PFF_RETHINK_SUPPLY_CHAINSWe are pleased to announce the launch of Rethink Supply Chains: The Tech Challenge to Fight Labor Trafficking, an innovation challenge that calls for technological solutions that identify and address labor trafficking in global supply chains for goods and services. The Challenge will award $500,000 in prizes and services.

The Partnership for Freedom is a public-private partnership that aims to spur innovative solutions to human trafficking challenges. The Partnership is led by Humanity United, in collaboration with the Department of Justice, the Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Department of State, and the Department of Labor. Private efforts are supported by Steven Spielberg’s Righteous Persons Foundation, the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Women Initiative, and the Ray and Dagmar Dolby Family Fund. The Rethink Supply Chains Challenge is the second of three competitions from the Partnership for Freedom to combat and prevent human trafficking.

Around the world, tens of millions of people are estimated to be in modern slavery.  The ILO estimates that 14.2 million people are victims of forced labor in private economic activities, such as agriculture, construction, domestic work or manufacturing. Goods produced with forced labor, a form of modern slavery, are consistently making their way into the global economy, and into our lives, through complex and opaque supply chains.

“The scope of this issue is enormous,” said Randy Newcomb, President and CEO of Humanity United. “We need new actors, new skills, new data, new ideas and new energy to improve anti-trafficking efforts around the world.”

The Rethink Supply Chains Challenge seeks new ideas, tools, and efforts that use technology to combat and prevent this problem in global supply chains. Solvers are encouraged to submit solutions that focus on one or more of the following areas: elevating workers’ voices, improving the transparency and accountability of labor recruitment, and enabling better traceability of commodities, products, and labor conditions in high-risk supply chains.

The Rethink Supply Chains Challenge will accept submissions until December 13, 2015. Up to five teams or organizations will be selected to advance as finalists, and each awarded a prize package of $20,000 in cash as well as supporting services, which includes admission to a Finalist Accelerator, with an in-person Finalist Boot Camp and access to expert mentorship to further develop their concept. One grand-prize winner and one runner-up winner will be announced in April 2016 and awarded $250,000 and $50,000 in cash, respectively.

We look forward to seeing solutions from top innovators as we join together to fight labor trafficking in global supply chains.

Learn more about the Challenge criteria here, and be sure to sign up to receive email updates.