Mission Billion Challenge about Solutions for Privacy and a Prize of $100,000

World Bank invites individuals and organizations with creative ideas and innovative solutions to participate in the Mission Billion Challenge 2019, which focuses on “How can digital identification systems in developing countries be better designed or adapted to protect people’s privacy and empower them with greater control over their personal data?”. The Challenge seeks solutions to promote ‘privacy by design’ and provide people with greater control over their personal data through digital identification systems. Examples of the types of submissions the Challenge is seeking include (but are not limited to):

1. New ways of thinking
2. New technologies or different uses for existing technologies
3. Business and/or technical processes
4. Enterprise, technical or functional architectures

Eligibility criteria:

1. Individuals must be of at least 18 years of age at the time of entry.  Individuals may form teams and submit entries on behalf of teams
2. Organizations must be legally established entities (profit, non-profit, academic) in their respective countries
3. Ideas and solutions should be practical, cost-effective and be relevant for developing country contexts in which some segments of the population may have low literacy and numeracy levels, as well as limited digital skills
4. Types of solutions accepted:

Idea: A plan or concept by an individual or organization.

Prototype: An individual or organization building and testing a product, service, or model

Pilot: An individual or organization deploying a tested product, service, or model in at least one location

Growth: An individual or organization with an established product, service or model rolled out, which is poised for further growth in multiple locations

Scale: An individual or organization working in several locations and that is looking to scale significantly, focusing on increased efficiency

Selection criteria:

1. Alignment: The solution addresses the challenge that has been set forth
2. Context Appropriateness: The solution takes into account the context of developing countries, including low to no connectivity in some areas and little formal technical training among individuals, as well as low literacy and numeracy levels
3. Scalability and Ease of Use: The solution can easily be scaled to affect the lives of millions of people
4. Feasibility: It is feasible to implement the solution, and the team has a plan for the solution to sustaining itself after implementation
5. Innovative Approach: This is a new technology, a new application of technology, or a new process for solving the challenge

Prize:

Finalists will be invited to a high-level event in Washington, D.C. to present their solutions in front of distinguished judges.  A total of $100,000 in cash prizes is available with a top prize of $50,000.