The IBM Sustainability Accelerator Water Cohort 2023 is now accepting applications. The IBM Sustainability Accelerator will enhance the availability and long-term management of water and sanitation through this new water cohort. IBM believes that the power of science, technology, and innovation can help communities solve socioeconomic demands while addressing environmental challenges.
Climate-related catastrophes and natural hazards, according to the World Bank, force 26 million people into poverty each year, placing these populations in need of access to technical, financial, and institutional resources to be more resilient in reacting to climate change. IBM wants to develop a means to scale and accelerate solutions for supporting disadvantaged populations most exposed to environmental concerns by bringing together expertise and technology.
IBM believes that when used with purpose, technology has the ability to improve lives. That’s why they’ve developed this initiative to have a larger, long-term, sustainable social effect by harnessing the power of science and technology like hybrid cloud and AI.
Examples could include:
- AI foundation models and geospatial analytics to discover new insights
- AI for improved condition forecasting
- Asset management for customer/user support
- Cloud-based data security
- Internet of Things (IoT) solutions for operational and situational awareness
- Weather and climate forecasting to predict impacts on natural and built infrastructure
Benefits:
- Throughout the experience, IBM provides organizations with credits for IBM Cloud and IBM Environmental Intelligence Suite Data APIs as well as technical mentorship to advance the initiative of focus within the Accelerator.
Eligibility:
- The IBM Sustainability Accelerator is open to organizations globally.
- Submissions are welcome from nonprofit and government organizations.
Selection Process:
IBM will select about five organizations each year – forming a cohort – to focus efforts on addressing a specific sustainability issue area. The selection process includes RFPs that will be public and open to proposals from any nonprofit or government organization (which are then reviewed through standard IBM Trust and Compliance processes). The organizations in the first IBM Sustainability Accelerator cohort were selected based on proposals solicited through an invitation-only pilot RFP that was shared with organizations already in IBM’s network and/or that of their partners.
Application:
IBM is accepting proposals for the next Accelerator cohort now through May 31. The Accelerator will support each selected organization for up to two years.
