Ahead of International Women’s Day 2015, Singapore Committee for UN Women and MasterCard announced the fifth annual Project Inspire: 5 Minutes to Change the World Challenge.

Now a multi-award winning initiative and one of the most high profile CSR programs in the Asia/Pacific region, Project Inspire 2015 celebrates five years of supporting social entrepreneurs around the world. This year’s challenge welcomes back long-term and committed partners to women’s empowerment and social entrepreneurship: knowledge partner INSEAD; strategic partner Bain & Company; & supporting partner Hilton WorldWide. Project Inspire 2015 also welcomes new supporting partner, Top3 Media.

Launched in 2011 to celebrate the 100th anniversary of International Women’s Day and the 25th anniversary of MasterCard in Asia/Pacific, Middle East and Africa, “Project Inspire: 5 minutes to change the world” is a global challenge that presents 18-35 year olds with a 5-minute platform to pitch their inspired idea to the world.

With a US$25,000 Grand Prize and US$10,000 Runner-Up Prize on offer to make their idea a reality, Project Inspire 2015 will take on the theme of ‘Technology or Design for Economic Empowerment’.Applicants will be asked to demonstrate how they use design or technology as a tool in the work they are doing to enable and empower women economically throughout Asia, the Pacific, Middle East & Africa.

Eligibility

The competition is open to submissions from all young people, regardless of gender, between the ages of 18 and 35 years, provided the beneficiaries of the proposed project are women or girls located within Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa.

Prizes

• Thanks to MasterCard, the grand prize winner will receive a US$25,000 grant to implement their project.
• Thanks to Hilton WorldWide, the runner-up will receive a US$10,000 grant each to implement their project.

10 Finalists will each receive:

• 1 return flight from the finalist’s capital city to Singapore, to participate in the grand final.
• 1 ticket to the Project Inspire Grand Final on November, 13 2015.
• 4 nights accommodation in Singapore, plus meals and transfers.
• Exclusive INSEAD and Bain & Company workshops, plus one-on-one mentoring.

Application

To take part in the challenge, apply via this form.
Applications for Project Inspire 2015 close on Wednesday, July 1, 2015.

If you have any questions, check the FAQ section or write to: contact@5minutestochangetheworld.org

Opportunity summary

Project Inspire 2015
Social Entrepreneurship Competition for Female Entrepreneurs
Deadline: 1 July 2015
[Oops, the opportunity has already expired. Sign up to AlphaGamma weekly newsletters to stay ahead of the game]
Open to: young people between the ages of 18 and 35 years old from all over the world
Prize: US$25,000

Originally posted on Edu-Active.