CFPs: Supporting Survivors of Modern Slavery Challenge

This Challenge seeks exceptional solutions for and by survivors that leverage ethical technology like AI to improve and scale critical resources by:

• Bettering existing resources for legal, financial, physical, psychological, and social well-being
• Improving access to, and awareness of, critical survivor resources
• Strengthening the ecosystem of providers by enhancing efficiencies in communication, data collection and sharing, and coordination
• Training and supporting existing organizations and agencies in ways to reach out to and appropriately work with survivors.

Benefits

• Finalists will be invited to a virtual pitch event to present their solutions in front of distinguished judges. A total pool of $300,000 in funding is available for up to 5 winners of the Challenge. This funding will be disbursed as follows: $75,000 each to 2 grand prize winners, and $50,000 each to 3 runner-up prize winners.
• In addition to funding, each Challenge winner will participate in a 6-month support program run by MIT Solve in collaboration with the HPE Foundation and The Anti-Slavery Collective that will include:
  • In-kind resources curated to support entrepreneurs across critical areas including pro bono legal support, software licenses, and marketing
  • Virtual orientation session
  • Virtual monthly cohort convenings during the support program period
  • Virtual check-in meetings between Solve staff with each winner
  • Professional executive leadership coaching for winners
  • Virtual capacity building workshops hosted by experts focused on potential topics such as Participatory Design, Theory of Change, Impact Metrics, or other themes
  • Connections to expertise from global networks

What types of solutions are eligible? 

• This Challenge seeks innovative, human-centered, tech-based solutions. They are looking for a diverse portfolio of solutions across geography, development stage, and team members’ gender and background.
• Solution applications must be written in English. The Challenge considers solutions at various stages of development. Concept-stage solutions will not be reviewed or selected. They define a Concept-stage solution as an idea being explored and researched for its feasibility to build a product, service, or business model, including prototypes under development. Until the solution has a functioning prototype, they would still consider it a Concept.
  • Prototype: An initial working version of a solution that may be in the process of getting initial feedback or testing with users (i.e. running a pilot). If for-profit, a solution that has raised little or no investment capital. Until the solution transitions from testing to consistent availability, they would still consider it a Prototype. (Often 0 users/direct beneficiaries)
  • Pilot: The solution has been launched in at least one community, but is still iterating on design or business model. If for-profit, is generally working to gain traction and may have completed a fundraising round with investment capital. (Often 10+ users/direct beneficiaries)
  • Growth: An established solution available in one or more communities with a consistent design and approach, ready for further growth in multiple communities or countries. If for-profit, has generally completed at least one formal investment round (Seed stage or later). If nonprofit, has an established set of donors and/or revenue streams.
  • Scale: A standard solution operating in many communities or multiple countries and is prepared to scale significantly by improving efficiency. If for-profit, has likely raised at least a Series A investment round.

Eligibility Criteria

• They invite submissions from individuals, teams, and/or organizations. They especially encourage and welcome applications from survivors or those with lived experience of or proximity to human trafficking/modern slavery.
  • Solutions can be for-profit, nonprofit, or hybrid models and must be at least at the prototype stage.
  • Per MIT Solve’s Terms of Service, US law prevents MIT Solve from accepting applications from people who are ordinarily resident in Iran, Cuba, Syria, North Korea, or the Crimea, Donetsk People’s Republic, or Luhansk People’s Republic areas of Ukraine. Applications from people in Venezuela, Belarus, China (including Hong Kong), Saudi Arabia, and Russia will undergo legal review and may be removed from the website if US law prevents MIT Solve from accepting them.

For more information, visit MIT Solve.