FAQs may be revised or added to this page over the course of the Challenge.
What are the benefits for me if I enter?
All submissions receive feedback and have access to support to take them to the next level.
- Web based support materials, starting with a package designed to assist you with writing your submission in 100 words, for both the Submission (100 Words) and Business Plan stages of the Challenge.
- Connection to the Wellington Innovation Community, through which you can access expert advice on specifics such as intellectual property, legal and tax.
- Opportunities for:
o Connection to the investment community
o Assistance with market place scans and Global Expert searches
o Assistance with applying for technology project investments
o Connection to Creative HQ
- Opportunity for the leading, innovative submissions to be included in the semi final stage of the national ‘Focus on Health Challenge’ to be run by NZ Trade & Enterprise [NZTE] in 2012.
- The Manager of the Challenge will be available throughout the process to give personal support to both organisations and individuals – see below for contact details.
So there’s a lot of potential value available to you when you make a submission.
And is there only one winner?
Grow Wellington is making $50,000 available as development funding for the leading innovative submission with the strongest commercial potential. However, we reserve the right (see
Terms & Conditions) to split that funding across more than one submission should that be a reasonable reflection of the assessment process. And, of course, all submissions will get some value from the benefits outlined above.
In addition, by working closely with NZTE, the leading Innovating for Health submissions may have the opportunity to go forward as semi finalists in the national Focus on Health Challenge. This will bring significant benefits for Focus on Health semi finalists, who will be taken through a market-focussed workshop programme alongside established and growing businesses in the health technology sector.
Grow Wellington and NZTE will provide some on-going, needs-based support for the leading innovations/businesses that emerge from their two Challenges.
Can I only make one submission?
Submissions will be assessed as they come in so you won’t have to wait long for Feedback. Once you have received your Feedback you may revise your original submission and resubmit it. Of course, if you have 2 different ideas you may separately submit both of them.
What are you looking for in the submissions? What are the criteria?
We are looking for:
- Evidence of originality, either in the idea itself or as an original or novel application
- A strong science and/or technology base
- Commercial potential
- Ideas that can be developed from Wellington, have been initiated in Wellington, or have a Wellington connection.
What kinds of innovative ideas can be submitted?
Submissions may be simply ideas; may be based on research and development; could be at either the prototype or pilot stage; or could be products or services that are at the revenue generating stage.
Our judges, who will be drawn from both the business and science/technology/clinical sectors, will factor the stage your innovation is at into their assessment so they are comparing like-with-like.
Do you have any examples of the sorts of innovations you’re looking for?
Im-Able: the winner of the Grow Wellington’s 2010 Bright Ideas Challenge. Based in the Wellington region this company is developing and marketing a range of systems to assist in stroke recovery, including arm movement, balance and cognition.
Mesynthes: the Winner of NZTE’s 2010 Focus on Health Challenge. Based in the Wellington region this company applies its EndoformTM biomaterial in the development and commercialisation of a range of products for wound and tissue repair.
Matakina Technology TM: Runner Up in the NZTE 2010 Focus on Health Challenge. Based in Wellington, this company applies its Volpara™ software program to convert any digital mammogram into quantitative data with a high degree of accuracy and robustness, which can then be used by radiologists to estimate breast density.
All three companies have begun to trade internationally and all three have connections with Wellington and New Zealand based Crown Research Institutes, universities and research/health sector organisations.
What are my Intellectual Property rights?
These are covered in our
Terms & Conditions. Essentially this means that whatever the Intellectual Property of your submission is, it is yours and you can have the confidence that it will be treated by us as confidential. At the appropriate time you should seek professional advice about protecting your idea or product, and we will be providing support for that as part of the Challenge.
What are the Terms & Conditions?
Click
here to view the Terms & Conditions.
For further information contact: