The AgriLab program has opened its applications, to assist early-stage Agri-tech start-ups to grow.

This growth process will see them pass through mentorship and funding.

The program is, a partnership, between Ventures Platform, an Abuja-based tech incubator and the Irish Embassy.

Ventures Platform incubates and supports start-ups, through its investment fund and Not-for-Profit arm.

The partnership aims at assisting agri-tech start-ups, to meet up, with the requirements of Nigeria’s rapidly growing population.

The focus of AgriLab is, the agri-tech sector and it is the area that, Ireland has demonstrated its leadership, globally.

The partnership is an indication that Nigeria is in need of developing its agricultural sector.
Nigeria needs to develop, in order to diversify its economy and meet the demands, of a fast-growing population.

Eligibility And Selection Criteria

A Nigerian, with a business idea, in the Agri-tech space that, identifies the problem it solves.
A business model that is both, sustainable and scalable
Resident in Nigeria
Applicant must be between the ages of 18 – 35
Available to take part in the entire program, if selected
Able to travel to Ireland, for a business visit
In possession of a valid International Passport

Benefits Of The Programme

In a 3-day ideation workshop and Bootcamp, selected start-ups will get to learn the required knowledge that will enhance their acceptance, into the incubation programme.
Participants will be exposed to mentorship and workshop.
Participants will get a seed capital of $2000
An all-expense paid trip to Ireland. The winner will get to meet with potential investors and business partners.

How To Apply

If you are in the Agric-tech start-up space and you have satisfied the criteria for selection listed above, you can, then go ahead to apply, for the AgriLab programme here.

The deadline for the application is Wednesday, December 18, 2019.

One Young World, (OYW), has launched the second round for Lead2030.
The Lead2030 challenge is, the largest prize funding, for young leaders, aiming at achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, (SDGs).
It is supported, by the Challenge Partners, (Businesses working with One Young World), who have committed a prize of $50,000.

The inaugural Lead2030 Challenge Winners were each awarded $50,000 in addition to 12 months of executive mentorship from their Challenge Partner to help amplify their impact as they tackle some of the world’s most pressing issues.
Asides from the financial commitment of these partners, they have, also, pledged to offer mentorship support, to assist the young leaders, on their journey, in tackling the SDGs challenges.
Here is a list, of the challenge partners and the SDG:

• RB. SDG 2, (Zero Hunger)
• AstraZeneca. SDG 3, (Health & Well-being)
• Deloitte SDG 4, (Quality Education)
• RB SDG 6, (Clean Water & Sanitation)
• BP SDG 7, (Affordable & Clean Energy)
• Standard Chartered. SDG 9, (Industrial Innovation & Infrastructure)
• Bristol-Myers Squibb SDG, (10 Reduced Inequalities)
• Mondi Group SDG 12, (Sustainable Consumption and Production)
• Credit Suisse SDG 14, (Life underwater)

Selection Criteria

Applicants would be selected, based on:

• Significant alignment with SDG 2
• Age of founder, between 18 – 30.
• The solution must have passed the implementation phase.
• Impact driven solution (creating jobs, or, developing skills)
• Must be, financially viable, by achieving efficiency and surviving, independently, via the resources generated, by investment and donation.
• Potential to perform after expansion (Scalability)

Benefits Of The Award

• The winner will receive a US$50,000 grant from RB
• A 12-month mentorship program, with RB professionals

The mentorship team will work to accelerate your solution, based on the needs of your initiatives, or, organisation, such as:

• Business strategy
• Best practices for data collection
• Monitoring and evaluation
• Product design

How To Apply

If you have satisfied the criteria mentioned above, then, proceed to apply via the website. The deadline for applications is Thursday, January 5, 2020.

Applications for the Start-up Energy Transition, (SET), Award 2020 is, on for entries.

It is a global initiative award. under the German Energy Agency, (Dena,) in partnership with, the World Energy Council.

Eligibility for participation

Applicants into the SET awards can only apply, to one category, which will be mentioned, subsequently.

