EFL Innovation Challenge 2023��Intelligent and sustainable digital solutions to enhance communication and information in residential neighborhoods

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October 2022 | Joost Niewenhuizen | Roman Riebow | Oliver Falk-Becker

We propose to run an EFL Innovation Challenge in 2023

Based on our experiences in 2021 we would like to run an EFL Innovation Challenge in 2023

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• Participation and sponsorship open to all EFL-members
• startups and solution providers from all countries
• Identification of needs and solutions on international level�
• Strengthening the innovative power of EFL members and international cooperation with peers
• New ideas an impulses for all participants�
• Upgrading EFL member’s capabilities in tenant communication and sustainable neighborhoods
• Creating tangible projects and relevant input for EFL member’s climate- and energy-strategies

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OBJECTIVES 2023

EFL Innovation Challenge 2023

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• In 2021 first Gewobag Innovation Challenge on digital solutions for energy data management

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• New partners and solutions identified

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• Pilot projects with the winners initiated and running successfully

STARTING POINT 2022

The Innovation Challenge 2023 is run by EFL and organized by the Topic Group Digitalization (EDG)

Members of EFL can participate as sponsors and actively be part of the Jury

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Innovation Challenge 2023 �is run by EFL�

• Communication within the EFL community
• Location for the final event 2023

Project Team is provided by �the Topic Group Digitalization (EDG)�

• Each sponsor will nominate a member for the Project Team
• The Project Team coordinates and communicates applicants and Jury

Jury is composed from each sponsor and chaired by EFL�

• The Jury members discuss about solutions and share experience about innovations
• The Jury decides on the winners �at all stages

EFL members are invited to �become sponsors 

• Nomination of a decision maker for the Jury
• Specification of needs and requests supported by the project team
• International exchange & cooperation
• Commitment to a pilot project with winners

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EFL Innovation Challenge 2023

The topic takes into account the needs of the housing industry and pressing challenges of our time

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Intelligent and sustainable digital solutions �to enhance communication and information in residential neighborhoods; �specifically with a positive impact on sustainability, �energy- and resource consumption.

EFL Innovation Challenge 2023

The Innovation Challenge fulfils the formal�criteria of a European award and tendering procedure

Sponsors can commission independent pilots on base of a master agreement

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Selected winners

• Winners are bound as contractors in a master agreement�
• The master agreement contains an entry clause for sponsoring partners�
• Sponsors can independently commission their pilots with the winners�
• A contract clause allows sponsors �scaling beyond pilots

Master �agreement

Indivual �agreements

EFL Innovation Challenge 2023

Winners get the commitment to receive a binding order �for at least one pilot project

Any sponsor may agree with any participant on a pilot project 

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During the final event the Jury rates the solutions from the perspective of a binding order.� �According to one of the options the rating represents the intention to implement a pilot and leads to corresponding scoring - e.g.�

• 2 points for option A - small size pilot:  �EUR 10.000 – 25.000 
• 5 points for option B - medium size pilot:�EUR 25.000 – 100.000
• 10 points for option C - large size pilot: �EUR 100.000 – 200.000

As a result of the final ratings, the winners of the competition are determined and are included in the pool of contractors.��Each winner, in addition to the contract, gets a prize money of 5,000 EUR.�

Winners get the commitment to receive a binding order for at least one of the offers and from at least one of the sponsors.

EFL Innovation Challenge 2023

The first phase of the Innovation Challenge is required �for preparation and coordination

EFL members are informed and their requirements are coordinated and taken into account

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October 21, 2022

• Presentation and discussion at EFL Glasgow
• Interested EFL-members decide on sponsorship

Presentation

Announcement

February 1, 2022

• Publication of the challenge (Public Procurement Procedure)

Information

December 2022

• Information of the EFL board on status and progress
• Deadline for sponsors

November 17-18, 2022

• Kick-Off meeting of the Project Team during EDG Rotterdam
• Interested EFL-members may still join until December 31�

Workshop

January 2023

• Digital meeting of the project team
• Final agreement on topic, criteria and communication

Workshop

EFL Innovation Challenge 2023

November 4, 2022

• Online meeting with all interested EFL members
• Detailed explanation of Innovation Challenge
• Questions & Answers

Webinar

The second phase of the challenge will take place to during 2023,�to ensure comprehensive preparation

The execution phase lasts from March to September 2023

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Pilot Projects

Final Event

September 2023

• Live presentations of finalists during EDG Amsterdam
• Decision on winners
• Award ceremony

Application Phase

March 31, 2023

• Application deadline for participants
• Evaluation on admittance

August 31, 2023

• Deadline�2nd offer
• Evaluation on admittance to final event

Preparation Phase

Workshop

May 2023

• Project team meeting during EDG Paris

June 30, 2023

• Deadline 1st offer & decision for admittance to the final round

Offer Phase

EFL Innovation Challenge 2023

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EFL Innovation Challenge 2023

The EDG meeting November 16-18 in Rotterdam will be hosted by Drees & Sommer – register now!  

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Get in touch with us now!

EFL Innovation Challenge 2023

Please join us for the webinar on November 4

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BACKUP

EFL Innovation Challenge 2023

The Innovation Challenge is a powerful instrument �for accelerating innovation in the housing industry

General Objectives

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Expansion and improvement of cooperation �between the housing industry and start-ups

Identification of relevant innovations and suitable partners for the housing industry

Strengthening the innovative power of �housing companies

Creating financial benefits for the �housing industry

Positioning of the housing industry as an attractive partner within the start-up community

EFL Innovation Challenge 2023

The Innovation Challenge is open for participation of all start-ups and solution providers

The participants present themselves and their solutions in stages and in tiered offers

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• Participants present their solutions at �the live event�
• The Jury will do its �final rating�
• Sponsors decides on individual pilot projects

1 �COMPANY �QUALIFYING

3 �FINAL �RATING

2�SOLUTION�ASSESMENT

• Participants submit solutions�
• Project Team evaluates suitability of solutions on agreed criteria�
• Jury takes final decision on admittance to �final event

• Participants submit company profiles�
• Jury decides on criteria for participation (proposal by Project Team)�
• Project Team will check suitability of companies

EFL Innovation Challenge 2023

The participants present their solutions in tiered offers

Tiered offers allow to place orders according to demand volume

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Participants present their offerings in three tiered offers. Sponsors are enabled to choose size of individual pilot projects:�

• Option A - small size pilot:      EUR 10.000 – 25.000
• Option B - medium size pilot: EUR 25.000 – 100.000
• Option C - large size pilot:      EUR 100.000 - 200.000

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Options can differ in scope and sizing, e.g. through�

• Duration of operation (term)
• Number of users or transactions
• Number of units (neighbourhoods, buildings, dwellings)
• …

Jury will rate the presented solutions �on base of predefined and jointly decided criteria – e.g.

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• benefit for stakeholders (clients, employees)
• presentation of feasibility
• presentation of economic efficiency
• fit to company strategy
• degree of innovation

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Each criteria can be rated with 0, 1 or 2 points and will add to the total ranking.

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EFL Innovation Challenge 2023

sponsors and winners of the competition will have �the possibility to implement pilots

Pilots are agreed independently from other sponsors and after completion of the competition

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• After the execution of the competition each company has the possibility to implement independent pilots with the contracted winners.

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• The details of the requirements and individual conditions are agreed directly and independently between the co-sponsors and the contracted winners.

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• In addition, the master agreement also provides a basis for subsequent scaling.

EFL Innovation Challenge 2023