World Bank Opens First Global 'Apps for Development' Competition

Software Developers to Design Tools to Fight Poverty Using Open Data

WASHINGTON, October 7, 2010 - The World Bank Group today kicked off the "Apps for Development"
competition, the first global contest of its kind. President Robert B.
Zoellick challenged software developers and international experts around the
world to enter the contest. Entries must be filed by January 10, 2011.

(Logo: photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20101007/DC78488LOGO)

"Help change the world by using the World Bank's data collection to help
find solutions to today's development challenges," said Zoellick. "Create
applications to analyze and tackle the world's long-standing problems."

The competition challenges developers to create software applications,
tools, data visualizations or "mash-ups"- whether web-based, mobile, through
SMS, smart phone, desktop, or tablet. There are only two requirements for
entries: use the World Bank Data Catalog
(data.worldbank.org/data-catalog) and address one of the eight
Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) (www.worldbank.org/mdgs).

"The World Bank is seeking creative 'apps' that bring ground level
insights of the development challenges posed by the MDGs," said Shaida
Badiee, Director of World Bank Group's Development Research Data Group. "The
apps created in this competition will allow policy makers, researchers, and
civil society to track the impact of policies, develop new solutions, and
measure improvements more accurately."

"We'd like to see examples of developers everywhere using our data and
combining it with their own data to build really useful applications
addressing local problems. That's the power of crowdsourcing innovation and
that's the essence of the challenge," added Aleem Walji, World Bank Institute
Innovation Practice Manager.

Competition Requirements

Entries must be submitted no later than January 10, 2011, must relate to
achieving one of the MDGs (www.worldbank.org/mdgs), and must include
data from at least one of the datasets available in the World Bank Data
Catalog (data.worldbank.org/data-catalog).

Entries will compete for US$45,000 in prizes and financial support. Large
organizations may compete for a corporate recognition award. Winning entries
will be featured on the World Bank Group's website.

The distinguished panel of judges includes Craig Newmark, Founder of
Craigslist, Inc; Kannan Pashupathy, Director, Engineering, Google; Ory
Okolloh, Executive Director and Co-Founder,Ushahidi; Homi Kharas, Senior
Fellow and Deputy Director, Global Economy and Development, the Brookings
Institution; and Shanta Devarajan, Chief Economist, World Bank's Africa
Region.

Get contest details and enter your app at:
www.worldbank.org/appsfordevelopment

The Apps for Development competition platform is powered by ChallengePost
(www.challengepost.com).

To access the World Bank Data Catalog:
data.worldbank.org/data-catalog

To view the competition website, please visit
www.worldbank.org/appsfordevelopment

View World Bank President Robert B. Zoellick video announcement:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=cXlZUcr717w

Listen to World Bank President Robert B. Zoellick audio announcement:
digitalmedia.worldbank.org/audio/World-Bank-Apps-For-Development-Compe
tition-RBZ.mp3

World Bank Open Forum "Open Development Solutions"

October 7th, 2010 12:30 pm: www.worldbank.org/openforum

For info about the MDGs: www.worldbank.org/mdgs

To learn more about The World Bank's work, please visit
www.worldbank.org

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In Washington: Edith Wilson, ewilson1 at worldbank.org, +1-202-473-1104; For Broadcast Requests: Natalia Cieslik, +1-202-458-9369, ncieslik at worldbank.org