Any further applications, into any category, would be nullified, including applications to the Special Prize on Quality Access & SDG-7.

• Participating start-ups must not have exceeded 10 years of existence.
• Applications and every attached document must be submitted, in the English Language.
• Participating start-ups must have a functioning prototype.
• The start-ups must have registered, or, been in the process, of registering with a proof of concept and institutional partner.
• Entries must be filled, completely, as all, partially, completed entries, will not be accepted.

Categories For The Awards

As mentioned earlier, please note that applicants can, only, enter into one of the categories below:

• Category 1: Renewable Energies & Materials
• Category 2: Digital Energy Systems
• Category 3: Energy Efficiency Solutions
• Category 4: Smart Mobility
• Category 5: Special Prize: Quality Access & SDG-7

Benefits Of Participation

SET has made the award program, a value-added one, such that, no matter how far you go, in the SET process, there is something beneficial, awaiting you.

Start-ups that have participated, in the past SET awards, have gone ahead, to attract new investors, customers and participation, in energy events, globally.

For All Participants

Eligible to join a global platform of innovators, where your views will be shared and represented, in the Energy Innovators Issues Monitor.
These views will influence social policies that, would boost innovation.

For the SET100 2020

For the top 100 ranked applicants, into the award, their start-ups, will be featured, in the SET annual publication, read across the globe.
In addition, they will, also, get a free ticket, to the 2020 SET Tech Festival.

For all Finalists

A Couple of benefits awaits the finalists, such as:

• Return flight to benefit
• Pitch coaching
• Individual booth at SET Tech Festival
• Investor-matchmaking
• Tickets to the Berlin Energy Transition Dialogue, (BETD)
• Interviews and branding, in all communication material
• Accommodation for 2 representatives of the start-up, to attend the Tech Festival

For winners of each category

The benefits here include:

• Getting up to E10.000 Euros, as prize money.
• Opportunity to attend the World Energy Leaders’ Summits.
• Participation on the winners’ panel, at the Berlin Energy Transition Dialogue, (BETD).

How To Apply

Interested applicants, can go ahead to apply here. The deadline for application is Wednesday, January 15, 2020.

Featured Image: startup-energy-transition

The first-ever African Drone Business challenge was, recently, launched by the African Drone Forum, (ADF), with a £40,000 cash prize for the winner.

With not less than 1000 delegates expected at the Kigali Convention Centre, where the event will take place in February 2020, the selected participants, will have the opportunity, to pitch about their businesses, at the African Drone exhibition.

By early January, selected finalists would receive notifications, about their participation, in the final pitch.

Ten finalists would be selected, to receive training, mentoring and getting to pitch, to an array of leaders, in the entrepreneurial and investment space.

The African Drone Forum consists of three segments, which are the expo, symposium and the Lake Kivu Flying Competitions.

The event will, also, offers networking opportunities, to participants, coming from the telecoms, banking, technology space and start-ups, across the continent.

The ADF had earlier said that the challenge was created, to encourage entrepreneurs, on the African continent, to explore new challenges and opportunities faced, in connection with rural connectivity, delivery system and artificial intelligence, used for image analysis.

Jean-Christophe Zufferey, Co-founder of senseFly said, “Tech is there, but use cases, beyond medical product delivery, are the missing piece,”. “We should spend more time, analysing existing supply chains, to see where and how drones make sense”, he concluded.

Eligibility For Participation

To submit a business plan, to the ADF challenge, you must:

• Be a citizen of a country in Africa, (you can be in diaspora)
• Business model must be executable, on the continent
• Individual entrepreneurs, or, a team, with a drone service application
• Participants must not, necessarily, be drone companies
• Solutions should demonstrate socio-economic values

How To Apply

Entrants, seeking to apply for the ADF business challenge and have satisfied the requirements, can go ahead to apply here.

The deadline for applications is Monday, December 9, 2019.

Recently, the tech ecosystem in Africa is, getting nods, from the foreign community and this has increased collaboration, among certain, Non-African countries.

