In its second civic innovation pitch competition, the Cleveland Leadership Center is hosting Accelerate 2016: Citizens Make Change, which gives anyone with an idea for civic improvements in Cleveland the chance to win $5,000 in prize money.

While the actual completion isn’t until February 24 at the Global Center for Health Innovation, the deadline for applications to pitch the next great idea for enhancing and accelerating Northeast Ohio’s momentum is this Friday, Dec. 18.

The competition, which is open to all individuals with an idea focused on a community issue that needs attention. The ideas can be either “one-and-done” projects or sustainable, ongoing efforts. The idea for a civic pitch competition came about last year when Cleveland Leadership officials were looking for a way to allow individuals, as opposed to organizations, a way to share their visions for a better city.

"There are so many individuals with great ideas,” says Marianne Crosley, president and CEO of the Cleveland Leadership Center. “They just may not know how to advance their concepts.”

Citizens Bank is sponsoring this year’s competition. Joe DiRocco, president of the bank’s Ohio division and Cleveland Leadership board member, says they are proud to support the center’s efforts in developing civic leaders. “People are at the heart of the community and Accelerate provides an opportunity for every individual to share and act on a personal vision to change our region,” he says.

The competition is broken into five categories: quality of life – initiatives that impact life experiences, including health, recreation and social services; economic development – initiatives that address poverty and economic self-sufficiency, or stimulate economic growth; educating for tomorrow – initiatives that advance access to educational development; community change – Initiatives that make a meaningful change in people’s lives and neighborhoods; and transformative arts and culture – Initiatives that use arts and culture to transform people and places.

Twenty five applications will be selected based on three criteria: Potential for community impact and advancing NE Ohio; how unique, creative and innovative the initiative is; and a realistic implementation plan than would be aided by the prize money.

Five semi-finalists will be chosen in each of the five categories. On the day of the event in February, those semi-finalists will attend breakout sessions for their categories, where they will make their pitches and get feedback and advice from community leaders.

One individual will then be chosen from each category to go on to make pitches in front of the entire audience. Of the final five innovators, one person will receive the grand prize of $5,000 and the opportunity to work with a mentor to develop the idea. The other four finalists will each receive $2,000.

“While winners in each of the five pitch categories will be named at the February 24 event, the real winners are the citizens of Northeast Ohio,” says DiRocco.

Last year’s event drew 64 pitch submissions and more than 500 people to the event. Matt Fieldman, founder of Cleveland Codes, took the grand prize at last year’s Accelerate.

Although applications are due this week, Crosley encourages people to apply. “Anybody who has got an idea, it won’t take that long to register your idea,” she says. “There’s so much energy that night and such a sense of optimism about our future.”