Tag Archives: innovation

AFRICA BUSINESS CONCEPT CHALLENGE

Application Deadline:5 March, 2024 (11:59PM EST/next day — 5:59AM CET and WAT / 6:59AM SAST/ 7:59 AM EAT)

LOCATION: USA

GBSN is pleased to present the 4th annual Africa Business Concept Challenge (ABCC), a virtual business concept competition for African undergraduate and graduate students. The competition challenges student teams to develop a viable business concept that addresses a locally-relevant challenge or problem related to Agenda 2063, and inclusive and sustainable development.

ELIGIBILITY:

The Africa Business Concept Challenge is open to all institutions of learning, training and development on the African continent. Student teams must consist of two to five members, where at least two must be enrolled at an African institution at the time of the competition. Interdisciplinary teams are encouraged.

Each participating team must have a mentor to work with. Mentors will help guide teams and enrich the learning experience. The ABCC aims to build a community platform for learning–not just a competition but an opportunity for mutual support.

GBSN Membership is not required to participate. There is no charge to participate in the competition.

BENEFIT:

$5,000 Prize for the first place winner

Societal Impact: The Challenge offers a chance to make an impact on local community problems.

Networking: Opportunities with student teams from across the globe, as well as experienced entrepreneurs and industry professionals

Mentoring & Industry Experts: High-caliber, experienced judges, who are experienced entrepreneurs and industry leaders

Structure, Feedback & Guidance: Personalized, individual feedback during the project development process from Team Advisors

APPLY

CGIAR/WFP STABILITY AND PEACE ACCELERATOR

Application Deadline: 16 February, 2024

LOCATION: Germany

The CGIAR, in partnership with the World Food Progamme (WFP)  Innovation Accelerator, are launching the “Stability-and-Peace Accelerator Programme” to seek and scale high-impact innovations that bolster food, land, and water systems (FLWS) in these vulnerable regions. They are calling on innovators, entrepreneurs and changemakers to come forward with groundbreaking solutions that can drive resilience, ensure food and nutrition security, enhance climate adaptability and promote social cohesion and sustainability among communities battered by conflict and fragility.

ELIGIBILITY:

Your organization must be an established legal entity (for-profit, not-for-profit, social business, NGO, INGO). 

Your organization should have a presence or willingness to build a presence in one of the four countries of implementation (Jordan, Kenya, Nigeria or  Yemen). This could take the form of a country office or other permanent presence, subsidiary, long-term operations or partnerships in the country.

Your innovation addresses one or more of the priority innovation areas related to pressing challenges faced in the humanitarian space of the country of implementation. 

Your innovation should have reached the minimum viable product stage and is gearing up for scale. 

Your innovation should have a clear pathway to scale and a potential plan to implement during the six-month Sprint with the available funding. 

Applicants are expected to have strong intentions to collaborate with relevant humanitarian stakeholders, build relationships with CGIAR country offices, and connect with the innovation ecosystems.

The applicants should demonstrate a clear need for research and development for the conceptual and commercial development of their innovation.

BENEFIT:

They offer to boost innovations:

Six-month Sprint acceleration programme combining business-oriented training, mentoring, and science-based technical assistance from the WFP Innovation Accelerator

Access to the research network of CGIAR, the world’s largest publicly funded research-for-development organization

In-country strategy workshop to kick off implementation 

US$30,000 equity-free grant for each of the winning innovations with a proven sustainable business model and scaling plan

Exposure to national and international funders

Post-acceleration support 

APPLY