Deadline: 6-Aug-23
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) invites you to participate in ideas/innovations/creations aimed at addressing Lesotho’s emerging development issues with specific focus on the use of Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics (STEAM) with the overall objective of addressing the extended NSDP II priority sectors being Agriculture, Manufacturing, tourism, mining and ICT.
UNDP in partnership with the Ministry of Information and Communications, Science, Technology and Innovations jointly with the Ministry of Gender, Youth, Sports, Culture, Art and Social Development will host a STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics) conference in Lesotho from the 13th to 15th September 2023, as a strategic platform to facilitate policy dialogues to promote national capacities in this area, expose and inspire innovations and creativity.
This call is targeting both in-school and out-of-school innovators, with particular focus on women and youth innovators in the STEAM categories. Submitted innovations may be at ideation stage, prototype, or fully developed products, for showcasing at the STEAM Conference exhibition. Shortlisted innovations will be invited to participate in the pre-conference ideation and experimentation marathon to enable innovators to pitch their ideas into prototypes ahead of the conference or present their innovations in case of developed products.
Award Information
- UNDP and partners will establish an adjudication panel to select the winning innovations. The prizes will be awarded as follows:
- Lesotho STEAM Conference 2023 Awards. Up to three innovations per category in STEAM to make the 15- person winners list of 2023 and shortlist for the selection of the Lesotho STEAM winners and Best Innovator award. The awards will cover both the in-school and out-of-school participants.
- The Lesotho STEAM Conference 2023 Awards will include the following:
- An all-inclusive sponsorship to the Africa Youth Connekt Conference to be held in Nairobi, Kenya in October 2023 for STEAM to best (top) innovators in all categories of the STEAM.
- Cash prizes: A prize money for the Lesotho STEAM Winners to facilitate development and testing of their presented innovations
- A prize money of US$5,000.00 for the Lesotho STEAM Best Innovator
- US$2,000 for all other Lesotho STEAM Winners (14)
- Mentorship support and business incubation for all shortlisted innovations through the Lesotho UniPod and partners to refine the project and testing
- A special feature in the in the Lesotho Innovates compendium, media partners, and other UNDP Innovation platforms
Eligibility Criteria
- The call for innovations is targeted at all Lesotho residents.
- Location: interested innovators may be from any of the 10 districts of Lesotho.
- Organization: The innovators may apply either as individuals, partnerships, or companies. Up to two entries may be accepted per innovator.
- Women, youth, and disabled persons as well as their related organizations are encouraged to apply.
- Applicants must be above the age of 16 and below 35.
Specific Requirements
- In-school innovators
- UNDP invites innovative solutions and ideas from students in the Institutions of Higher Learning, in STEAM categories, and addressing development challenges and progress in mining, tourism, agriculture, manufacturing, and technology. This category includes all students in Lesotho universities, technical/TVET schools and colleges. This component will be run in collaboration with the Institutions of Higher Learning as part of the Lesotho UniPod.
- Out-of-school innovators
- UNDP invites all interested Basotho particularly youth and women innovators, resident in Lesotho to submit innovative solutions/ideas to address development challenges and promote transformation in mining, tourism, agriculture, manufacturing, and technology through STEAM.
- All applicants must be proficient in Sesotho and English languages and be able to present their ideas to different audiences and platform
For more information, visit United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).