Last week to apply for the Intercultural Innovation Award

The Intercultural Innovation Award, a partnership between the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) and the BMW Group, searches for innovative and sustainable projects around the world that promote intercultural dialogue and understanding. The deadline for applications is Wednesday, 30 September 2015 at 5:00pm in New York. Eligible organizations are encouraged to apply online at interculturalinnovation.org

Ten organizations will receive the Intercultural Innovation Award following a rigorous selection process. Awardees will be given a financial contribution to help their project expand and replicate, with a first prize of USD 40,000. They will also take part in a one-year support program that includes training and capacity-building, increased visibility, access to a network of change makers working in intercultural dialogue and ongoing project-specific mentoring. Awardees will be announced at the 7th UNAOC Global Forum.

Since launching in 2011, 31 organizations in total have received the Intercultural Innovation Award. By the end of 2014, the Award has impacted 88 countries representing a three-fold increase from the previous year. Additionally, the Award has benefited more than 600,000 individuals around the world. Past awardees have spoken of increasing their database of supporters as a result of receiving the Award, and the Award helping them replicate in a number of different countries through increased visibility and networking opportunities. “The Intercultural Innovation Award has connected PCRC with a host of like-minded people from around the world, expanding our reach as an organization and opening up new paths forward in terms of collaboration,” said Velma Šarić, Founder and Executive Director of the Post-Conflict Research Center (PCRC) who was the first-placed awardee at the 6th UNAOC Global Forum. “Learning from our fellow awardees and from the Intercultural Innovation team has been an honor.”

The Intercultural Innovation Award is the result of a unique public-private partnership between the UNAOC and BMW Group. With the overarching aim of helping people to help themselves, the two partners jointly mobilize their resources, time, and networks to support awardees. This new model of collaboration between the UN and the private sector creates deeper impact, as both partners provide their respective expertise to ensure the sustainable growth of each project.