Scholarship details
Although today it is common to talk about innovation and technology, it is likely that you do not know what technological innovation really is.
Technological innovation is the process by which a company creates a new product, service, process or business model, or significantly improves the characteristics of an existing one, using technological tools as a vehicle. This is a concept that can encompass various actions and that is why four types of technological innovation can be differentiated: incremental, disruptive, sustainable and radical.
Incremental technological innovation
Incremental innovation is one in which a series of small improvements or updates are applied to a company’s existing products, services, processes or methods. Typically, changes implemented through incremental innovation focus on improving the development efficiency, productivity, and competitive differentiation of an existing product.
A clear example of incremental technological innovation is 3D printing , since this type of printing was the transformation of traditional printing to object-oriented printing. Of course, this innovation not only changed the way of printing, but over time, it has evolved to the point where it is possible to print almost any type of object or thing, such as food, construction materials, prosthetics, etc.
Likewise, another example is smartphones, and that is that, although their appearance caused a revolution in the world, from that moment on, the big brands have limited themselves to updating these mobile devices in order to improve the camera, increase the capacity of storage, vary the size, add new software updates or small modifications in the design, etc.
The United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) and BMW have engaged in a historic partnership geared towards creating a new model of collaboration between the private sector and the United Nations.
Eligible Countries: All
About the award: The Intercultural Innovation Award is a partnership between the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) and the BMW Group that aims to select and support the most innovative grassroots projects that foster intercultural dialogue and cooperation throughout the world.
Type: Training, Competition
Eligibility: Those eligible to apply for the Intercultural Innovation Award are non-profit organizations that manage projects focused on promoting intercultural dialogue and understanding, and that are willing to expand their scope of action. Examples include projects in the field of combating xenophobia, global citizenship education, interreligious dialogue, migration and integration, prevention of violent extremism, as well as initiatives that address the needs of specific groups to promote intercultural understanding (eg religious, youth, women). , media, etc.)
Selection criteria:
THE PROJECT
- Relevance – is it appropriate for the target audience and in the local context where it is implemented.
- Quality – performs an in-depth analysis of the problems/problems and establishes a consistent intervention strategy.
- Clarity – establishes clear objectives and establishes a logical connection between activities, products, and results.
- Innovation – pushes boundaries and excels at using original and novel methods (social media, arts, pedagogical approach, innovative training, etc.)
- Measurement – the impact of the intervention is measurable (i.e. number of beneficiaries, attitude change surveys, evaluation of behavior changes, clear policy changes, etc.)
- Sustainability – Demonstrates the ability to be sustainable in the medium-long term.
- replicability – has the ability to be replicated and scaled in different configurations. This is a key evaluation criterion.
THE ORGANIZATION
- Organizational structure – It is capable of achieving the objectives established in the project.
- Intercultural commitment – has demonstrated an interest in and commitment to intercultural dialogue, understanding, and cooperation (eg previous reports, letters of reference, etc.).
- Work plan and budget – you have established a realistic budget to replicate or expand the project.
- Transparency – has made genuine and demonstrated efforts to adopt a transparency policy.
- Equality – has adopted equality and diversity policies as reflected in staff members, membership, and activities.
THE APPLICATION
- Clarity – Shows effective communication of ideas and provides relevant examples.
- Concise – Provide clear and concise answers to questions.
- Persuasion – Includes insightful arguments and a captivating narrative.
Number of prizes: 10
Program Value:
- The Intercultural Innovation Award is given to ten organizations. The winners receive a year of support and consultancy from UNAOC and the BMW Group, which will help their projects to increase their effectiveness. Support will also be given to successful projects so that they can be replicated in other contexts or environments where they may be relevant. The specific support received will depend on the individual needs of the projects.
- A detailed needs assessment will be conducted in conjunction with each of the awardees. UNAOC and the BMW Group will then mobilize resources to help those projects achieve their goals. After one year, a comprehensive evaluation will be conducted to assess the impact of the Award on successful projects.
- The awardees’ organizations will also become members of Intercultural Leaders, an exclusive knowledge and skills exchange platform for civil society organizations and young leaders working to address intercultural tensions. Through an innovative online system, intercultural leaders will harness the solidarity of their members to maximize the impact of their work and help them foster intercultural understanding and cooperation.
Official Application Portal
Visit the Official Scholarship Link for more details and the application link.
