TheCityFix Labs | Accelerating Access Prize

- Winner
- Accelerating Access Prize

ABOUT THE ACCELERATING ACCESS PRIZE

Are you a non-profit organization with an innovative and scalable solution that addresses Water, Sanitation, Hygiene (WASH) and Healthy Spaces* related challenges faced by vulnerable and disadvantaged urban communities in India?

Apply to be part of TheCityFix Labs: Accelerating Access Prize.

The Accelerating Access Prize celebrates on-ground transformative change with an award of up to INR 15,00,000 for the selected organization. The award money will support the winning organization in extending the implementation of their ongoing work.

*Healthy Space refers to pollution-free/clean and safe public spaces/natural environment. Public spaces act as the social, economic and resilience interface between households, providing a host of benefits that are directly accessible to the community.

Photo by Samrat Basak

Photo by Community Eye Health/Flickr

WHAT KIND OF PROJECTS ARE WE LOOKING FOR?

The proposed project should address at least one of the following thematic priorities:

Water and sanitation accessibility
Gender equality, disability and social inclusion
Implementation of a community-level affordable WASH business model and digital payments system
Circular WASH solutions (greywater recycle and reuse), climate-resilient infrastructure
Water-sensitive urban design or nature-based solutions (rain gardens, recharge wells, retention ponds, etc.)

WHAT KIND OF PROJECTS ARE WE LOOKING FOR? (Continued)

Solid waste management and healthy spaces
Other projects which do not fit the above categories but focus on WASH and healthy spaces

Your project pitch should:

Be incremental, innovative, scalable and focused on vulnerable urban communities
Be implementable in 2 months
Integrate readily into the existing built environment
Have at least one demonstration or pilot on-ground

Photo by Vinoth Chandar/Flickr

ELIGIBILITY – WHO CAN APPLY?

Non-profit organizations registered as a legal entity in India
The organization must operate in an urban Indian city
Proven solution with at least one demonstration or pilot on-the-ground (proof-of-concept or pilot stage solutions can also apply)
Be available to implement and operate their solution on-ground
Abide by the Terms and Conditions

*In order to reach more non-profit organizations, we also encourage on-ground independent researchers/practitioners collaborating with non-profit organizations to participate and help bridge gaps such as language barriers to develop a structured proposal

Photo by Green Chameleon/Unsplash

KEY POINTS FOR APPLICANTS

Photo by Stil/Unsplash

Selection Criteria

WRI India, with the support of aaco partners, will select the final project based on the following:

Extent of impact on the proposed urban disadvantaged/vulnerable communities
Established relationship with the urban community associated with the project
Project solution (in accordance with the above-mentioned thematic priorities) that is in the incremental scaling-up stage
Project solution improves urban water resilience
Ability to implement the project using the contest award of up to INR 15,00,000
Ability to implement the project before May 31, 2021
Ability to meet WRI India’s and Citi Foundation’s operational due diligence standards

NOTE: Operation and maintenance plan, if any, should be taken care of by the selected organization

What to keep in mind, if your application is selected:

Pitch project in March 2021 and implement the solution by end of May 2021
Produce a report with project details and photographs upon implementation
Have all required permissions beforehand to implement the proposed incremental solution

Photo by Kelly Sikkema/Unsplash