Impact Funding Resources
This Challenge calls for innovative solutions to enable water resilience across infrastructure, agri-food, tech and energy systems. Ten winners will receive an even share of CHF 1.75 million financial award, generously made available by HCL Group.
Start Date25 Jun 2025 End Date04 Aug 2025 Funding AmountCHF 175k Funding Resource TypeInnovation Award
Funding ProviderHCLTech,WEF uplink and partners
Innovation Award
HCLTech,WEF uplink and partners
The focus areas of this challenge include:
· Strengthening infrastructure resilience
· Rethinking agri-food water use
· Optimizing water resources in the tech sector and energy systems
Selection criteria
I. Business viability
• Financially viable business model: The solution has a clear strategy to develop a sustainable business model and revenue approach, and presents evidence of traction, as well as investable opportunities for investors or philanthropic funders.
• Product-market fit: The solution can demonstrate how it fits customer needs, with reference to the size of the problem it seeks to address.
II. Team, governance and operating model
• Team: The solution has a diverse leadership team with the right capacity and skillset to deliver on the project’s mission.
• Governance and operating model: The solution has a legal entity attached to the project or technology. The operating model shows the extent to which the project has achieved financial viability and sustainable revenue streams or has a vision and plan for achieving it.
III. Intention to deliver impact
• Positive and sustainable impact: The solution supports the water resilience agenda in the long term, delivering impact that outlasts the length of the challenge and addresses one of the challenge focus areas.
• Impact measurement, management and verification: The solution has a plan to develop a clear impact monitoring, evaluation and verification framework. Metrics and indicators are tracked transparently, apply relevant standards, and receive independent credentialing and third-party verification.
IV. Solution innovation and replicability
• Innovative nature of solution: The solution demonstrates innovation in its product or service offering, pricing, partnerships or business model, with clear reference to how it is differentiated from competitors.
• Proof of concept and replicability: The solution provides evidence—such as from experiments or pilot projects—that the product or service is implementable across multiple markets.