The recent collaboration is one, between Japan and Kenya.

Daikin and Samurai Incubate Africa, have partnered, to organise the first-ever, Africa Ideathon.

The Ideathon, targets African start-ups, across the continent and it is set, to offer, 10 shortlisted finalists, to take part, in the pitching event, happening on Wednesday, December 11, 2019, in Nairobi, Kenya.

The ten shortlisted finalists would be riding a roller coaster, as they need not worry, about accommodation and travel expenses, as air tickets and visas for, at most, two members of the team, would be covered.

The winner of the start-up pitch stands a chance, of receiving investment, from Samurai Incubate Africa. In addition, the 10 finalists get to partner, with Daikin, with all projects executed, to be covered by Daikan.

Eligibility For Participation

African start-ups, planning to apply, for this first time ever collaborative opportunity, would be eligible based on the following criteria:

• Must be based in Africa, with plans of expanding into, at least, one other African country, that has a demand, for air conditioners
• Must be an independent legal entity and a profit-making venture
• Must have service, or, product, designed to scale
• Must have a reliable management team
• Must be searching for opportunity, to form partnership and collaboration, with Daikin

Note that, startups seeking to apply must have their service or product readily available in the market and must be able, to generate revenue, in any of the following: clean energy, fintech, real estate, e-commerce and property tech.

How To Apply

African start-ups, who have satisfied all the criteria mentioned above for the Daikin Samurai Ideathon Challenge, can proceed to commence their application here.

The deadline for applications is Wednesday, November 20, 2019.

Featured Image: Opportunities

Injini Incubation programme has opened applications, for African Edtech start-ups, interested in making improvements, on education, on the continent.

The application is the fourth, in Injini’s series of the incubation programmes. With its first round of applications that opened, on Monday, October 14, 2019, reviews will be made, on applications for the start-ups, to prepare for the second round of applications, which will end, by Friday, January 3, 2020.

In the first week of January, a telephonic round of screening would take place, which will see a selection of the best 12, to pitch, on Injini Selection Day, to a panel of judges, at the end of January 2020.

“We are so excited, to begin this journey, in selecting our next cohort of EdTech start-ups. We are honoured, to have the opportunity, to support, even, more entrepreneurs, in unlocking Africa’s potentials, with their innovations in education”, stressed Krista Davidson, Head of Operations at Injini.

The incubation programme is, in partnership with UBS Optimus Foundation, the Michael and Susan Dell Foundation, as well as, the Southern Africa Innovation Support Programme, (SAIS). It will lend its support to eight Edtech start-ups, with potentials, through its financial and advisory resources.

Other benefits of participation

Selected ventures, in the Injini Incubation programme would:

• have access to receive R100,000 in grant funding
• eligible for follow-on equity investment, of up to R1 million
• opportunity to attend tailored business workshops
• exclusive discussions, with subject matter experts
• have an engagement, with a network of mentors
• obtain customised research and data insights

In addition to these, up to two members, of each selected start-up, would get to live and work in South Africa, during the programme’s first and third phase and would, get all international travel and accommodation, along with a living stipend, covered.

Eligibility for participation

Interested Edtech founders must;

• have a registered company
• a full-time founder, fluent in the English Language
• able to travel, to South Africa, during the phase of the incubation
• the solution must be evidence-based
• must address a major challenge, in the African education sector
• must have, at least, a minimum viable product, or, prototype
• founding members must have, a strong foundation, in education, or, technology

How to apply

Edtech founders, who are interested and have satisfied the requirements, can go ahead, to apply here. The deadline for applications is, on Tuesday, December 10, 2019.

Featured Image: greatyop

If you have designed an English language learning, or, teaching product that is innovative and functional, for two years running? You are, then, suitable to participate in the British Council ELTons Awards 2020.

The British Council is, looking for the most innovative resource, to teach and learn the English Language, from a diverse global context.

The British council Awards competition is, aiming at:

• Bridging educational inequality
• Reflecting on diversity in the English language
• Promote the inclusion of under-represented groups.

