Are you a disruptive thinker? We want to fund your ideas! How would you restore and strengthen men’s social connections? 

The Movember Foundation is challenging creative and forward thinkers across the UK, Australia and Canada to help address the hidden issue of decreasing male social connectedness. To help bring these to life, we’re putting up £2.4 million in funding to the initiative. Learn more below!
 
The Problem:
As we age, men lose touch with their social connections. This refers to any or all relationships that men have, from friends, family members and partners to colleagues. The lack of strong social relationships makes it difficult to navigate through significant life events, such as break ups, loss of a loved one, workplace transitions or becoming a father and increases the risk for depression, anxiety and suicide.
 
The Ask:
We want you to propose an innovative, out-of-the-box concept that could lead to products or services that increase levels of social connections and feelings of belongingness for men. Project ideas should provide new solutions or fresh approaches to generating, restoring and strengthening the social connections of men.
 
How to Apply:
Head over to our application site to learn more about the request for ideas including details on the different phases, background research and how to apply.

Phases and Key dates:
Phase 1 - Inspiration/Ideation/Pitch
·        Step 1: Inspiration Statements - Deadline: 9th December, 2015  - This is a maximum 500 word online submission of an idea to restore or strengthen men’s social connections. Register and apply at https://socialconnection.fluidreview.com/
 
·        Invitations to Pitch: w/o 25th January, 2016 (Everyone who submitted something will hear whether their idea has been chosen to go on to step 2)
 
·        Step 2: The Pitch - Deadline: 4th March, 2016 – This includes a 3-page white paper addressing specific questions with a short video submission, high level budget and short-form funding agreement.

o   Outcome of Phase 1 are £12k development grants to produce a plan for a pilot project.  There will be a maximum of 50 grants across the three markets.
o   You will have 6 months to research, design and develop a project to test and submit to Phase 2. The key here is that projects must be from the male perspective and teams need to include men from the group that’s being targeted.
 
Phase 2 – Piloting - Pilot project plan deadline – 28th October, 2016
Plans that have been developed in Phase 1 will be submitted for evaluation and a number of projects will be selected to pilot.
 
o    Includes a mentoring phase where the panel members will provide feedback and input to draft plans before they’re finalised and submitted.
o   Outcome of this step are minimum 14 x pilot grants up to £100k to be tested over 2 years.
o   Funding Announcement December 2016. (Anticipated)
 
Phase 3 – Scaling – This phase isn’t included in the £2.4m investment.   Funding for this phase will very much be based on what the outcome of the Pilots and proposed business cases, and the Movember Foundation will determine how best to scale the most promising projects, i.e. funding ourselves, partnering, passing off to third parties (government, business etc.) who are best placed to expand the programmes.