WASHINGTON, D.C. - The United States Agency for International Development (USAID), and The Tech Awards, a signature program of The Tech Museum of Innovation, have signed a partnership agreement that will allow the two organizations to seek technological innovations, support the work of their creators, and apply the results to pressing social and economic challenges around the world. The agreement was announced in conjunction with the Development 2.0 Challenge Awards Ceremony hosted by USAID to honor the finalists of its first-ever open source Challenge.

The alliance between USAID and The Tech Awards will support and promote innovative individuals, companies and organizations that use technology to improve the impact of international development efforts. USAID cultivated this partnership as part of an integrated strategy driven by its Global Development Commons to harness innovation in international development and apply it to the work of the agency.

"The Tech Awards program has an impressive community of innovators who have tackled many of the same global humanitarian challenges that we seek to address through initiatives like the Development 2.0 Challenge," said USAID Administrator and Director of U.S. Foreign Assistance Henrietta H. Fore.

Each year The Tech Awards identifies 25 Laureates from around the world in five categories: environment, economic development, education, equality, and health. Since The Tech Awards program began in 2000, it has identified 200 Laureates from 71 countries, and these Laureates have developed a range of innovative solutions spanning sustainable agriculture to disease control. This year, USAID will participate in the nomination process and help winners see their ideas implemented.

"We're honored to have the opportunity to work with USAID, a prestigious organization with global outreach and objectives very complementary to those of The Tech Awards program," said Peter Friess, president of The Tech Museum. "By working together, we can further accelerate the identification and recognition of people and projects around the world that are using innovative technologies to benefit humanity, and hopefully inspire more innovation as a result."

Learn more and engage in the Global Development Commons at www.globaldevelopmentcommons.net and www.usaid.gov/commons.

For more information about The Tech Museum of Innovation, visit www.thetech.org.

For more information about USAID, visit www.usaid.gov.