves access to clean and efficient energy solutions through a microfranchised distribution network and microfinance services in Burkina Faso. Nafa Naana develops marketing and financial solutions to strengthen distribution …
Permanent link to this article: https://e4sv.org/smart-villages-announces-nafa-naana-winner-2017-off-grid-energy-challenge-west-africa/
Apr 27 2017
The third annual East Africa Energy Innovation Challenge took place in summer 2017. With the application and screening process fully handed over the CDI for a sustainable continuation of the programme, the Cambridge Development Initiative (https://cambridgedevelopment.wordpress.com/) (CDI) selected 11 individuals out of over 200 applicants for the programme. The eleven aspiring entrepreneurs developed ideas for …
Permanent link to this article: https://e4sv.org/energy-innovation-challenge-2017/
Mar 08 2017
How can energy access catalyse rural development around the world? 1.3 billion people in the world, mostly resource-poor and living in rural areas, do not have access to safe, sustainable forms of energy. 3 billion people have to burn biomass to cook their meals, which causes indoor smoke pollution. Because of this pollution, 4 million …
Permanent link to this article: https://e4sv.org/photography/
Oct 10 2016
Smart Villages is pleased to announce the launch of the Off-grid Energy Challenge for West Africa. Building on the success of annual East African competitions in collaboration with the Cambridge Development Initiative, this inaugural West African competition challenges entrepreneurs to tell us how they want to grow their existing businesses. Winners will work with consultant …
Permanent link to this article: https://e4sv.org/smart-villages-launches-off-grid-energy-challenge-west-africa/
Oct 09 2016
The West Africa Off-grid Energy Challenge took place in early 2017. Twenty-nine established off-grid energy companies applied to the competition by describing how they wanted to grow their existing off-grid energy businesses. Over a period of four months, five finalist companies worked with consultant mentors through Cambridge Bridges for Enterprise (link to https://www.bridgesforenterprise.com/) to analyse and refine their …
Permanent link to this article: https://e4sv.org/west-africa-energy-innovation-challenge/
Sep 19 2016
Smart Villages is pleased to announce SUJA Eco-Energy Company as the winners of the 2016 Smart Villages Energy Innovation Challenge for East Africa. Building on last year’s success, this year’s competition, in collaboration with the Cambridge Development Initiative, included an even broader range of partners and sponsors. Each of the three off-grid energy teams were …
Permanent link to this article: https://e4sv.org/smart-villages-announces-winners-2016-energy-innovation-challenge-east-africa/
Apr 11 2016
[:en]On the stage of the Lighting a Billion Lives Convention in Delhi India, Smart Villages has announced Naturetech Infra as the winner of the Smart Villages Off-grid Energy Impact Competition for India. Applications from off-grid energy entrepreneurs across the nation were assessed on impact, level of project development, sustainability, innovation and replicability. Naturetech Infra was …
Permanent link to this article: https://e4sv.org/smart-villages-announces-naturetech-infra-winner-2016-off-grid-energy-impact-competition-india/
Mar 17 2016
[:en]Smart Villages is pleased to announce the launch of the second annual Smart Villages Energy Innovation Challenge. Building on last year’s success, this year’s competition challenges aspiring young East African entrepreneurs to come up with an idea for a social business powered by off-grid energy. Social businesses deliver positive social impacts to the end user …
Permanent link to this article: https://e4sv.org/smart-villages-launches-2016-smart-villages-energy-innovation-challenge-east-africa/
Mar 16 2016
The second annual East Africa Energy Innovation Challenge took place in summer 2016. With restructured selection criteria, 85 East African applicants applied to the programme by pitching their ideas for providing energy services to off-grid villages. Eight aspiring entrepreneurs developed their ideas over seven weeks with the Cambridge Development Initiative (https://cambridgedevelopment.wordpress.com/) in Dar es Salaam …
Permanent link to this article: https://e4sv.org/energy-innovation-challenge-2016-open/
Oct 22 2015
The India Off-grid Energy Impact Competition took place in early 2016. India has a vibrant community of competitive, motivated off-grid energy entrepreneurs. This competition was designed to highlight examples where the off-grid energy they provide has acted as a catalyst for development in remote villages. Companies from throughout India applied to the competition and Smart …
Permanent link to this article: https://e4sv.org/india-off-grid-energy-impact-competition/
Sep 22 2015
The Smart Villages Initiative has partnered with Aga Khan University Examination Board in Pakistan to launch a poster competition for children in the country.Participants were challenged to create a poster presentation on ‘When Ideas Flow, Villages Grow’. Access to modern energy is a big problem in villages all over the world. New technology makes it …
Permanent link to this article: https://e4sv.org/aku-eb-national-poster-presentation-contest/
Apr 30 2015
Cambridge University graduates in science, technology, engineering, humanities and social sciences were invited to apply for one of an initial 20 places at a New Year Forum on 12th January 2015, sponsored by the Malaysian Commonwealth Studies Centre, Smart Villages and the Winton Programme for the Physics of Sustainability. The purpose of the Forum was …
Permanent link to this article: https://e4sv.org/cambridge-forum-finalist/
Feb 05 2015
The first annual East African Energy Innovation Challenge was an entrepreneurial training course and competition that took place in summer 2015. Over 225 East African applicants across nine countries applied to the programme by pitching their ideas for providing energy services to off-grid villages. The entrepreneurs identified a number of issues and opportunities in the …
Permanent link to this article: https://e4sv.org/challenge/
Feb 02 2015
Innovation competitions for new technologies and business models are one tool used by policy makers in a range of contexts and countries to help businesses in new fields overcome practical barriers blocking progress between successful pilots and commercialisation. This brief note discusses competitions relevant to African off-grid energy and how they could be designed and …
Permanent link to this article: https://e4sv.org/role-innovation-competitions-off-grid-energy-africa/