Facebook Bots for Messenger Challenge for Creative Developers in Africa and the Middle East 2017

Facebook is seeking Creative Developers from Sub-Saharan Africa and the MENA Region for its Facebook Bots for Messenger Challenge.

Application Deadline: 28th April 2017

Eligible Regions: (i) The Middle East and North Africa; and (ii) Sub-Saharan Africa

To be taken at (country): 

About the Award: For many years Facebook has been promoting innovation across the Middle East and Africa, providing startups with the tools they need to build, grow, monetize, and measure. Facebook grew out of a hacker culture, and we thrive on seeking out and promoting innovation on new platforms. That’s why we are launching the Bots for Messenger Challenge, a contest to recognize and reward developers who are able to create the most innovative new bots on Messenger in (i) the Middle East and North Africa; and (ii) Sub-Saharan Africa.

Offered Since:

Field of Challenge: 

1. Gaming and Entertainment
2. Productivity and Utility
3. Social Good

Type: Contest

Eligibility: Teams of up to 3 people are invited to participate in the Challenge.

Selection Criteria: 

• Technical Quality – How well does the Bot use the Messenger platform features? [35%]
• Non-Technical Quality – What is the degree of excellence of the Bot, taking into account the Bot’s distinctive attributes and characteristics (except for the technical aspects)? [35%]
• User Experience – How useable is the Bot for the intended audience, including how well the conversation flows? [30%]

Number of Awardees: 60 finalist teams announced per region

1. 30 teams in the Middle East and North Africa
2. 30 teams in Sub-Saharan Africa

Value of Challenge: 

• Finalist Teams: From each region (i) Middle East and North Africa; and (ii) Sub-Saharan Africa, 30 finalist teams (10 from each category) will win a Gear VR and mobile phone, one hour of Facebook mentorship, and up to $40,000 USD in tools and services from FbStart, a Facebook program designed to help early stage mobile startups build and grow their bots.

All student teams or indivdiual student entrants who make it to the finals will win an additional $2,000 USD (students will be verified against their registration via their government accredited school email accounts).

• Runner Up Teams: For each region (i) Middle East and North Africa; and (ii) Sub-Saharan Africa; 3 runner up teams (1 from each category) will win $10,000 USD and 3 months of Facebook mentorship (1 hour per month).
• Winning Teams: For each region (i) Middle East and North Africa; and (ii) Sub-Saharan Africa; 3 winning teams (1 from each category) will win $20,000 USD and 3 months of Facebook mentorship (1 hour per month).

Submit

Visit Challenge Webpage for details

Award Provider: Facebook