FAQ

• Q:When does submission commence?
  A:Submissions are accepted from the launch date, 24 November 2020 10:00AM (GMT +8).
• Q:When is the deadline for submission?
  A:The submission deadline is 5 March 2021, 12:00PM (GMT +8). Submissions received after the deadline will be disqualified.
• Q:How will my submission be evaluated?
  A:Your submission will be evaluated by the challenge statement owner along with invited industry experts organising this innovation call, where necessary. Submissions are encouraged to be accompanied with a working prototype, that can be further developed and trialled to address the problems raised by the challenge statement owner. You may be contacted for more information should the evaluation committee requires further clarifications.
  
  During the evaluation, we will consider the relevance, scalability and feasibility of the submissions.
• Q:Who is eligible to participate in the challenge?
  A:This challenge is open to all local and international registered startups, SMEs, Institutes of Higher Learning and Research Institutes. More information on eligibility can be found in section two of Rules and Regulations page.
• Q:What are your policies on intellectual property (IP) protection and confidentiality obligations?
  A:The protection of intellectual property rights in the submission is the sole responsibility of the applicant. Once submitted and selected for trial with the challenge statement owner, it will be a private agreement between the challenge statement owner and applicant. Enterprise Singapore (ESG) would not request for a stake to the IPs developed. If you would like to share intellectual property rights which may contribute to the value proposition of the developed solution, it will be advisable to consider getting appropriate legal advice prior to making any disclosures to the challenge statement owner.
• Q:How would I know if my application is shortlisted?
  A:We target to inform shortlisted teams via email by June 2021 on their selection with instructions on the next steps of the Sustainability Open Innovation Challenge 2020. However, timeline may be subjected to changes depending on prevailing circumstances.
• Q:How can I participate in the challenge?
  A:Download the proposal submission form at the 'Attachment' section of the Challenge Statement Listing Page and fill in the details of your project proposal. Navigate to the challenge statement page your business is keen to address and click the "Submit Proposal" button after logging in. You will be presented with a form for you to submit your proposal. This submission will be your official entry into the challenge. Do upload the completed project submission form and any other supporting documents/files that may support your proposal.
• Q:What is the funding support?
  A:Eligible innovators can apply for project development fund.
• Q:I am currently filing a patent for this submitted solution; can I check if my submitted proposal is treated confidential?
  A:IPI respect that the information provided by companies in the proposals could be sensitive and will be handled with care. However, we do not advise companies to submit information that deemed confidential.
  
  The companies should not disclose any information relating to the provisional patent until after it has been filed. Despite that, it is advisable that he or she exercise caution in disclosing only necessary information for the purpose of submitting his or her proposal. This is because there is no assurance that his or her concept after converting to a patent application would be granted eventually to offer him or her the needed protection, especially if what was filed is just an idea/concept. Therefore, IPI suggest that he or she either approach IPOS or engage a patent attorney for professional advice.