SAN FRANCISCO - The Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute, San Francisco, and Make it Right, New Orleans, are issuing a Product Innovation Challenge with $250,000 in cash prizes. The challenge encourages manufacturers to design goods for the affordable housing market that are safe for human and environmental health and designed for re-use.

The Product Innovation Challenge will have immediate impact by identifying products that can be used in the near term to improve green buildings. Submissions are due June 30, 2013.

Judges include executives from Make It Right, US Green Building Council, Google, First Community Housing, Delta Development Group in the Netherlands and GIGA in China.

In addition to the $250,000 prize money, contest winners will benefit from a Dwell media partnership and special announcement at Greenbuild 2013. Up to 20 runners-up will receive distinction at the event and benefit from a marketing/PR campaign supporting their work.

Contest details and official rules can be found at www.c2ccertified.org/challenge.