Ocean Impact Pitchfest – Call for Applications

OCEAN IMPACT PITCHFEST 2020 SEEKS INNOVATIONS MAKING A POSITIVE OCEAN IMPACT

WOC Works to Engage Ocean Solution Providers for Ocean Impact Pitchfest 2020

14 September 2020

The Ocean Impact Organisation (OIO) is searching for innovators to take part in The Ocean Impact Pitchfest 2020 and the World Ocean Council (WOC) is collaborating to help engage ocean entrepreneurs.

Applications close on 5 October 2020 for The Ocean Impact Pitchfest 2020 – a completely virtual event celebrating the 2020 U.N. World Oceans Day theme “Innovation for a Sustainable Ocean” and the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals.

Entrants must be working within one or more of the following ocean impact themes: Ocean Health (e.g. ecosystem protection and restoration, waste management and recycling); Ocean Harvesting (e.g. traditional fisheries and aquaculture, supply chain digitization); Transport & Security (e.g. alternative fuels and ship design, increased ports efficiency); Ocean Energy (e.g. harnessing renewable energy from the ocean to reduce reliance on fossil fuels); New Frontiers (e.g. large scale seaweed farming, ocean exploration); and Inspiration & Leisure (e.g. increasing ocean literacy, sustainable tourism).

Entrance requirements include:
• Impact: Entrants must be targeting, or achieving, significant positive impact on the ocean through their business model.
• Scaleability: Entrants must have the potential to grow rapidly to become a large company.
• Startup stage: Entrants are expected to have a refined business idea with some level of customer validation and annual turnover of less than US$5 million.
• Structure: Entry is not open to not-for-profits. Entrants must be pursuing a profit motive business model.

The finalists, runners up and winner of Pitchfest 2020 will share in over $160,000 of support from OIO and the Pitchfest Partner Network. The winner will receive a $15,000 cash prize from Presenting Partner Bank Australia and a $50,000 support package from OIO and the Pitchfest Partner Network.

For more information and to apply, click here. Applications close on 5 October 2020.

# Blue Economy by the Numbers # Total measurable marine industry output in Australia: AUD 68.1 billion Australia’s marine industry’s total employment: 393,000 FTE workers Source: AIMS Index of Marine Industry, 2018

Recent and Upcoming WOC Outreach and Engagement 17-19 September, Online Workshop Sustaining Ocean Observations Workshop, National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (Ocean industry observations input) 17 September, Online Seminar Impact Investing and Realizing the Potential of the Pacific Blue Economy, International Finance Corporation (Keynote Speaker) 23-24 September, Online Summit Shipping & the Blue Economy Virtual Forum (Speaker, Key Partner) 30 September, 10:00 BST, Webinar Breakbulk – The Digital Special: Growing a Sustainable Future (Speaker) 1-2 October, Online Conference Reuters Offshore and Floating Wind Europe (Speaker) 6-8 October, Rotterdam/Online Summit World Conference on Floating Solutions (Keynote Speaker, Partner) 14-16 October, Online Event CMA Shipping (Speaker, Supporting Organization) 15-16 October, Online Event Global Forum on Human Settlements 2020 (Speaker, Partner)

World Ocean Council (WOC) – The Global Blue Economy Business Organization The WOC is the international, cross-sectoral alliance for private sector leadership, collaboration and action on ocean sustainability, stewardship and science. Companies from a range of industries worldwide are distinguishing themselves as leaders in “Corporate Ocean Responsibility”, including: shipping, oil and gas, tourism, fisheries, aquaculture, mining, renewable energy, ocean technology and investment. WOC Members are listed here, a part of the WOC Network of 35,000+ ocean industry stakeholders around the world. The WOC is a registered not-for-profit organization in the US and France.

Contact email: info@oceancouncil.org Web: www.oceancouncil.org