MUMBAI – VERIZON SOCIAL ENTERPRENEURSHIP CONTEST 2010 – TECHFEST

Based on this thought of Mahatma Gandhi our vision is of a society where everyone takes initiative and fights for the change that he/she perceives would benefit the society at large. We feel that taking initiatives at a young stage is more likely to inculcate a sense of responsibility towards the society and people would then be able to lead their community and have a positive influence on others. As the youth forms the most crucial part of any society, the young minds should be conscious about the present day social problems.

VeriZon provides a platform for all those social change seekers who can make a difference, rise above the obvious, go beyond limitations, who possess a zeal for innovation and above all who can rise to the occasion and create a new society, a better nation and a happy world. We invite ideas for change which may range from for-profit businesses with a strong social responsibility to non-profit models with sustainable revenue generation. The common binding force is the strong impact these ideas can have on the society.

VeriZon is a competition for social entrepreneurship. We invite solutions for some existing problems that can bring about a social change.

Questionnaire : All the submitted questionnaires will be screened and teams shall be shortlisted. The next hurdle for the shortlisted teams would be the telephonic interviews. Our Questionnaire will judge the following qualities: Thought process / Problem that you want to solve / Idea to solve the problem

Teams can categorize their ideas into a particular category Like Education, Urban Waste Management, RTI, Local Governing Bodies, etc. Also there will be a category called others in which they can place their ideas as per the problems that they wish to address.

The questionnaire should be mailed to verizon[at]techfest[dot]org with the subject “Prayaas: VeriZon Questionnaire Reg. No. xxxx ” (For ex. Prayaas: VeriZon Questionnaire 1243). Please do not forget to mention your registration number in your questionnaire while sending it. Please follow the following details for questionnaire:

Format of questionnaire should be same as in the sample questionnaire.
Font: Tahoma
Font Size: 14
Spacing between two line: Zero
Spacing between two paragraph: 0.6 inch
Top Margin: 1 inch
Bottom Margin: 1 inch

Important Dates :

Questionnaire Stage - August 25th, 2010 – Submission of questionnaire in the format specified.
Questionnaire Results – September 5th, 2010 – Declaration of shortlisted candidates for telephonic interview.
Interview Stage – September 5th, 2010 to September 10th, 2010 – Shortlisted candidates would be interviewed via telephone.
Interview Result – September 15th, 2010 – Declaration of candidates selected for mentorship stage.
Mentorship stage – September 15th, 2010 to November 30th, 2010 – Mentors will be allotted to shortlisted participants. Participants have to work on their ideas and prepare a project report under the guidance of mentors.
Report Submission – November 30th, 2010 – The final report has to be submitted in the format specified.
Result – December 10th, 2010 – Declaration of shortlisted candidates for presentation during Techfest 2011.
Improvisation Stage – December 10th, 2010 to January 6th, 2010
Shortlisted participants to improve upon the report of their project and prepare a presentation of 5 minutes for the same.
Presentation Stage – January 7th-9th, 2011 – Final presentation of their idea.

Deadline : Questionnaire should reach us by 25th August 23.59 Hours IST.

Rules : The competition is open to all (students, research scholars and professionals). All projects being displayed will have a fair chance of receiving further development opportunities offered by funding organizations and venture capitalists. However, the prize money can be claimed only by student teams. Every team has to register online on our website for the competition. A registration number will be allocated to the team on registration which shall be used for future reference. A team can participate at any point of time before 25th August 2010. Decision of judges shall be treated as final and binding on all. Note that at any point of time the latest information will be that which is on the website. However, registered participants will be informed through mail about any changes on the site.

Contact :
Techfest Office
Student’s Gymkhana
IIT Bombay
Pawai, Mumbai-76

Email : ayush(AT)techfest.org / nitesh(AT)techfest.org

Contact Number : + 91 22 2576 4045

Source : http://www.techfest.org/initiatives/prayaas/verizon/