The "empowering people. Award 2015" Extends Deadline for Entries

MUNICH, GERMANY--(Marketwired - Nov 23, 2015) - The competition by Siemens Stiftung focuses on identifying appropriate technologies to help people in developing regions access their basic needs. Now the contest will remain open until January 15, 2016 to provide even more inventors and start-ups with the opportunity to submit their innovations.

"In all eight categories -- from energy generation to housing projects -- we are searching for innovative technologies which can be implemented within well-grounded social entrepreneurship models. We see tremendous knowledge and promising solutions in every part of the world. This expertise and those creative ideas need to be locally and internationally connected, empowered, shared and replicated," states Rolf Huber, Managing Director of the Siemens Stiftung.

Winners will be honored at the Award Ceremony in Fall 2016. The event will offer them a first opportunity to network with fellow innovators, key players in the "empowering people. Network" and investors. They will also become members of the Network, which was launched in 2013 as an offspring of the first competition and provides online and offline trainings, workshops and expert advice. This international community of change-makers values the platform provided by Siemens Stiftung: "By joining together resources on one central platform and enabling dialogue between peers and different interest groups working for the same cause, the foundation provides new opportunities. My organization has found the initial connecting point for a new exciting cooperation with another member from the Philippines within this Network," commented Gregor Schaepers from Mexico, one of the winners of the first Award.

An individual evaluation of each entry by experts in the field, an invitation to all promising entrants to join the worldwide "empowering people. Network" plus attractive prize money are just a few reasons to enter the competition. The Siemens Stiftung will be awarding a sum of EUR50,000 to the overall prize winner. The second prize is valued at EUR30,000, the third at EUR20,000 and a further EUR5,000 will be awarded to 20 runners up. A Community Prize chosen by the international empowering people network offers hardware to the value of EUR3,000.

Entries are being accepted in the following categories: Water & Waste Water, Energy, Food & Agriculture, Waste Management, Healthcare, Sheltering, Information & Communication and Education. The renowned expert team of jurors examining the entries will focus on the technical feasibility of the products and solutions as well as on the practical sustainability and the social entrepreneurship model of the submission. All intellectual properties will remain with the inventor or team.

Entries to the competition should be made online by January 15^th, 2016, 12pm EST.

Further information on www.empowering-people-network.org

"empowering people. Network" on Facebook and Twitter.

Official hashtag: #epA2015

About the Siemens Stiftung

Siemens Stiftung operates in the fields of basic services, education, and culture. As a hands-on foundation, we develop our own projects and implement them with a view to the long term. Together with our partners, we aim to help people improve their living conditions. By doing so, we try to empower functioning communities in which people can have a good life. We are committed to international, impact-oriented, and transparent project work. The geographical focus of our work is on regions in Africa and Latin America as well as Germany and other European countries.

Website of Siemens Stiftung: www.siemens-stiftung.org