Ericsson Innovation Awards 2021: Competition Guide

Innovations come in all sizes, from a simple change in code that redefines the networks of the future
to a complex technological solution that advances global humanitarian efforts.

We’re looking for your inspired technology solutions that could help solve today’s major challenges.

Now is the time to develop your idea and give it the best chance of having an impact by entering the
Ericsson Innovation Awards (EIA).

How to participate
To enter the awards, you must register with a complete entry by August 17, 2021, 6am (CEST).

A 'complete entry' means all required questions are answered and you have registered up to four total
team members, all of whom are currently enrolled students pursuing a university degree. To qualify,
each team member must be pursuing a higher vocational or academic degree (undergraduate,
graduate, or doctorate), and graduating on or after the end date of the Semi-finalist period
(September 13, 2021).

We strongly encourage you to embrace diversity and inclusiveness by bringing team members from
different disciplines, cultures, life experience and skill sets. We’ve found that diverse teams often
produce the most inspired ideas.

Entries are allocated into seven regions, depending on where your university is based.

By registering with a complete submission, you will automatically be entered to compete in the
regional competition and will be eligible to be considered for the Global Semi-finals.

Competition Phases
STAGE 0: Pre-submission – Early May 2021 to July 12, 2021

This is a unique opportunity to refine your idea. Anyone who submits a completed entry before July
12, 2021 will have the option to receive a round of feedback from Ericsson mentors, which can be
used to fine-tune your final entry.

In addition, the first seven teams in each region to submit a complete entry will be offered a more
comprehensive two-hour session with a group of mentors, who will provide advice on how to improve
your final submission.
You can then update and resubmit your application, should you wish to, using a special link provided
to you for this purpose.

If you take advantage of this opportunity, you still need to ensure you submit your amended entry
ahead of the competition entry deadline of August 17, 2021.

ENTRY DEADLINE: August 17, 2021

Whether you participated in the Pre-submission phase or not, all completed entries must be
submitted online by August 17, 2021.

STAGE 1: Semi-finalist Selection - September 13, 2021

A total of 14 Semi-finalists will be selected – consisting of seven Regional Winners and seven
additional high-scoring teams.

All submissions will automatically be sorted into regional competitions, based on the region where
your university is located. Qualifying submissions will be assessed and scored by a panel of four
Ericsson judges allocated to that region.

Entries will be scored by the judges to determine the Regional Winners and the other seven Semi-
finalists.

There will be one Regional Winner in each of the seven regions and each of these will automatically
become a Semi-finalist.

Regions include:

(1) North America

(2) Latin America

(3) India

(4) Middle East & Africa

(5) Northeast Asia

(6) Southeast Asia & Oceania

(7) Europe and the Mediterranean

To view a list of regional competitions by country, please click here.

All remaining entries will be assessed as one group, rather than regional, and from this selection,
seven more teams will move to the Semi-finals phase. Note that these teams will not be eligible for
the Regional Winner cash prize.

On September 13, 2021, the Semi-finalist phase will conclude with the announcement of the seven
Regional Winners and the seven additional Semi-finalists, all of whom will move into the next stage.

All participating teams will be notified of your standing – whether you have finished as a Regional
Winner, Global Semi-finalist or not moving forward.

All Semi-finalists will be allocated Ericsson mentors to help you develop your ideas.

STAGE 2: Semi-Finalists' Business Case Development - September 14, 2021 to November 4, 2021

The 14 Semi-finalists will receive five weeks of mentorship from a group of Ericsson mentors. Experts
in innovation and business, the mentors will help your team further develop the idea.

With the mentor’s support, Semi-finalists will then submit a new set of deliverables, which will
represent a more advanced version of your original idea.

Semi-finalists will be scored by an expert Ericsson Global Jury, comprised of specialists in both
innovation and the competition theme.

Phase 2 will conclude with the 14 Semi-finalists submitting the deliverables by the deadline of
Thursday, 4 November.

STAGE 3: Finalists Announced and Pitch Prep – November 15, 2021 to December 13, 2021

The three Finalist teams will be announced on November 15, 2021.

The Finalists will receive another four weeks of mentorship to prepare for your final pitch.

All Semi-finalist teams will be notified of your standing – whether you have been selected as one of
three Finalists, or whether you won’t be moving forward.

STAGE 4: Grand Final – December 2021

The three Finalists will pitch your idea to a Grand Jury of experts. This panel will consist of judges
from Ericsson and external specialists, all of whom are chosen for their expertise in innovation or the
competition theme.
The teams will be judged based on a final written submission and a live presentation to the Grand
Jury.

The EIA winner will be announced at the Grand Final Ceremony. The location and date of the 2021
Grand Final Ceremony will be announced soon.

Prizes and incentives

Semi-finalists

Each of the seven Regional Winners will receive:

 €1,000 cash prize

 in some cases, additional special recognition and prizes offered within your respective regions

All 14 Semi-finalists – including the seven Regional Winners - will receive:

 seven weeks of mentorship from Ericsson experts in innovation and business

 recognition on Ericsson social and digital media
 the possibility of Ericsson recruiter interviews (if any suitable positions are available at the
time)
 certificate of achievement

Finalists

All three Finalist teams will receive:

 an invitation to the Ericsson Innovation Awards Grand Final

 an additional four weeks of mentorship
 recognition across Ericsson social media and digital channels
 cash prizes, as outlined below (with the Swedish taxes paid by Ericsson)

Grand Prize Winner: €25,000

2nd Place: €15,000

3rd Place: €5,000

Bonus: Social Media Prize: €2,000

All three Finalists will have your entries uploaded onto the Instagram page of @ericssoncareers, and
for the 24 hours before the Grand Final, anyone can vote on this page. The team who receives the
most votes will win an additional €2,000.