Deadline: 31 May 2017
Have you designed and implemented successful online portal[s] before? Do you think you can implement an online portal in a sustainable manner, keeping it relevant in the very long run? If yes, then apply for UNDP’s Open Innovation Challenge.
United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is currently inviting applications from interested hosts for its Open Innovation Challenge that implements a sustainable ‘African Youth (Especially Women) Entrepreneurship Online Portal.
UNDP has created an incredible online resource: ‘YAS! Youth for Africa and SDGs’.
If implemented innovatively, this online portal can be at the very centre of facilitating the much-needed contribution by African youth towards SDG attainment – but UNDP does not have the financial resources or the expertise to directly implement this portal, ensuring that it is sustainable and remains relevant over time. Therefore UNDP is looking for solutions through this challenge on how to sustainably implement YAS! in the very long run.
The portal will support the development of youth entrepreneurship in Africa by running challenges and providing awards/grant financing for the development of youth driven entrepreneurship at two levels:
- Ecosystem challenges: grants which will focus on catalysing local ecosystems by providing financial support for local ecosystem players to promote youth entrepreneurship through the provision of support to activities such as business plan development, mentorship events, networking and pitch events at the country level.
- Entrepreneurship challenge (idea stage funding): grants which will directly fund the development of business ideas by social entrepreneurs, providing them the funding and mentorship support they need to articulate and develop their business propositions. These challenges will focus on social enterprises who propose innovative solutions contributing to the attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Prize Information
UNDP will disburse up to US$160,000.00 (One Hundred Sixty Thousand US Dollars) over the next 2 years directly to the Innovator to seed their operational and financial sustainability plan for the implementation of YAS!. Beyond that, the innovator will be expected to generate and mobilize resources to keep YAS! Sustainable, hence the need for a 5-year operational and sustainability plan.
Selection Criteria
- UNDP will set up an evaluation committee, comprising mainly of UN staff, to review all proposals received using UNDP’s principles of fairness and integrity.
- The following criteria will guide the selection of the winning proposal:
- The expertise of the firm/organization
- The details of the operational sustainability plan
- The details of the financial sustainability plan
How to Apply
Applicants can apply via email at the address given on the website.
For more information, please visit UNDP.