UN Women in partnership with UNDP is set to conduct a challenge and award grant financing to help African youth entrepreneurs to develop and implement their innovative solutions that address SDG challenges in their communities, especially those targeted at bridging the gender gap in their countries.
Winning entries will receive funding to develop, validate and scale innovative ideas. The grants will be awarded to entrepreneurs who would like to test their innovative solutions or grow existing ventures, as per the following categories:
– Idea Stage: 5,000 USD (seed grants)
– Growth Stage: 10,000 USD (scale grants)
The innovators selected for the funds will be acknowledged and presented with awards during the Africa Youth Conference in October 2018. In selected cases, UNDP and Accenture will also provide business development support to winning innovators, including access to mentors and capacity building to implement their solutions.
Eligibility:
- You are African, aged between 15 and 35 years.
- You have an innovative, replicable, scalable idea that
could transform your community, country… or even
Africa. - You would like to contribute towards the attainment of the
SDGs and therein especially gender-related targets and
indicators of SDG 1 (poverty), SDG 5 (gender equality
and empowerment of women and girls), SDG 8 (decent
employment) and SDG 9 (industry, innovation, and infrastructure). - You have the passion to help Africa progress – but
struggle to find the support you need to turn your idea
into reality.
Note: If you are between 15 and 18 years old, you can still apply for the Challenge and stand a chance to be profiled and recognized at the Africa Youth Conference as an outstanding innovator. Grants, however, can only be awarded to entrepreneurs with a minimum age of 18 years.
To apply for the challenge and/or learn more, click here.
Deadline for application is 18th, September. Note that late submissions will not be considered.
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