Understanding Program Types

Choosing the right program type is essential to achieving your specific goals, whether it’s driving innovation, engaging your audience, or recognizing talent. Untap’s flexibility allows you to tailor your programs to meet a variety of objectives.

In this section, we’ll provide examples of different program types you can create on Untap. These examples are meant to inspire and guide you while designing the program type that aligns best with your organization's needs and ensures a successful outcome for your initiative.

Innovation Challenges

Goal: Identify breakthrough solutions to solve industry-specific or organizational challenges.

Example: A corporate innovation challenge to develop new product ideas for the tech industry.

Crowdsourcing

Goal: Gather diverse ideas and feedback from a large community or target audience.

Example: An NGO crowdsourcing ideas for sustainable solutions to local environmental problems.

Hackathons

Goal: Promote rapid problem-solving and the creation of prototypes - usually digital - within a limited timeframe.

Example: A university hackathon focused on developing digital solutions for healthcare access.

Award Programs

Goal: Recognize and reward outstanding achievements or contributions in a specific field.

Example: A governmental award program to honor local entrepreneurs contributing to economic growth.

Student Competitions

Goal: Foster innovation and skills development among students by challenging them to solve real-world problems.

Example: Inviting students to design and present solutions for business challenges facing a local SME through a case competition.

Startup Programs

Goal: Support and nurture ideas through mentorship and resources until they are ready for implementation.

Example: An incubator program at a university that helps student entrepreneurs initiate and work on their startups.

Open Innovation Platforms

Goal: Collaborate with external stakeholders, including but not limited to customers or partners, to co-create solutions.

Example: A corporation partnering with its customers to develop the next version of a flagship product.

Hiring Programs

Goal: Identify, hire, and nurture top talent in specific areas, from tech to the arts and beyond.

Example: A corporate talent competition or challenge to discover innovative developers or a dedicated career platform to post job openings and receive applications in a streamlined manner.

Citizen Engagement Platforms

Goal: Engage the public in contributing ideas or feedback on policy or community projects.

Example: A government program inviting citizens to submit ideas for improving public services.

Employee Engagement & Innovation

Goal: Involve employees in innovation efforts or decision-making processes within an organization.

Example: An internal competition for employees to submit ideas for improving workplace efficiency and culture.

Scholarship Programs

Goal: Provide financial support to students based on merit or need.

Example: A scholarship program offering funds to students pursuing degrees in science and technology.

Grants

Goal: Offer funding for specific projects or initiatives that align with organizational goals.

Example: A grant program supporting local nonprofits focused on environmental sustainability.

Creative Contests

Goal: Encourage creativity and innovation through competitive challenges in various artistic fields.

Example: A creative contest inviting participants to submit original artwork or design concepts for a community mural.