Selection criteria

Formal criteria

The formal criteria are checked by the Prototype Fund team before your project is evaluated by the jury:

• Does the project serve the public good and address a societal problem in Switzerland?
• Does the project propose an open source solution?
• If the project uses data, is it based on open data?
• Do the applicants fulfill the formal criteria (Swiss work permit & above 18 years old)?

Selection criteria

Given that the formal criteria are fulfilled, your project will be rated according four dimensions which carry equal weight in the final decision:

1. Societal impact of the project – What added value does your project generate for society in Switzerland?
2. Innovation – How new and exciting is your idea? Does the project improve existing solutions by making them more effective?
3. Realisability and Team – 
   • Does the project team have the necessary skills to implement the idea?
   • Can the idea be realised within 6 months?
4. Sustainability – Do the project and the project team have the potential and a plan to last beyond the project period?

Diversity of projects and project teams

The jury will also check that the final selection of projects fulfils the following criteria:

1. Diversity of projects: Does the final selection cover a diverse set of projects? 
2. Diversity of teams: When we decide between projects of comparable quality, we favour interdisciplinary teams with individuals from under-represented groups.
3. Moonshot character: Does the final selection of projects include one project with a particularly difficult implementation but an especially high potential impact?