The competition seeks, to award innovators, in the following fields:

• Excellence in course innovation
• Innovation in teacher resources
• Innovation in learner resources
• Digital innovation
• Local innovation, (in partnership with Cambridge Assessment English)

Eligibility For The Awards

Applicants, who want to put in for the British Council ELTons Awards, can be from any country and must, also, satisfy these criteria:

• The English Language must be the second, or, other languages
• Have diverse ethnicities and nationalities
• Have quality contents
• Come from across the regional/rural and urban divide.

The British Council Awards is, also open, to disabled applicants, as well as, products designed, to aid disabled students and teachers.

How To Apply

Are you an educator, surrounded by a low-resource context? Do you belong, to an international organization, or, team?

The British Council will like to hear from you. Go ahead to apply here. The deadline for applications is, Friday, November 8, 2019.

The awards ceremony would take place, in June 2020, after a daunting three-round process, with judges, who would base their selection, on functionality and how innovative the product is.

The ceremony, also, sees the announcement of the British Council Lifetime Achievement Award, for an ELTons professional, who has made a substantial and long-lasting contribution, to the field of English language teaching.

Featured Image: scholarships.myschoolgist

The Association of International Certified Professional Accountants, (AICPA) and CPA, have opened applications for start-ups.

This Global Accounting Finance accelerator program for start-ups, focuses on finance, accounting and regulatory technology.
According to the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants, (CIMA), the participants in the program’s third class, are set to qualify, for funding, worth $25,000.

CIMA is one of the organisations, responsible for the formation of the start-up accelerator program.

Benefits Of Participation

In addition to the cash value, the start-up accelerator program, would afford the participants, the following;

• Access to the senior leadership of, both, the association and CPA.
  Access to an advisory group, with diverse backgrounds, in entrepreneurship, accounting and finance.
  Access to Certified Public Accountants, CPA’s, firm leaders and Chartered Global Management Accountants.
  Getting featured, at the AICPA’s Engage2020 conference, which will take place, between 7 to 11 June, 2019, in Las Vegas, in the US.
  Getting featured, at the AICPA and CPA Digital CPA Conference, which specialises in accounting technology and practice development topics.

Eligibility For Participation

Applicants from anywhere in the world, looking to participate in this accelerator program must;

Have a working product, or, service
Be at a seed, or, pre-Series A stage
Focused, on accounting technology, or, regulatory technology solutions

The six-month accelerator program, will see 5 start-ups selected, from the number of entries, which kicks off by early 2020.

According to Tim Simba, African Regional VP of CIMA, the accelerator program is aimed, at encouraging start-ups, to embrace new technologies, in bringing a transformation, into their business execution.

“Early-stage fintech and edtech companies will, also, benefit from strategic insights, market access and funding. This initiative is, a contribution, from the association and CIMA, to encourage innovation and employment creation, in Africa”, Tim concluded.

How To Apply

Potential participants Global Accounting Finance accelerator can go ahead to apply here. The deadline for the application is, Saturday, November 30, 2019.

Featured Image: Opportunitydesk.org

The MAN Impact Accelerator, calls for applications from mobility start-ups, to apply for its program.
Access to mobility is, the single, most important driver, to alleviating poverty.

The MAN Impact Accelerator is, built to scale social ventures, in transport and logistics, with a considerable impact on society.

The MAN Impact Accelerator, supports social business start-ups in the field of mobility, transport, and logistics, to accelerate their impactful innovations.

Selection Criteria

Social businesses and impactful start-ups, from Europe, Brazil, South Africa, as well as Mozambique, Rwanda, Uganda, Kenya, Nigeria, and Tanzania, are eligible to apply and all with a strong logistics, transport, or, mobility, focus with a prototype and preferably early revenues.

Start-ups must have a strong purpose and create, both tangible and measurable impact, beyond financial returns.

