GWP-C and Partners Launch 2024 Young Caribbean Water Entrepreneurs Shark Tank Competition with US$4,000 in Seed Funding Available

from Global Water Partnership – Caribbean

The Young Caribbean Water Entrepreneurs Shark Tank Competition seeks to provide a unique opportunity for young persons from the Caribbean, aged 18 to 34 years, to pitch innovative and impactful water-related project ideas to support better water resources management in their community, country or the Caribbean region.

Overview

Global Water Partnership-Caribbean (GWP-C) has recognised for many years the critical importance of creating avenues for young people to become involved in water governance and management ventures. Development challenges in the Caribbean will ultimately be inherited by the region’s youth. Young people are solution providers and have ideas and energy to act for sustainable development. GWP-C therefore sees the importance of empowering young people to be agents of change in contributing to and advancing Caribbean water security.

Through GWP-C’s work and interaction with its youth partners and young people within water and related sectors, it is evident that they often do not have access to funding or resources to easily advance their project ideas. Additionally, they do not always have easy access to technical support to turn their ideas into fully workable projects.

 It is, therefore, with great pleasure that GWP-C announces the launch of its 2024 “Young Caribbean Water Entrepreneurs Shark Tank Competition.” This is the fourth time the competition is being held, the first being in 2019, the second in 2020 and the third in 2022.

 

Enter the 2022 Young Caribbean Water Entrepreneurs Shark Tank Competition

The Young Caribbean Water Entrepreneurs Shark Tank Competition seeks to provide a unique opportunity for young persons from the Caribbean, aged 18 to 34 years, to pitch innovative and impactful water-related project ideas to support better water resources management in their community, country or the Caribbean region.

Seed funding of US$4,000 will be awarded for the best project/idea under the following themes:

• Water and Agriculture
• Water and Climate
• Water and Health
• Water and Energy
• Water and Tourism

Entry Requirements and Competition Timeline

Who can enter the “Young Caribbean Water Entrepreneurs Shark Tank Competition?”

You must be a Caribbean national residing in the Caribbean region, aged 18 – 34 years with an innovative project/idea under any of the following themes:

Category 1:

• Water and Agriculture
• Water and Climate
• Water and Health
• Water and Energy
• Water and Tourism

PHASE 1: Enter by Submitting Your Water-Related Project Proposal  

The competition has officially been launched today, March 1st, 2024, and the deadline for submitting your application/project proposal is August 4th, 2024, at midnight Atlantic Standard Time (AST). Entrants must complete and submit the competition’s online project proposal template here by August 4^th, 2024: Online Project Proposal

Please note: All project proposals must be submitted in English, and a maximum of two (2) persons can apply for a submission together.

 

PHASE 2: Review of Project Proposals

All submitted project proposals will be reviewed by the competition’s group of sharks.

Each of the selected finalists will receive feedback, critiques and advice on their proposals to prepare to pitch their water-related project/idea to the sharks in the competition’s finals.

Proposals will be assessed based on various areas (but not limited to):

• Innovation
• Water Resources Management Relevance
• Practicality of Implementation
• Projected Impact 
• Financial Feasibility
• Project Sustainability 
• Stakeholder Engagement and Partnerships
• Business/Industry Analysis
• Market Research
• Competitive Analysis
• Gender Mainstreaming

PHASE 3 (Final Stage): The 7-10 Minutes Pitch

Finalists in the competition will compete for the prize of US$4,000.

All finalists will be required to deliver a 7-10 minutes pitch of their project before a panel of sharks/judges. Finalists will be provided with relevant guidelines/criteria at least two (2) weeks before their final pitch to the sharks. The pitches to the panel of sharks will take place virtually.

 

The Sharks/Judges

The sharks/judges will include a mix of professionals/practitioners such as:

• Private Sector Representatives
• Water Specialists
• Wastewater Management Specialists
• Entrepreneurs
• Innovation Strategists
• Business Development Specialists
• Youth Representatives
• Marketing Specialists
• Government Officials
• Water and Environmental Specialists
• Other Practitioners (in fields related to the competition’s themes)

Contact Us

For any questions about the competition, please e-mail the GWP-C Secretariat at info@gwp-caribbean.org. Also, please ensure that “2024 Shark Tank” is included in the title of your e-mail.