Center-invest Bank summed up the results of the competition “Sustainable Development Goals and me” and awarded 19 winners who presented the best local solutions to global problems in accordance with the SDGs. The award ceremony was held online, the participants of the competition were congratulated by the President of Center-invest Bank, Doctor of Economics, Professor Vasily Vysokov.

The “Sustainable Development Goals and me” competition was organized by Center-invest Bank and the Center for Financial Literacy in partnership with local administrations and universities to encourage young people to share their ideas on improving the urban environment in southern Russian regions in line with the SDGs.

 “In such a short period of time, we have found more than 500 projects that are already making a real contribution to sustainable development. The competition was noticed at the world level and took part in the competitive selection of the Peace Forum in Paris. It is pleasant to realize that young people not only from Russia, but also from the CIS countries have actively participated in the competition, they know about the problems of their regions, and are ready to solve them. Our mentors helped to finalize the projects of the participants so that they could be multiplied to the whole country”, said the Head of the Financial Literacy Center Mr Vladislav Solyony.

The competition was held in 2 stages: collection of entries and acceleration of projects from the shortlist. In the final stage, which included extended mentoring sessions for further implementation, 100 business projects out of 550 applications were chosen. The prize fund of the competition was 1,000,000 rubles.

The participants of the second stage, together with mentors, worked out their ideas and, as a result of the acceleration, presented video presentations of the projects. The jury evaluated the nominees according to three criteria: originality and relevance of the idea, the degree of problem solving and the elaboration of the project implementation plan.

 “This is a unique competition that has no analogues in which I was able to take part. I presented my project, received expert feedback, found like-minded people who are not indifferent to the further environmental and social development of our country. For our successful and happy future we need coordinated actions", commented one of the winners of the competition, Mr Konstantin Timolyanov. Ph.D., Head of the Center for Innovative and Technological Development of Don State Technical University".

Formulating their ideas and visions of the future in terms of the SDGs allows young people to realize their role in the new world, to offer new local solutions to global problems. The projects of the winners are published on the website www.17sdg.ru.