One example of a Round 2 Business plan is HeroRats, submitted by Belgian Bart Weentjes for Tanzania and other Sub Saharan countries. “HeroRATS are trained African giant pouched rats, that act as a biosensor to detect landmines in suspected areas. They are too light to set of landmines. HeroRATS reduce poverty by opening landmine affected post-conflict areas, roads and infrastructure, creating necessary conditions for social and economic development. HeroRATS generate profit by providing a service to humanitarian demining organizations, reducing the overall operational costs of demining operations”. Find out more: http://www.bidnetwork.org/HeroRats
All Round 2 participants need to write a complete business plan before June 20th. They are matched with one of the 150 available BiD Challenge coaches to assist them. Because of the high quality of Round 1 plans we are giving Round 1 participants not selected for Round 2 a second chance to reach the BiD Challenge final. If they submit a complete business plan to us before the Round 2 deadline of June 20th they will be eligible to receive one of 3 BiD Challenge Wild Cards. Wild Card recipients will be assessed by the BiD Challenge Grand Jury together with the Round 2 completed business plans. Out of these plans the Grand Jury will select the 25 BiD Challenge finalist by July 7th.
All BiD Challenge participants remain in the BiD Network and are able to make use of the BiD Network to display their business plan to you, to find partners and investors and to use the BiD Challenge tools and formats that enable them to develop their business.
To thank the BiD Challenge screeners (220 in total) that screened the Round 1 plans the NCDO and BiD Challenge organised a special seminar with BiD Challenge ambassador Stuart Hart about ‘Base of the Pyramid’ cases, on April 25th in Den Haag. Stuart personally thanked top screeners Toine (its Possible) and Bart (Randstad/VSO). The highest number of plans (55) were screened by Bob Vos (Yacht, recruited by Randstad/VSO). ING recruited the highest number of screeners (43). In second, third and forth place were Nuon (34), DHV (18) and ICCO (13).
On Wednesday the 3rd of May the BiD Challenge is organising the 2006 Coach Kick Off, hosted by ICCO in Utrecht. All registered coaches (over 150) will get information about coaching in presentations and workshops and have a chance to meet their participant, if residing in the Netherlands, and/or each other. A recap of the Coach Kick Off will be posted on the BiD Challenge website. Coaches that cannot be matched to a Round 2 participant will be matched to a plan of their choice by the BiD Challenge team.