Community Resilience Innovation Challenge Kickoff Event

RISE Resilience Innovations, in partnership with LISC Hampton Roads and supported by Sentara Health, launches the Community Resilience Innovation Challenge, a pioneering initiative with a grant pool of $1 million aimed at enhancing the resilience of underserved coastal communities.

Challenge Objectives

This Challenge seeks innovative solutions to address the multifaceted vulnerabilities faced by these communities. The goal is to enhance resilience by implementing practical solutions that have a measurable and positive impact. A total of $1 million in funding and support is available for winners to test and scale their solutions in the Hampton Roads region, including the Eastern Shore of Virginia.

Focus Areas for Solutions

The Challenge follows a vibrant community workshop held in June to gather feedback from more than 70 stakeholders, experts and community members. The group worked to define the largest threats to community resilience, and distilled their findings into four main topic areas now suggested for proposal submissions:

• Health, Wellness, and Safety: Solutions to improve access to healthcare, healthy food, and stable employment.
• Affordable Housing: Innovative strategies to address the shortage of affordable housing and related challenges.
• Economic & Job Security: Proposals to strengthen economic stability and job security.
• Environmental Resilience: Ideas focusing on climate adaptation, sustainable resource management, and disaster preparedness.

Guidance Metrics

The Challenge will leverage the Social Vulnerability Index (SVI) and the Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool (CEJST) to guide the assessment of submissions and monitor the progress of winning projects. These tools provide essential insights into the specific challenges faced by communities.

Formed in 2018, Norfolk-based RISE has launched eight Challenges, deploying $7 million in funding to 35 different startups and entrepreneurs. Previous winners have created everything from a mobile app to help drivers navigate flooded roads to powering emergency services with kinetic energy from traffic.

To compete in the Challenge, submissions must come from a legal business or established nonprofit entity with a solution that is in the prototype stage or later. In addition to funding, winning teams will get access to resources such as pilot project opportunities, a tailored business accelerator, introductions to potential investors, and more.

For more information, visit LISCRISEChallenge.com