What is a risk of neglecting sustainability in EI submissions?

• A. Too much data slows the process
• B. Overemphasis on sustainability
• C. Unclear long-term impact and loss of credibility
• D. Excessively long plan

Answer: (C)

Sustainability in EI submissions means showing that the project's benefits will persist after the competition—how the work will continue, be maintained, and keep delivering value over time, including plans for funding, ownership, and measurement of lasting impact. If sustainability is neglected, there’s a real risk that the long-term effects aren’t clear, which makes the project look short-sighted. That uncertainty about future outcomes and the resulting loss of credibility with judges and sponsors is exactly the concern, because people want to invest in something that will endure and continue to prove its value. This focus on how impact lasts, who will carry it forward, and how it will be funded and evaluated over time is what anchors the submission in real-world viability. Data volume, plan length, or overemphasis on sustainability aren’t the primary risks associated with skipping this aspect, so the most fitting risk is the lack of a clear, credible, long-term impact.