The winner of the £10,000 Families Included Prize has been selected. Join us at the Award Event on 8th February in Chelmsford to find out who it is, contact us to register!

To RSVP to the Award Event (8th February 2017, Chelmsford) email [email protected].

Yesterday the panel of 10 judges gathered in Chelmsford, Essex to decide which finalist would be awarded £10,000 prize to further develop their project. The judges used finalists’ business plans and presentations to make the tough decision – which finalist best tackled the gauntlet thrown down by the Prize.

Since 2015, Nesta has been supporting Essex County Council to pilot the use of challenges prizes. Working with the Essex team to design and deliver Essex’s first challenge prize – the Families Included Prize. The Prize looked for great ideas, projects and solutions from Essex that involved local families with young children (0-5 years) in live enriching opportunities. Ideas could relate to any aspect of life including personal, professional and social experiences.

By July 2016, the Prize received 50 great ideas from Essex. The judging panel shortlisted 10 finalists in August 2017 who then spent four months developing their idea, testing it with local families and writing up their business cases. See finalists’ blogs to find out more about their journey.

At the start of the year, finalist teams sent their business cases, outlining how their project met the Prize’s judging criteria. At the subsequent judging panel they had the opportunity to present to the judges and answer their questions. Every presentation was engaging and the judges were impressed by the journey the finalists have gone through in such a short period in time.

It was amazing to see all the passion coming from finalists, many of whom, experienced social isolation first hand.

The Award Event will be held in Chelmsford, 4 pm – 7pm. It will be a great opportunity to meet all the finalists and see what community innovation looks like in Essex. The day will kick off with marketplace where finalists will have stalls for their ideas. Then, the official announcement of the winner will be made following drinks reception in the evening. If you would like to attend, email [email protected].The afternoon saw a lively discussion to decide who will be awarded with the prize of £10,000. It was encouraging to see how the finalists had used the available support to take their ideas to the next level. It has been a great experience to support the Essex County Council in delivering the Families Included Prize and we’re now looking forward to the official announcement of the winner at the Award Event on  8th February 2017!