Benefits Of The Program

The program offers a range of benefits, from various partners and perspectives

Below is a list of these benefits:

Assets & Services From MAN

• MAN Staff Mentors with Industry Expertise
• MAN’s Global Network of Partners
• MAN’s Supply & Distribution Networks

Assets & Services From YSB

• Access to Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, Prof. Muhammad Yunus
• Access to the global impact investor community

Assets & Services From Other Partners

• Access to more than 300 mentors
• Visits to sites of social entrepreneurs
• Access to the innovation community

Areas For Consideration

• IoT, Drones & Aerospace, Data Analytics, Sensors, Last-mile connection & distribution
• Agriculture, Digital Health & MedTech, Education, Big Data & Smart Data, Wearables
• Blockchain, Cybersecurity, Chatbots, Internet Automation, Platforms

During the accelerator program, the mentors will help you obtain access, to industry know-how, tech expertise, and start-up methodologies, for rapidly validating your business and impact model.

The MAN Impact Accelerator kicks off in Munich on November 2019. The curriculum that follows, will take you to cities like, Sao Paolo, Lisbon and Johannesburg.

The official closing ceremony in Munich, in June 2020, will mark the end of the program.

Application Deadline

Does your start-up have transport, logistics or mobility componence? Then, the MAN Impact Accelerator is for you. Go ahead to apply here. The deadline for application is Tuesday, October 1, 2019.

Featured Image: fundingdesk.org

The DOEN Foundation, in partnership, with Seedstars, has launched the DOEN Land Restoration Prize.

The prize seeks to award start-ups, having the best solution, enabled by technology, for land restoration.

This is coming, on the backdrop, of land degradation and deforestation, facing lands today, in Africa, even, arable lands, are not spared, from this turn of rising population and industrialisation.

In Africa, nearly, two-thirds of the land is, degraded and this hampers economic development.

With Africa’s vast expanse of land, spanning a region of, more than 1.7 billion acres, of forest that, has been degraded, the continent has, a huge opportunity, to implement the largest land restoration.

The potential benefits that, the continent is, set to get, from the restoration, include improved food and water security, biodiversity protection, climate change resilience and economic growth.

African Union has, therefore, set an ambitious target, to restore 100 million hectares of degraded land, by 2030.

The prize challenge aims to seek out environmental, social and financial start-ups, with a focus on land restoration activities.

Criteria For Selection Include;

Start-ups, applying for this challenge, must have:

* Solutions, already tackling a problem, in the land restoration space that, is not older, than 4 years
* Or an existing start-up, less than, 4 years, with zero activity, but sees the opportunity, to adapt their current solution, to the land restoration space
* Solution with the potential, to reach scalability, in low resource areas
* Solution, showing the clear environmental impact
* The solution can show, a clear social impact
* Preferably, ventures that operate and are based in Africa
* Technology start-ups that, can demonstrate a business model, or, technology innovation

Start-ups That Can Apply?

* Solutions that finance the restoration of degraded land, for production and/or, conservation purposes
* Start-ups, using big data and technology, to reverse land degradation
* The technology used, to optimise resource efficiency, reduce impacts, on ecosystems and lower carbon emissions
* Water-Saving, Soil Technologies
* Technologies, focused on improving livelihoods and communities
* Planning, management and education tools, for land restoration
* Agriculture, (with a focus, on precision conservation) and Agro-Forestry
* Clean Energy solutions that, aid in the combat of land degradation
* Responsible Eco-Tourism that, aids in the support, of land restoration

Benefits Of The Challenge

* The top 3 solutions, will be invited, for an all-inclusive trip, to the Seedstars Africa Summit, in Johannesburg, South Africa, on December 5, 2019, for a week-long training program and conference
* The winner, will receive 9 months access, to the Seedstars exclusive investment readiness program
* A $10,000 grant, will be awarded, to the winning solution

How to apply

Start-ups, with eligibility satisfied above, can start the application here. Applications for the DOEN Land Restoration prize challenge, closes on Tuesday, October 15, 2019. The winner of this challenge, will be awarded, 9 months’ access, to the Seedstars Investment Readiness Program and will, also, assess a $10,000 grant.