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NO CAR, NO JOB.
NO JOB, NO CAR.

Can you solve The Transportation Paradox?

$1 Million

In Support Available.

The Fund for Our Economic Future, the National Fund for Workforce Solutions, Greater Cleveland Partnership, The Lozick Family Foundation, and DriveOhio are seeking to invest in big ideas to improve the mobility of Northeast Ohioans stranded economically by their geography. Your idea will help residents connect to tens of thousands of open positions with paths to family-sustaining wages.

The Paradox Prize is about solving chicken-or-the-egg-type challenges to transform lives and Northeast Ohio’s economy.

How we got here is

why they can’t
get there

For decades, industrial, commercial and residential development has migrated outward, but there has been no net increase in jobs or population to substantiate the regional spread. The result: Jobs are farther and farther away from where people live, which creates a disconnect between people and the economy. This disconnect has real costs: People spend more time and money commuting, if they can get to a job at all; businesses struggle to fill open positions; municipalities spend on infrastructure to support new development while having to maintain the underutilized assets left behind; and our environment suffers as air quality declines due to long, car-based commutes. Ultimately, our regional economy loses its competitive edge.

“My car broke down and I had to choose between walking to work or to my daughter’s daycare. I chose daycare and lost my job.”

Jess

Single Father, Works 2 Jobs

“We may be missing out on top talent simply because individuals without access to transportation won’t apply for positions outside their immediate area.”

Ina

HR Exec at Fortune 500 Company

Note: These stories are fictional but based on interviews with actual Northeast Ohio workers and employers.

Incentivizing
Breakthroughs

Transforming lives and Northeast Ohio’s economy

The mission of this inaugural challenge is to inspire innovations through an open call for ideas aimed at generating sustainable solutions that will eradicate the ‘no car, no job; no job, no car’ paradox in Northeast Ohio.

How does it work?

Anyone with a good idea can apply. We’ll grant funding (awards will range from $20,000 to $100,000, depending on the needs and potential impact of each project) as well as technical assistance to help further develop early-stage concepts. We will be reviewing applications through a series of deadlines and will award funding or technical assistance in rounds until funding is exhausted. We expect to do three rounds in 2019. (See the timeline for more details.)

If your idea is not yet ready for implementation, we’re here to work with you. Please refer to the timeline below for opportunities to meet with Fund for Our Economic Future staff and to discuss your proposal and connect with potential partners.

Experiencing a transportation challenge and don’t know quite what to do? Let’s talk! We can connect you with others who may be in a similar situation, explore potential partners to work with, and help shape ideas that may be considered for technical assistance or funding in a future round. Email us at [email protected].

Ready to submit? Enter The Paradox Prize here. You will be asked for a 300-word summary of the transportation challenge you’re trying to address, a proposed solution, and potential partners you’ll work with in the process. Those with the most promising ideas will be selected as finalists and be asked to present a business plan before our Advisory Committee that meets the following criteria.

How to win

Winning solutions must be:

Connected to jobs We are seeking to improve the mobility of Northeast Ohio’s workforce. The goal is more people accessing or keeping good jobs.
Connected to the local place The Transportation Paradox is an urban, suburban and rural challenge. Solutions should make sense in the context of the local place (e.g., density, existing assets); those that work in urban environments may be different from ones that work in rural environments.
Simple, practical and easy to use Winning solutions will be user-friendly, i.e., easy to access and manage.
Affordable for users and
financially sustainable beyond
the pilot Winning solutions will be financially accessible for users. Partners in the pilot will demonstrate commitment to its success and have a clear idea of potential paths to financial sustainability.
Measurable and demonstrate
impact for low-income
communities and people of color We know those most affected by The Transportation Paradox are living in communities of economic distress and are disproportionately people of color. Winning solutions will disproportionately benefit these communities.
Considerate and respectful Winning solutions will demonstrate a deep understanding of the issue and the people and businesses affected by it.
a Additionally, we will prioritize proposals that:
Complement existing
infrastructure and transit We’re not looking to recreate the wheel. Innovation can be about using existing assets and services in new ways to increase efficiency and effectiveness.
Are spreadable, scalable or
replicable Pilots may demonstrate potential to increase mobility options across the region, state and beyond.