Category Archives: competition

D-PRIZE CHALLENGES/STARTUP GRANTS

Application Deadline: 23 November 2025 at midnight PT (pacific time) 

LOCATION: Multiple Regions

D-Prize awards startup grants to entrepreneurs launching new organizations. They believe the world needs more social impact organizations, and we seed for-profit ventures, NGOs, and charities. They support organizations in any low- or middle-income country where extreme poverty still exists.

ELIGIBILITY:

D-Prize is for new organizations. Most of our awardees are first-time entrepreneurs. Most have not yet launched their organization, nor have they raised other funding. We especially encourage those from low- and middle-income countries to apply. See who we recently seeded.

We will consider applications from existing organizations only if your core focus is distributing an existing and evidence-based poverty intervention. We typically will not support organizations with more than 18 months of full-time operations or that have raised more than $30,000 USD in outside funding.

The seed support is meant to be the launching point for your organization that grows to large-scale. Follow our Application Process to design an initial test pilot of your larger vision. Submit your concept to our twice-annual competition. If selected, you will receive seed support to launch.

Round 1: Submit your two-page concept note and resume(s).  We receive 3000+ submissions per competition.

Round 2: The Top 5% of entrepreneurs are invited to answer short written questions. You will have two weeks to draft and submit.

 Final round: Top entrepreneurs have phone and email interviews. The top 1% receive up to $20,000 to launch.

Award & Launch: Spend the next few months piloting your idea and building an organization that soon grows to a large scale

BENEFIT:

D-Prize awards startup grants of up to $20,000 to entrepreneurs launching new organizations.

APPLY

ZENITH BANK HACKATHON

Application Deadline: 31 October, 2025

LOCATION: Nigeria

Zenith Bank Hackathon provides a platform for innovation, empowering creative minds to develop groundbreaking banking and fintech solutions. Through this initiative, Zenith Bank reinforces its commitment to digital transformation, financial inclusion, and technology-driven growth across Africa.

ELIGIBILITY:

Your submission should include:

Problem & Opportunity: Clearly define the challenge and why it matters.

Innovative Solution: Describe your idea, how it works, and how it uses AI, GenAI, or emerging tech to solve the problem.

Impact & Value: Explain what makes it unique and the measurable benefits for users or the financial ecosystem.

Target Users & Implementation: Identify who benefits and outline a feasible approach for building or deploying the solution.

Team & Expertise: Introduce your team members, their roles, and how their skills contribute to the project’s success.

BENEFIT:

Prize Pool – ₦70,000,000

A total of ₦70 Million in cash awaits the top 5 teams.

Winner: ₦30,000,000 | 2nd–5th Place: ₦10,000,000 each

Additional Benefits for All Winners:

Strategic collaboration opportunities with Zenith Bank

Investor exposure and partnership opportunities

6-week Startup Incubation Program with expert mentorship

APPLY