What is Challenge Fund?
The purpose of Challenge Fund is to
- Address and seek solutions of the problems which are seemingly unsolvable.
- Involve general people to find solutions of these problems.
- Create enthusiasm among the people of a fair competition and winning awards and recognition in solving national problems.
- Trigger early stage nationwide scalable innovation and offer required financial and technical support.
Guiding Principal of Challenge Fund
How to apply
Visit the link: http://www.challenge.gov.bd/inclusiveuniversity and click on the tab 'Submit Your Application’ to get an application form. Fill in all the required information following the instruction provided to submit your application.
Deadline:
Application must be submitted by 30 September, 2017.
Who can apply:
Any organization / consortium.
N.B.Any individual interested to apply must get associated with an organization before applying.
Budget:
Any organization / consortium will be able to apply for a maximum of Tk. 25 lakh.
Innovation
The Challenge Fund seeks significant breakthroughs in innovation, radical solutions that will minimize the rate of problems faced by students with disabilities inside and outside the classroom in understanding the class materials and also utilizing them in studying later on their own . New ideas, technologies or approaches are welcomed that will support them to acquire advanced education in a supportive environment.
Build local partnerships

Problem Statements

Making class notes and lectures accessible for university students with disabilities
A student with disability often lag behind in classroom. It is very difficult for them to keep up with the pace of lectures delivered in the class. They either rely on their classmates or seek extra help from teachers. In case any visually impaired student misses any lectures, he/she can’t get any accessible notes from his/her classmates. These dependency make them more demotivated and reluctant.
An innovative idea or project proposal is expected that will allow students with disabilities who are studying at university to easily access all the academic contents and lecture notes of the classes. A solution is expected where the students with disabilities can keep note of lectures and can later use them for studying at home, other students will also be highly benefitted from this solution as well. It has to be accessible for a diverse group of persons with disabilities so that they do not miss out on any important lessons.

Making academic and administrative information accessible for university students with disabilities
Most of the important academic and administrative information are usually published and updated on the university notice boards. However, these notice boards are not always placed in any location where students with disabilities can reach easily. They often have to rely on their classmates for the updated information. Sometimes it may lead to a communication gap and a student with disability is more likely to miss out any important notice if not informed by his or her classmates.
An innovative idea or project proposal is expected that will allow students with disabilities who are studying at university to access all the academic information and university notices easily. The solution is expected to be accessible for a diverse group of persons with disabilities so that they do not miss out getting any important announcements or notices in due time.

Making the buildings accessible for university students with physical disabilities without changing the current infrastructure
Most of the buildings at the university premises are not fully accessible for students with physical disabilities. They often face a lot of trouble when their classrooms and residential rooms are located in the upper floors. Changing the existing infrastructure is a long term plan and will require a major change of the building which can be time consuming and expensive. They face similar difficulties in accessing the university transports as well.
An innovative idea or project proposal is expected that will allow students with disabilities who are studying at university to easily access university premises, residential rooms and university transports easily. The solution is expected to be portable, practical and feasible as well.
FAQ
Who is eligible to apply?
Any consortium/organization is eligible to apply if the solution is practical and feasible.
Can I apply with a non-technical solution?
No. Only technical solutions are encouraged.
Can I enter the competition as an individual?
NO. Any individual interested to apply must get associated with an organization before applying.
How many steps of evaluation are there in the process?
3 steps. Shortlisting, Screening and Technical Expert Panel Evaluation.
What is the winning prize?
-Maximum fund of 25 lac BDT for piloting the project. The amount of fund will be decided by Technical Expert Panel and Executive Committee of a2i.
When will the results be announced?
The selected proposal applicants will be contacted from a2i as soon as the evaluation process has been completed.
What to do if I don’t get a confirmation mail?
It would usually mean you are have not been qualified.
Where to contact for technical problems?
Please send your queries at innovation@a2i.pmo.gov.bd
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