The Definitive Guide to Living in the Capital , Cairo , Egypt

Image via OceanLove

Supported by the United Nations Ocean Decade 2021-2030, 2024 marks the first OceanLove innovation award. OceanLove, a global non-profit initiative, is inviting all the innovative masterminds from around the world, individuals or teams of all ages and backgrounds, to apply for the anticipated OceanLove Innovation Award! Sharing ideas for new products, campaigns, or initiatives, OceanLove is on the lookout for the next leap towards conserving the ocean, seas, marine resources, and ecosystems. Starting January 8th, 2024, entrants can submit their ideas to the OceanLove website.

Endorsed by the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development and taking a stride towards the Sustainable Development Goal #14 of “the sustainable use of the ocean, seas and marine resources for sustainable development”, OceanLove’s founder Ilco Van der Linde explained, “all change begins with an idea. You don’t need money, higher education or a huge social network for a good idea, only the guts to share it with us”. 

Image via Ocean Decade

The competition will feature a  distinguished panel of judges, featuring global scientists and activists, including Professor Alexander Turra from the University of São Paulo, Laura Guimarães, Kim Portmess, Charlotte Hudson, Laura Khatib, Sian Owen, Maria Murcia, and Frances Camille Rivera. Their expertise spans oceanography, environmental research, policy, and NGO leadership, enhancing the judging process for an unspecified initiative or competition related to ocean sustainability and conservation. Ideas will be judged on originality, impact, reach, and feasibility. The top thirty ideas will undergo an online boot camp for refinement. The final top 10 winners will be invited to The Hague on June 19th, 2024, for an award ceremony, offering networking with investors. The best idea receives 10,000 Euros in seed money.

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OceanLove, officially launched in Egypt on World Ocean Day in June 2022 at KMT House, is an international non-profit led by freediver Raghda Ezzeldin. Supported by ambassadors like Olympian Farida Osman and actor Ramez Amir, it aims to promote ocean conservation. Notable figures, including freediver Nour Aboulela and activist Sara Ellaithy, contribute to the initiative’s mission.

The OceanLove Innovation Award, a collaboration between OceanLove volunteers and the ECHT community in the Netherlands, is supported by the UK-based Marine Biological Association and global partners like Afrilabs and Perempuan Indonesia Maju. Key contributors include donors such as the Fred Foundation, Stichting Nieuwe Waarde, and the OOF Foundation. This initiative aims to spotlight extraordinary ideas globally, annually mobilising participants and inspiring results. The OceanLove team envisions creating a healthier home for current and future generations through collective efforts and innovation.

Image via Mike Lewis/Ola Vista Photography

Watch the promo video on YouTube here. 

For more information about the OceanLove team and the board of the organising non-profit foundation, visit their website. For any other information or interviews, click here.