COOPAthons

British Council Cyprus, in collaboration with CARDET and YOUTHShare invites you to take part in the COOPAthons, hackathon-style competitions where people work in teams to develop exciting social business ideas, with a thematic focus on the UN Sustainable Development Goals (https://sdgs.un.org/goals). These intense, idea-generating virtual events are part of the COOPower project, which is all about encouraging young people to consider a career in the social economy sector. COOPower is co-funded by the European Union.

So be prepared to develop and pitch your ideas and solutions across a range of exciting challenges. We are looking for ideas that address the following topics:

  • Climate change (green house emissions, deforestation, desertification, resilience to the effects of climate change)
  • Protection of natural and cultural heritage and environment (cultural, green tourism)
  • Poverty
  • Education
  • Gender Equality
  • Unsustainable consumption and production practices (food waste, fast fashion, reduction of single use plastics)
  • Decent work conditions and just economic growth
  • Inclusivity (in the workplace, in our infrastructures, in products, in digital or face to face learning environments)
  • Peace and collaboration between the different communities of Cyprus
  • Physical and mental health during Covid-19

 Your idea can be linked to one or a combination of the above topics. The list is not exhaustive. These are some suggestions, we are happy to hear yours!

 Each team’s business proposal will be judged by an expert panel, so get ready for lively and fast-paced COOPAthons in Cyprus!

How will I benefit by taking part in a COOPAthon?

We need your innovative ideas to address today’s global challenges, and the COOPAthons are a great opportunity to creatively work with other young people on finding the right solutions as well as the chance to bring something back for your own community. These events give you the opportunity to connect with like-minded individuals, meet people from the sector and get practical support on developing your idea into reality.

COOPAthons will take place on the following periods and addressing the following themes:

COOPAthon no. 1: 19-21 March 2021

  • SDG 5 Gender Equality
  • SDG 12 Responsible Consumption and Production
  • SDG 13 Climate Action

COOPAthon no. 2: 16-18 April 2021

  • SDG 1 No Poverty
  • SDG 3 Good Health and Well Being
  • SDG 4 Quality Education
  • SDG 5 Gender Equality
  • SDG 8 Decent Work and Economic Growth
  • SDG 10 Reduced Inequalities
  • SDG 11 Sustainable Cities and Communities
  • SDG 16 Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

Country Final: 22 May 2021

You can join only one of the two COOPAthons. Each COOPAthon will have three winning teams that will then move to a Country Final. The winning teams of each COOPAthon will benefit from extra mentoring sessions in order to finalise their idea for presentation before the jury of the Country Final.

Indicative schedule of the event

Day 1: 16:00-20:00 EET

Day 2: 10:00-20:00 EET

Day 3: 10:00-17:00 EET

The COOPAthons will be in English.

Prize

Prizes are subject to Covid-19 measures.

The Country Final winning team will get the following:

  • A paid trip to the UK to participate in a study visit to meet people from the social enterprise industry. (subject to Covid-19 measures)
  • Vouchers worth of 3,000 EUR that can be used for purchases according to the needs of the winning team.
  • Extra mentoring to further support the development of the winning idea.
  • Support with creating a logo and a website.

To find out more about Eligibility criteria visit British Council’s website

Contact us for more information.