The COINS Grand Challenge is first and foremost a competition to find new ideas or innovative approaches that will solve problems and enable the construction industry to make a positive impact on society, and is open to anyone whose idea could improve construction for the better.
… new ideas and approaches to help improve the construction industry …
… two competitions (Open and Undergraduate)…
The COINS Grand Challenge writes:
The COINS Grand Challenge is first and foremost a competition to find new ideas or innovative approaches that will solve problems and enable the construction industry to make a positive impact on society. Given the broad range of allowable topics, these Guidance Notes and the examples and definitions included herein are only there to help people complete the online Application Form. They are not intended to place any limit or constraint on the creativity of the Applicants’ thought processes and ideas.
The online Application Form provides additional specific guidance on how to complete your application with notes and guidance for each question.
1. What is the COINS Grand Challenge?
The COINS Grand Challenge consists of two competitions (Open and Undergraduate) that are aimed at encouraging students, innovators and entrepreneurs to come forward with new ideas and approaches to help improve the construction industry for the benefit of the industry and society. The competitions focus on areas that address global challenges facing the construction industry.
Working with leading construction companies, private investors, venture capitalists and academia, the COINS Grand Challenge provides an opportunity that may not otherwise exist for people to present their ideas to leaders in the industry, win valuable prizes and potentially gain funding and support to pursue their ideas.
For the Open Competition, ideas do not have to be at a particular stage of development to be submitted. Judging criteria are based on the calibre of the Applicant, the “grandness” of the idea and the feasibility of it being implemented. For the Undergraduate Competition, we are looking for people who understand the underlying subject matter and its relevance to one or more areas of the construction industry and who show the interest and potential to become the next generation of construction industry innovators, entrepreneurs and leaders. Whether you are an undergraduate, post grad student, recent graduate, young entrepreneur or industry specialist, we want to hear from you if you believe your idea has the potential to help the construction industry and society.
2. How do I enter the COINS Grand Challenge?
Potential applicants are encouraged to register their interest in the competition as soon as possible using the signup form at the bottom of each page on this website. This will sign you up to receive updates about the competition, including key dates and reminders.
To enter the competition, Applicants must complete the official online Application Form and clearly select the relevant competition (Undergraduate or Open) to which the application relates.
For the Undergraduate Competition, the entry consists of either an 800- to 1000-word essay or a 3-10 minute video entered using the online Application Form. The entry should follow the challenge brief and other information provided on the Undergraduate Competition page on this website.
For the Open Competition, the applicant answers a series of questions that explore the applicant’s idea in depth. The entry should follow the challenge brief and other information provided on the Open Competition page on this website.
Team applications are allowed for both the Open and Undergraduate competition. However, only one member of the team may present the idea at the Grand Final if the application is successful, so it is advisable to enter the application under the name of the team leader or best presenter.
Any intellectual property included in submissions belongs to the respective applicants, although no Non-Disclosure Agreements will be entered into.
3. What is the timeline for applications? Key Dates
- 1 FEB 2021 Competition open for Entries
- 28 JUN 2021 Entries Submitted by
- 3 AUG 2021 Finalists Notified by
- TBC SEP 2021 Final Judging
