What is artisanal and small-scale gold mining?

The Minamata Convention on Mercury defines artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) as gold mining conducted by individual miners or small enterprises with limited capital investment and production. ASGM generally refers to gold mining operations with predominantly simplified forms of exploration, extraction, processing, and transportation. These operations are often labor intensive, low-tech, receive limited investment, and require less expertise than medium and large-scale mining operations. Depending on the geographic location and policies, ASGM operations can be formal or informal, legal or illegal.

What is a Grand Challenge?

Grand Challenges are open innovation competitions that elicit multiple, different solutions from a range of diverse innovators. They are meant to facilitate the participation of anyone looking to apply their talents and passion to solving a difficult problem. USAID employs Grand Challenges for Development to “mobilize governments, companies, and foundations around important issues. Through these programs, USAID and public and private partners bring in new voices to solve development problems. They source new solutions, test new ideas, and scale what works.”

What is considered an innovation?

Most broadly, an innovation is any solution that is designed for a specific problem and has the potential to achieve impact. For the purposes of this competition, an innovation is a process, tool, approach, and/or a digital solution that has a functional prototype or proof of concept ready to be piloted by the closing of the application deadline.

The Handbook refers to a call for ‘solutions’ in some places but in other places ‘innovations;’ what is the difference?

We use the word solution and innovation interchangeably.

Who is funding this and why?

The Artisanal Mining Grand Challenge: the Amazon is funded through a Global Development Alliance with the generous support of The Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, Microsoft, ESRI, and people of the United States of America through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). Members of the Alliance seek to support the development and implementation of solutions that make ASGM more environmentally and socially responsible while respecting livelihoods and economic needs of individuals and communities.

Who can apply?

Any organization with an innovation in the proof of concept or prototype stage that can help make artisanal and small-scale gold mining in the Amazon more environmentally responsible and socially equitable. Organizations from around the world with the exception of those based in the Crimea – Region of Ukraine, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Syria, or where otherwise prohibited by US law – welcome to apply.

What is meant by a ‘global call for applications for the Amazon’? Do applicants need to be from countries in the Amazon? May I apply my innovation anywhere in the Amazon?

Applications are welcome from anywhere in the world (with the exceptions outlined in the previous questions), but innovations must be ready to be field-tested in one of the following five countries: Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru, and/or Suriname -- ideally in a department where there is Amazonian rainforest or a similar environment or location where it could show potential to be applied in the Amazonian rainforest.

Is my innovation appropriate for the Challenge?

Please read the innovator handbook and subchallenges closely to best determine if your solution is appropriate for the challenge. If you have any doubt about your innovation’s appropriateness, please reach out to the Conservation X Labs’ team for clarification at amazon@conservationxlabs.org.

May I apply to more than one sub-challenge?

Yes, as long as your innovation helps improve the environmental and social outcomes of ASGM in the Amazon region, it is eligible. The sub-challenges are provided as inspiration, some innovations may fall in more than one sub-challenge, and applicants have the possibility of selecting more than one sub-challenge in the application.

Are individuals eligible to apply?

At this time, individuals are not eligible to apply; you must be affiliated with an organization to apply.

What if I am an individual with a great idea but don’t have an organizational affiliation?

We recommend you reach out to Conservation X Labs at amazon@conservationxlabs.org. Conservation X Labs may be able to help connect you with a partner organization willing to work with you on your submission.

What if I applied to the previous round of the Artisanal Mining Grand Challenge, am I eligible for the Amazon Challenge?

Any organization that meets the eligibility requirements as defined in the Innovator Handbook and did not receive a cash prize in the 2019-2020 Artisanal Mining Grand Challenge is welcome and eligible to apply to the Amazon Challenge. This includes any finalists or semi-finalists who did not win cash prizes.

What happens to my intellectual property if I apply to this competition?

From the Challenge Terms and Conditions: “Applicants will retain all right, title and other ownership interests in Applicant Inventions and Applicant Copyrighted Works. Applicant will also retain all right, title and other ownership interests in Applicant’s submission and in all inventions, patents, patent applications, designs, copyrights, trademarks, trade secrets, software, source code, object code, processes, formulae, ideas, methods, know-how, techniques, devices, creative works, works of authorship, publications, and/or other intellectual property not included in the definition of Applicant Technology (“Intellectual Property”) developed by Applicant during the Challenge; subject to the media rights granted by the Applicant to CXL pursuant to the Media Rights Agreement section incorporated into this Agreement. See also a full definition of Inventorship in the Terms and Conditions.”

Is my intellectual property protected?

Judges and Reviewers will sign non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) to protect the applicants in this competition. They will also be asked to declare any known Conflicts of Interest (COI). CXL takes your privacy seriously and respects your intellectual property; we implement reasonable security and confidentiality protocols to protect the personal identities, data, and intellectual property of applicants.