Call for applications “Build (Back) Better: from prevention to reconstruction”, Crédit Agricole Assurances and Crédit Agricole Transitions & Énergies are launching their new innovation challenge focused on risk prevention and sustainable reconstruction

Crédit Agricole Assurances and Crédit Agricole Transitions & Énergies announce the launch of the Innov&Act open innovation challenge, “Build (Back) Better”. This initiative aims to identify, test and promote innovative solutions to better protect homes and their occupants against climate-related events, while supporting more resilient and sustainable reconstruction following a loss event. In line with the Crédit Agricole Group’s Societal Project, this new edition brings together, for the first time, the expertise of two Group entities around a shared objective: strengthening the resilience and adaptive capacity of communities and housing in the face of climate change.

The application period is open until October 12.

Innovative solutions for homes that are more resilient to weather events

Climate change is making homes more vulnerable to natural hazards like floods, droughts, storms, hail, and wildfires all over the place. To deal with this, preventing damage, updating homes, and rebuilding them properly after disasters are becoming really important to make them tougher and keep home insurance easy to get.

The proposed solutions will need to combine environmental performance, economic viability, and lasting improvements to housing resilience, while also helping boost energy efficiency and the comfort of the people living there.

In this context, the Innov&Act challenge “Build (Back) Better” invites startups and innovative companies to present their solutions to business experts and leaders from Crédit Agricole Assurances and Crédit Agricole Transitions & Énergies. The selected projects could be tested through real-life use cases, to speed up the rollout of solutions that benefit policyholders, homes, and communities.

Three categories to bring out tomorrow’s solutions

Participating startups and companies are invited to propose a solution that addresses at least one of the issues chosen for the challenge, with a focus on individual insured homes.

Category 1 – Risk prevention and protection of people and property

• Property protection solutions against weather hazards.

• Solutions that help keep occupants safe: home automation, evacuation and security systems for sensitive equipment, risk refuge areas, etc.

• Occupant awareness solutions: water level markers, sensors, alerts, etc.

Category 2 – Resilient and eco-friendly restoration of the damage

• Low-carbon solutions for adapting and strengthening housing when it’s being refurbished.

• Techniques, materials, or processes that improve the resilience of buildings.

• Solutions that encourage reuse, repairability, and cutting down on waste from reconstruction work.

• Digital diagnostic and modeling tools to help with the transition, including comparative analysis of technical solutions, carbon emissions assessment, and cost optimization.

Category 3 – Restoration solutions for energy performance and thermal comfort

• Solutions that improve energy efficiency and thermal comfort in homes against weather hazards and extreme temperatures.

• Turnkey solutions that make renovating or fixing up homes easier.

• New materials, diagnostic tools, and solutions for evaluation or estimating work.

The finalist candidates will get exposure within the Crédit Agricole group and its ecosystem. The three winners will have the chance to explore, alongside the experts from Crédit Agricole Assurances and Crédit Agricole Transitions & Énergies, the conditions for rolling out and testing their solutions for the benefit of policyholders and local communities.

Practical information

Open to companies from the European Union capable of operating anywhere in France, the challenge is looking for innovative and practical solutions to be tested on real-life use cases with Crédit Agricole Assurances.

Calendar

• 02/09 : applications open

• 12/10 : closing of applications

• 06/11 : announcement of the finalists

• 16/11 : co-creation day for the use case with CAA and CAT&E experts

• 09/12 : meeting and pitches in front of a panel (leaders and experts in the profession)

At the end of the pitch sessions, a jury made up of experts and leaders from the Crédit Agricole group will pick three winners, one for each category. Each of them will receive a prize of 10,000 euros to support the development of their solution.

Submit your applications on www.innovandact.com