Are you under 25 and want the chance to make your mark on Christchurch?

We're looking for an idea, a BIG one, to help transform the south east corner of the city into a fresh, vibrant, and happening place.

The Big Idea can come from an individual or a group. The winning entry will win $5000!

Don't worry about what you need - an empty lot, 1000 people, $200,000 - just share your Big Idea and then watch this space…

It is our goal to turn the winning Big Idea into a reality.

We're looking for a Big Idea that will make Christchurch awesome for young people. We want you, the under 25's, to transform the area into a place where you want to be. The Big Idea can be ANYTHING – an event, a building, a piece of art, a giant foosball table, it just has to be achievable. Think outside the square!

Entries close 1st December 2012.

Three Big Ideas will then be selected and notified. The three entrants will then work with us to come up with a more complete Big Idea before presenting their ideas to our judging panel on 10th December.

The winner will be announced in January 2013.

For more information on the Big Idea go to the Big Idea Facebook page.

How to enter

You can stamp your Big Idea on this website or keep an eye out for the Big Idea Caravan to record your Idea.

As of Monday 5 Nov to December 1, post boxes will be at Westfield Riccarton, The Palms, Northlands, CPIT and at the Big Idea Caravan for you to post your Big Ideas

Big Idea Caravan

The Big Idea Caravan will be cruising around Christchurch throughout November. We will be visiting a number of locations for you to record your Big Ideas. We will regularly update the following programme as dates are confirmed.

The Big Idea Caravan will be visiting the following places at these dates and times:

Who's behind it?

The Big Idea is supported by the CPIT Foundation. The Foundation exists to promote and support the applied vocational, educational and research activities of CPIT.

The CPIT Foundation hopes the Big Idea will contribute to the Christchurch rebuild and give young people in the city a chance to have their say on an innovative project.

The CPIT Foundation is not doing this alone. Early on, the trustees of the foundation decided they needed the help of Gen Y and so decided to recruit young people in Christchurch to lead the way. They ran a competition at the CPIT asking Business, Marketing and Design students to put together a campaign for the Big Idea. The winning students were – Katrina Roxburgh, Kirstie Jones and James Kelly.

Terms and Conditions

To win the Big Idea the entrant must be aged 25 or under. A valid passport, birth certificate or drivers licence will be required to validate the winner’s date of birth.

There is no minimum age requirement to enter a Big Idea.

The CPIT Foundation judging panel will select the winning Big Idea in its sole discretion. No correspondence will be entered into. There can be only one winning Big Idea. If awarded only one amount of $5,000 will be awarded.

The CPIT Foundation is under no legal requirement to select a winning Big Idea should no suitable Big Idea be entered. What is a suitable Big Idea will be determined by the CPIT Foundation judging panel in its sole discretion.

If a winning Big Idea is selected, the $5,000 prize money will be presented to the winner once the Big Idea is announced in January 2013.

Entries to the Big Idea must be entered via the Big Idea official website, Big Idea caravan or by a Big Idea post card entry form. All Big Ideas must be legible to be considered.

Before a winning Big Idea is selected, up to three Big Ideas may be chosen by the judging panel to be presented at a function on 10 December 2012. If a Big Idea is selected as one of the final three the entrant will be asked to work with the CPIT Foundation to expand on their Big Idea between the 1 December 2012 and 8 December 2012. If a selected entrant is unable to or unwilling to work with the CPIT Foundation on their Big Idea, within the dedicated time period, the entry will not be eligible to win the Big Idea.

If two or more Big Ideas are the same idea or concept, the Big Idea judging panel will at their discretion determine which (if any) entrant is selected for consideration. In this scenario, the judging panel will consider the Big Idea that was the first to be entered through one of the official entry forms.

CPIT Foundation will investigate ways to turn the winning Big Idea into a reality if it is considered realistic. While it is desirable that the winning Big Idea is able to be implemented in some way, the CPIT Foundation is under no obligation to make the Big Idea an actuality. All rights to the ideas, images, words, processes and any other intellectual property rights contained in the entry to the Big Idea are granted to CPIT Foundation and CPIT Foundation may use, expand on, amend, sell, assign or otherwise deal with the idea without reference or compensation to the provider of the Big Idea. The winner and any entrant whose Big Idea is selected for presentation at the function on 10 December 2012 agrees to have his or her full name and a photo included on promotional materials as part of the CPIT Foundation’s ongoing publicity (as determined by the CPIT Foundation in its absolute discretion) and to participate in and co-operate as required with all reasonable media editorial requests relating to the Big Idea promotion, including but not limited to, being interviewed and photographed.