CFAs: Sustainable Cities Challenge – Detroit

Priorities

• Solutions should address one or more of the following:
  • Reduce idling time
  • Reduce partial loads and empty miles
  • Reduce reliance on fossil fuel for cold chain logistics and freight management
  • Reduce implementation costs and barriers to adopting clean freight technologies

Funding Information

• They will support innovators in developing their solutions by providing:
  • Up to ten $50,000 implementation grants in the semi-finalist stage
  • Up to five $130,000 implementation grants in the finalist stage
  • $1.5 million final implementation funding, to be shared among up to 3 winners
  • Connections to businesses in Eastern Market to understand their operations
  • Facilitation to engage directly with city leaders
  • Capacity building support
  • Access to a network of like-minded innovators
• All funding must be used by teams to develop, test and demonstrate their solutions for Detroit’s Eastern Market, with the final funding to be used for implementation in Eastern Market.

Eligibility Criteria

• Entries that do not meet the following criteria are not eligible for the Challenge.
  • T​​he solution must be tailored specifically for Detroit and implemented within the city.
  • Entrants can be single organizations or consortia.
  • Teams that enter as a consortium must nominate one organization as the lead entrant. The lead entrant will enter into contracts and receive funding from the Toyota Mobility Foundation.
  • Entrants must be established as a legally incorporated organization to enter.
  • The challenge is open to innovators worldwide but entries must be in English.
  • Successful entrants must be willing and able to travel to Detroit as there will be expectations for on-the-ground presence during the next stage of the Challenge.

Judging Criteria

• The following judging criteria will be used to evaluate the suitability of an entry for the Challenge and its potential for impact.
  • Reduction of Fossil Fuel Use
    • Evaluates the potential impact of proposed solutions on decreasing fossil fuel use, thereby contributing to reducing emissions, air and noise pollution in Eastern Market.
  • Innovation in Eastern Market Freight
    • Assesses the degree of improvement and novelty offered by proposed technologies compared to current practices in Eastern Market. It also considers how these solutions stand out in the broader landscape of emerging and sustainable freight innovations.
  • Adoption Potential by Businesses
    • Focuses on the ​entrant​​​s’ understanding of user circumstances, needs, and expectations and how these were addressed to improve the adoption potential of the solution by businesses in ​​Eastern Market.
  • Technology Maturity
    • Evaluates the state of planning, development and testing at each stage of the technological roadmap, including co-design with users, off-site testing, and on-site demonstration in ​​Eastern Market.
  • Potential to Scale
    • Assesses the solution’s potential for achieving long-term market viability after the conclusion of the Challenge. It may include expanding to new customers (or use cases) within ​Eastern Market and beyond.
  • Capability to Deliver
    • Evaluates the team’s understanding of the skills and partnerships necessary to deliver the project and how well they fulfil these requirements.

For more information, visit Toyota Mobility Foundation.