Deadline: 21-Feb-22
The Digital Innovations for Business Resilience in the East African Community (EAC), a program under the Digital Skills for an Innovative East African Industry (dSkills@EA) project aims to support young innovators at universities in the East African Community to develop and implement digital innovations for business resilience in the times of Covid-19.
The Digital Skills for an Innovative East African Industry (dSkills@EA) is a project as part of the technical development cooperation between the EAC and Germany. Digital Innovation for Business Resilience in the EAC is a program under dSkills@EA project.
Objective: Employment and innovation-related digital skills of young people in the EAC Partner States Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda are improved.
After an online application phase, selected participants will go through an online Ideathon in February 2022 to refine their ideas. Based on the Ideathon, max. 10 teams per country of the EAC will be selected for a physical 5 days bootcamp training taking place in each country in March 2022. Evaluation criteria for entering the bootcamp are:
- Must-Have Problem: How urgent and important is the identified problem?
- Innovative Solution: How desired, innovative and effective is the solution?
- Team: Has the team the skills and zeal to execute the idea?
- Viability: Is the business model scalable and has viable unit economics?
- Technology: Is the idea technology-based or implemented with digital means?
Innovation Pitch Events
- National Pitch Event: 10 selected teams per country will pitch at the National Pitch-Event and present their digital innovations to the industry, academia, investors, government representatives and the entrepreneurship ecosystem. A judging panel of experts will select two teams per country which are going to compete at the East African Grande Finale.
- Grand Finale: It’s time to celebrate digital innovations from 6 East-African Countries and to bring the East African Innovation Ecosystem together. The event will be hosted purely online and will provide everyone a chance to participate. During the Grand Finale, 12 teams from 6 EAC will pitch their innovations for grants of a pool of USD 10,000.
Why should you take part?
- Finetune your innovative idea during the online Ideathon and get skills in understanding your customers, product development and business modelling
- Winning teams will receive grants of a pool of USD 10,000
- Get connected to the East African Innovation Ecosystem and learn from amazing people and ideas that will shape the future
- Teams selected for the bootcamp will receive in-depth support through mentors and trainers to further shape their innovation
Eligibility Criteria
- University students and recent graduates (graduation is not more than 1 year in the past)
- From an East African University
- 18 – 35 years old
- Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply
- Fluent in English
- Have an idea for a digital innovation or are in early-stages of implementing their innovation
- Team of minimum 2 people
For more information, visit https://dskills.iucea.org/