The Work in Progress! Alliance is an initiative that seeks to enable young people from diverse backgrounds to generate sustainable living wages and create optimism about their future in Egypt, Nigeria and Somalia. Sponsored by the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Alliance consists of Oxfam Novib, Venture Capital for Africa, Butterfly Works and a number of national partners in our project countries.
The Work in Progress! team believes that locally-led innovations should be harnessed and supported to solve the challenges that the coronavirus outbreak has heightened. The Innovation Challenge is a competition that Oxfam is launching in Egypt, Nigeria and Somalia. It will provide two €10,000 awards in each country.
Additionally, the winners of the Challenge will be eligible for technical support from our partners including the possibility of mentorshipfrom Innovation Challenge participants in the other project countries. The award is meant to assist each winner to develop, implement and put in full operation an innovative solution to help alleviate their community or business from the impact of the Coronavirus.
Through this innovation challenge, The Work in Progress! project aims to support and learn from youth-initiated innovative action that addresses a common challenge across all three project countries. Successful project experiences and lessons learned will be shared through the Work in Progress! and Oxfam networks.
Have you built, created or thought of innovative solutions to the coronavirus pandemic and how it is affecting your community, then we want to hear from you? Whether you are an impact-driven startup, SME or an energetic individual, you can apply to the youth-led innovative challenge and receive support for your ideas.
Eligibility criteria
- The principal applicant should be under 35 years of age. Preference will be given to female-led innovators.
- In case of a startup or SME, the applicant must be a registered company in Egypt, Nigeria or Somaliland.
- The applicant confirms that the individual or company is not in any way involved in activities such as arms, tobacco, alcohol and gambling industries, registered in so-called tax-havens, or involved in environmental or human rights abuses or corruption.
- The proposed innovation project can be implemented in the period of Oct 2020 – Feb 2021.
Selection process
This Innovation Challenge is for young people, startups and small businesses registered in Egypt, Nigeria and Somaliland. Candidates will apply online by completing an application form (below), elaborating plans for the innovation project, presenting a proof of concept and budget. A panel of judges will review and score all applications and invite the best applicants to pitch their ideas and proposals through a virtual presentation. The panel will then select two winners (per country).
Planning
- The deadline for applications is 24 September, 2020.
- Applicants will be invited to present their pitches after the shortlisting is done by the judges.
- Winners will be notified shortly thereafter, following which grant contracts will be processed.
- The innovation projects will be implemented from October 2020 – February 2021.
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