Expo Live Innovation Impact Grant Programme is led by Expo 2020 Dubai. The programme aims to fund novel and innovative solutions that encapsulate the spirit of Expo 2020 Dubai’s theme: ‘Connecting Minds, Creating the Future’. The focus areas for funding are Expo’s three subthemes of Opportunity, Mobility and Sustainability.
The programme calls for individual entrepreneurs, SMEs, non-profit organisations, or government-related entities to submit their solutions, which should be at a demonstration and implementation stage.
The programme will award funds up to USD 100,000 per application depending on the maturity and scalability of innovations. It’s not only about providing innovators with access to financing, successful grant recipients will also be offered the following:
- Network and partnerships opportunities
- Marketing and communication exposure
- Additional funding
Evaluation Criteria: Expo Live has devised a comprehensive evaluation process that assesses applications on the following five key criteria:
1. Is the project Innovative: The solution, or its application, must be novel and innovative. It should inspire, capture the world’s imagination, and be ready to showcase before or during Expo 2020 Dubai.
2. Is the project relevant: The project or solution needs to relate to Expo 2020 Dubai’s core theme of Connecting Minds, Creating the Future and the subthemes of: Opportunity, Mobility and Sustainability.
3. Does the project identify the community it impacts: The community should be clearly identified and the current and intended impacts need to be measurable.
4. Is the project ready for implementation: It should be ready for demonstration and/or transition-to-scale implementation. Additional funding will support the innovation through its journey to scale.
5. Is the business plan well conceived: The applicant must have the capacity to implement the project, and the requested grant amount must be reasonable and proportionate to the anticipated impact.
