U.S. Chamber of Commerce Africa Digital Innovation Competition 2022

U.S. Chamber of Commerce Africa Digital Innovation Competition 2022

When is Application Deadline?

31st May 2022

Tell Me About U.S. Chamber of Commerce Africa Digital Innovation Competition :

As part of the 2022 Digital Economy Summit, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s U.S.-Africa Business Center (USAfBC) in conjunction with AmChams across Africa, is hosting its annual Digital Entrepreneurship Competition for African Startups. The competition is targeted towards Digital SMEs and startups that are looking to facilitate the delivery of digital, cross-border, interoperable, and cross- domain services and solutions, while also accelerating their digitally enabled growth. Read more.

Which Fields are Eligible?

The competition will be focused on three broad thematic areas: 

1. Fintech and Cyber Solutions: covering data flow solutions, cross border digital platform solutions, mobile technology, intellectual property management, cyber security, and digital movement of creative art (movies, music, art).
2. Sustainability & Supply Chain Solutions: covering smart manufacturing, e-commerce, management of shared economies, improvement to digital supply chain, logistics solutions to e-commerce businesses, and Agriculture technology (AgTech). 
3. Human Development & Social Services Solutions: covering digital health solutions, e-learning platform.

What Type of Scholarship is this?

Contest

Who can apply?

Within its strategic vision, the USAfBC is looking for innovative proposals that, through digital solutions, articulate stories of impact and clearly identify the challenges and actions to implement solutions in the digital space. The Digital Innovation Competition is open to entrepreneurs, startups, and independent innovators who have turned ideas into digital innovation to improve living conditions for Africans amid the pandemic.

To be eligible, an applicant (or their startup) must:

i. Be a startup or innovator with at least 51% African ownership

ii. Must be incorporated /registered with the appropriate country-based body, e.g., Nigerian Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC)

iii. Not be a government agency, public administration, political organization, or non-profit of any type Africa Digital Entrepreneurship Competition 2022

iv. Startup must be head quartered in one of the African Countries.

v. Startup must Not be older than five (5) years and not be part of a franchise brand or licensing agreements for distribution in a different country

vi. Not be a Business engaged in any illegal activity and not listed on the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Sanctions List

Selecting the Winners

Each applicant will be evaluated by a panel of judges based on the pertinence of the idea being resolved, the quality of the innovation/service response, the business model, its scalability, the size of the market, and the clarity and persuasiveness of the two-minute video pitch. The selection and evaluation process of submissions shall be reviewed and accredited by an external certified reviewer. The winners of the competition will be determined by the judges’ ranking of the applicants based on a set of pre-determined criteria.

Which Countries are Eligible?

African countries

How Many Scholarships will be Given?

3

What is the Benefit of Scholarship?

• The Digital Innovation Competition will award cash prizes and in-kind services to be provided to the top three winners.
• The in-kind services may include laptops, annual subscriptions to digital platforms, mentoring and digital marketing/advertising services for the top three winners of the competition. The top three winners will also be offered a virtual platform to engage with mentors and participants during the Digital Economy Summit on December 07, 2022.

How to Apply for Scholarship?

Apply here

Visit Award Webpage for Details