OCEAN COMMUNITY CHALLENGE
Activate your Ocean passion and become part of the solution!
Are you an ocean blue-tech lover and innovator with great ideas? Join our global and annual challenge, the Ocean Community Challenge!
The ocean is crying out for new ideas to survive and thrive, and by participating in our challenge, you will help to solve the Ocean´s challenges and leverage ocean resources for a healthy and sustainable ocean economy.
We will support and prepare you to take the next steps to improve and commercialize your ideas and solutions. To facilitate this, we are working with some of the best and most experienced experts and organizations within the ocean economy landscape, all dedicated to supporting you to be able to deliver high-impact ocean solutions.
We will inspire you to capture new opportunities the ocean offers and to explore how emerging technologies could help to solve ocean challenges and foster sustainable use of ocean resources. We encourage you to experiment by building prototypes based on technology, ocean resources, and circular economy principles.
Why participate
Solving global Ocean Challenges is of course a reason in itself. In addition, you will as a participant in OCC get:
The experience
Enrolling in Ocean Community Challenge means joining a community of ocean entrepreneurs, innovators, and experts. This offers you an invaluable opportunity to connect, learn and innovate with like-minded with a common goal to address ocean challenges and opportunities. All submissions in scope will receive professional feedback based on an assessment of the idea and solution.
The opportunity
The best ideas and solutions will participate in the final pitch event. As a finalist, you will be assigned a dedicated SPOC from Ocean Community as well as an expert coach to help you develop your solution and prepare for the pitch event. During the pitch event, you will get the opportunity to present your solution and pitch in front of an expert jury panel providing you real-time feedback.
The prize
Awarded teams will be invited to join our Pre-Accelerator Program stretching across 6 months including tailored activities to support further enhancement of your solution. Our program is designed to guide you through complex entrepreneurial issues, add structure, and help you to take your next steps. You will be assigned a SPOC from the OCC Team and a mentor from one of our renown partners who will support you through a detailly planned program.
Via our excellent partner network, you will be able to get:
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Mentoring for 6 months
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Advisory
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Networking
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Resourcing
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Funding opportunities
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Pitch-training
How to participate
Submission Process
The process consists of below steps
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Prepare your submission according to the instructions provided below.
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Submit via this link during the submission window.
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After submission you will be invited to an initial meeting with the OCC Team to clarify and discuss your idea and solution and receive professional feedback.
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You will in addition be invited to a training session to better understand how to finalize your submission.
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Improve and finalize your submission before closing date.
What and how to submit
We have aligned the submission categories from OCC2024 with the 10 categories that EU BlueFinance has defined for the Blue Economy. We work together with experts and organisations within each category. If your solution spans across several categories or there is no category related to your idea, chose the open category. The only requirement is that your solution creates synergies between ocean resources, technology and circular economy principles.
You may participate in the following categories: (2023)
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Ocean Health
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Ocean Harvesting
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Energy
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Mobility
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Ocean Data
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Open
To participate you must as a minimum clearly describe your idea and solution, who will benefit, how you will deliver this and how this will impact the Ocean. In addition, you will need to include a prototype of your solution.
All submissions in scope will go through an assessment based on our assessment criteria. The submission form includes questions relevant to the assessment.
In addition to answering these questions, the participants are expected to submit a pitch presentation deck covering the above-mentioned assessment criteria (maximum 10 slides) and any additional supporting documentation presenting the solution.
Timeline
OPEN FOR SUBMISSIONS
CLOSING OF SUBMISSION WINDOW
FINALISTS ANNOUNCMENT
FINALISTS COACHING PERIOD
PITCH EVENT & WINNERS ANNOUNCEMENT
OC PRE ACCELERATOR PROGRAM
TBD
TBD
TBD
TBD
TBD
TBD
Finalists
The most promising solutions will be selected to participate in the finalist coaching period and the final pitch-event to compete for the awards provided. The finalists selection will be based on a qualitative assessment supported by our expert coaches and advisors.
During the finalist coaching period you as a finalist will be appointed an experienced coach to further improve your solution and prepare your pitch-presentation. You will during this period be provided 3 coaching sessions.
During the final pitch-event you will pitch your solution to an expert jury panel and receive professional feedback. In this event winners will be awarded and invited to the OC Pre-Accelerator Program stretching across 6 months including tailored activities to further enhancement of your solution.