2022 Call for Code Global Challenge : Build tech solutions for a greener future
Register to participate in the Call for Code Global Challenge – Submissions deadline: October 31, 2022
Build skills, save the planet
Through the 2022 Call for Code Global Challenge you can learn about AI, cloud development and emerging technologies while you make a difference. Form a team and take on sustainability issues from improving supply chains to clean energy solutions and protection of biodiversity.
About the Global Challenge
How can technology improve sustainable production, consumption, and management of resources, reduce pollution creation, and protect biodiversity to create a greener future?
As part of the 5th annual Call for Code Global Challenge, design and build an open source solution in the cloud to take on a sustainability issue. We’re calling on teams of developers and problem solvers to leverage open innovation and develop technology solutions that address specific global sustainability problems in unique, clearly demonstrable ways. The top Global Challenge solution receives implementation support from IBM and the Call for Code ecosystem to make a real impact in the communities with the greatest need.
As the United Nations recently emphasized in their 2022 climate report, impactful sustainability actions are needed now to curb the worst consequences of climate change. Sustainability practices and solutions need to benefit all communities, but especially those communities that have been marginalized and polluted in the past. Technology is key, as it can provide effective, scalable solutions to address sustainability challenges. By participating in the Global Challenge, in addition to the chance to win prizes and implementation support, you’ll build critical skills for yourself and your team and contribute to projects that have the potential to help our planet.
Your Global Challenge solution should address one of the diverse challenges aligned to sustainability:
- Build effective and efficient ways to quantifiably promote, preserve, and protect biodiversity
- Reduce global food insecuritythrough, as examples, improvements to distribution or sustainable farming practices
- Build equitable access to sustainability solutions, education,and job opportunities
- Improve the ability to measure, analyze, or take decisive action on carbon emissions
- Improve access to affordable and reliable clean energy
- Improve supply chaintransparency and traceability to bring fast and accurate visibility to sustainability issues where they arise
- Address issues of waterscarcity and quality
- Reduce volume of and demand for materials that create the biggestwastefootprint (plastics, electronics, food, textile), and encourage reuse/recycle opportunities
Who should participate
There are many ways you can build a great team, but the most successful teams often bring together diverse skill sets to design unique and impactful solutions. Consider building your team to include:
Builders
The tech lead of your team. Builders bring the coding background and technical know-how to take your solution from idea to working reality.
Designers
Your UX expert who ensures the solution is user-friendly and visually appealing. Designers bring creative vision to technical problem solving, making what you build sleek and easy-to-consume.
Communicators
Good communicators make complex ideas simple and inspiring. Your team’s calculating hustler is essential in articulating the problem and succinctly defining how the solution can make a difference in a profound, unique, consumable way.
Humanitarians
Altruistic thinkers who understand the complex problems at hand in a truly human way and are committed to finding a solution to make a demonstrable difference. This inspirational lead of your team considers the communities in need, while also thinking like the individual user.
(In order to participate, you must meet all eligibility criteria)
Judging criteria
Each submission will be scored based on the following criteria with a minimum score of 0 and maximum score of 20 points, with the final score being the average of the judges’ scores.
- Completeness and transferability (5 points)
- Effectiveness and efficiency (5 points)
- Design and usability (5 points)
- Creativity and innovation (5 points)
Prizes
$285,000 USD total prize pool amount
All winners will receive open source support from the Linux Foundation.
Grand Prize winner
$200,000 USD
Winning team will also receive solution implementation support from IBM and the Call for Code ecosystem.
1st runner-up – $25,000 USD
2nd runner-up – $25,000 USD
3rd runner-up – $10,000 USD
4th runner-up – $10,000 USD
University prize winner – $15,000 USD
Guaranteed acceptance to the CGI U 2023 class, including access to the full CGI U 2023 Annual Meeting.
Benefits of participation
Register for the global challenge to participate, and receive access to:
IBM Cloud
A trial IBM Cloud account for 2022 that provides access to many free services without a credit card, including the ability to create Kubernetes clusters
Challenge Accelerators
Challenge Accelerator events to fast-track your project and become eligible for additional prizes
Expert webinars
Live and on-demand thematic and technical sessions led by subject matter experts
Mentors and team resources
Mentors, team-building resources, and discussion with other participants
IBM SkillsBuild Learning Plan
An exclusive skills learning plan to learn about the latest cloud and other technologies, professional development skills, and sustainability resources
The Weather Company APIs
Exclusive The Weather Company APIs to use during the Global Challenge
Sponsored toolkits, APIs, and datasets
Toolkits, APIs, and data sets from Call for Code sponsors to use when building your solution
Challenge timeline
Tuesday | April 26th, 2022
Registration opens!
Thursday | May 12, 2022 – Global Challenge Kickoff
Competition and Global Challenge overview @ 12:00 PM (EDT)
Wednesday | May 25, 2022 – Challenge Accelerator Preview and Team Formation
Team formation/best practices overview @ 12:00 PM (EDT)
Challenge Accelerators
June 1 – 15, 2022 – Call for Code Equitable Access for Sustainability Challenge Accelerator
July 13 – 27, 2022– Call for Code Green Practices Challenge Accelerator
September 14 – 28, 2022 – Call for Code Protecting our Environment Challenge Accelerator
Submission deadline
Monday | October 31st, 2022 – Project submission deadline
@ 11:59 PM (PDT) (late submissions will not be accepted)
November 1 – 18, 2022 – Judging
November/December 2022 – Finalists announced
November/December 2022 – Winners announced