M2Work Competition for Microwork

Microwork follows a simple concept: numerous people around the world are earning money by completing small digital tasks. Microwork has vast potential to create hundreds of thousands of jobs in developing countries, where the key is mobile technology. Currently, microworkers need access to computers, which are expensive and require infrastructure. But if they could work on their mobile phones, considering the approximately 5 billion phones in developing countries, this could have an enormous job creation potential in the developing world.

m2Work is your chance to shape the future of microwork and to make a difference for thousands of microworkers in the developing world. Your mobile microwork application can be the key to provide them with a job and additional income. This is why we want you to submit an idea that is marketable and can have an impact on people’s lives. Your idea needs to concern an existing problem or need that can be addressed by microwork. (For more information, click on the following link: m2Work Background.)

IdeasProjects hosts m2Work for infoDev. Once you click on the “Create an Idea” icon, you will be able to start the submission process. The deadline for submission is April 2. You can refer to the IdeasProject FAQ and contact options for questions about the process or if you have technical difficulties.

There will be a total of US$ 40,000 in prize money, with an individual 1st prize of US$ 20,000. The m2Work jury will also award spot prizes and regional cash prizes. The six finalists, from whom the main prize winner will be selected, will be announced on April 25.

m2Work is a worldwide challenge and a joint project of infoDev and Nokia’s Ideas Project. infoDev is a global partnership program in the World Bank, focusing on technology entrepreneurship and job creation. m2Work wants to fuel the race for the best ideas and to spark a goal-oriented, global discussion on mobile microwork. infoDev will also guide the best mobile innovators to market to execute their vision for a mobile application start-up.