Booz Allen Foundation Awards $1M in Innovation Fund Grants to Support COVID-19 Solutions
Summary
Established to support the development of creative solutions that address the wide-ranging impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Booz Allen Foundation Innovation Fund was open to individuals, nonprofit organizations and eligible small businesses to apply from April 30 to June 5, 2020. “Our diverse set of winning teams displayed creativity, innovative thought and best-in-class ability to create impact for our most vulnerable populations affected by the pandemic,” said John M. Murdock, President and co-founding board member of the Booz Allen Foundation. In addition to grant funding, award recipients also have access to ongoing support provided by Booz Allen Foundation partners, including: priority review for potential pro bono services for the nonprofit winners from Booz Allen Hamilton Inc., such as strategic planning, data science and analytics, cybersecurity, financial modeling, war gaming simulations and more; a virtual Seed Spot Boot Camp that includes business-building workshops, coaching and mentorship; and a complimentary copy of “IMPACT: Reshaping capitalism to drive real change” by Sir Ronald Cohen. SciK9’s device allows safe training of canines without exposure to potentially harmful samples, aiming to demonstrate dogs’ ability to detect unique odors from humans infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Our human-centered designs improved the face shield product, but to build lasting community resilience we are aiming to meet growing demand by helping health systems procure high-quality alternative personal protective equipment in a way that supports local business.