Award
Up to $2000 for the Winning Solution(s) and $10,000 to Support
Implementation.
Background
Over the last three decades, Africa has made significant strides in building its scientific, technological and industrial bases but lags the rest of the world in research, product development and innovations. Africa accounts for about one percent of the global number of researchers and global expenditure on research and development (R&D) and 0.3% of global high-tech exports. Many African businesses and entities do not have inhouse R&D units to meet some of their R&D and support innovation activities.
As a dedicated interdisciplinary research and innovation lab, Origin provides solutions to some of Africa’s most intricate, complex and inspirational challenges faced by industry, public institutions and communities. Supported by United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) and the Mastercard Foundation, Origin’s ethos is informed by the 2030 Agenda and Agenda 2063 of the Africa we want.
About Innovation Challenge Call
This Innovation Challenge Call offers firms and public entities the opportunity to outsource technical expertise to solve specific technical or technological challenges that they currently seek to overcome and to implement now. The challenge may be in areas such as: a) product design, development and production; b) process of manufacturing, packaging or storage and c) meeting regulatory requirements such as safety, standards and environmental issues, among others.
Advantages:
You are in charge: you define the problem and you choose the solution that works for you. Origin and its partners will support you as firms, institutions, communities or individuals to source new ideas and solutions from some of the smartest and brightest minds in Africa and beyond to meet your challenge. More importantly, Origin and its partners will support you in refining the challenge sufficiently clear to enable experts from all walks of life to provide useful ideas or solutions.
On top of that Origin and its partners will provide both financial and technical support to implement the solution. Up to $10,000 is being made available for entities that send in inspirational challenges and are willing and able to implement the solution. The goal is to unlock your growth prospects, enhance efficiency and productivity, improve safety, minimize environmental impacts and enhance social gains.
Eligibility criteria
All legal entities – individual entrepreneurs and innovators, firms, institutions and public entities in Africa – except UN entities and those linked to Origin - may submit ONLY one challenge. Beyond these generalities, the following criteria need to be met
- The entity submitting the challenge must be the same facing the challenge (e.g. a firm) or indirectly facing the challenge (e.g. NGO in its current work with a community).
- For this call, only technological challenges will be accepted. Non-technological challenges (e.g. organizational, institutional and managerial arrangements) are outside the current scope of work of Origin.
- You should be actively looking for a solution now to overcome the challenge and are able or willing to put aside some resources (e.g. human, financial, institutional resources) to implement the solution if one was found
- Your entity is at least three (3) years old – be it formal or informal
All are encouraged to apply, especially women and youths.
Click Here to Access the Online Application in Google Form
For Further information Please Contact:
- Asfaw Yitna – yitna@un.org
- Gedion Workneh – workneh@un.org