YouthConnekt Africa Innovation Award

In partnership with Ministry of Youth and YouthConnekt Africa, the Ministry of Environment, the Rwanda Green Fund and the Global Green Growth Institute in Rwanda have established the YouthConnekt Africa Green Growth Innovation Award.

YouthConnekt is platform connecting youth to their role models, peers, resources, skills and economic opportunities. This is an initiative aiming to fill the gap between youth and opportunities. The YouthConnekt awards promote, recognize and support innovation and entrepreneurship among youth through intensive training courses and cash injections for business development.

The inaugural YouthConnekt Africa Green Growth Innovation Award will be announced at the YouthConnekt Africa Summit taking place from 8-10 October 2018 in Kigali, Rwanda.

The Top 3 awardees will be invited to attend the Africa Green Growth Forum from 26-30 November 2018, and will be recognised at the Rwanda Green Growth Concert and Awards Ceremony on 28 November 2018 at Kigali Regional Stadium in Nyamirambo.

AWARD CRITERIA

The awards are open to young green growth innovators from across African and selection will be conducted in two phases as outlined below:

  1. National Selection
    1. National YouthConnekt affiliated entities will conduct the first round of application reviews and select the best entry from their country.
  2. Continental Selection
    1. A committee of subject matter experts will receive the best entries from each country and evaluate them based on the below criteria.

The jury will be comprised of representative from the Ministry of Environment, the Rwanda Green Fund and Global Green Growth Institute.

Entries will be judged on the following criteria:

  • The project must be innovative, unique or with an added value
  • The project/business should be profitable/impactful
  • The project/business must have a clear vision (Business model); The project/business should be scalable
  • The project should be aligned to green economy principles
  • The project should demonstrate commercial viability and sustainability
  • The project/business must be contributing to Job creation
  • The young innovator must understand well the value chain
  • The project/business should have a competitive advantage
  • The supply chain should be effective

 

Winner

  • Prize: US $5,000
  • Attendance at YouthConnekt Africa Bootcamp
  • Attendance at the Africa Green Growth Forum

 

First Runner-up

  • Attendance at YouthConnekt Africa Bootcamp
  • Attendance at the Africa Green Growth Forum

 

Second Runner-up

  • Attendance at YouthConnekt Africa Bootcamp
  • Attendance at the Africa Green Growth Forum

 

Finalists

  • The Top 3 finalists will be invited to attend Youth Connekt Africa, will be recognised during the award ceremony on 1o October 2018 and will be eligible to attend the YouthConnekt Africa Bootcamp during the summit.

ELIGIBILITY

  • Applicants must be from the continent of Africa, their business based in Africa, offering solution to Africa
  • Applicants must be between 16-35 years old
  • Applicants should be an entrepreneur, a registered company or a cooperative
  • The applicant’s organization or initiative must address youth empowerment, conservation and preservation of the environment, community development, advance social welfare and job creation and contribute to the green growth and promotional of the green economy
  • The applicant’s organization or initiative must fall under any of the green growth areas such as energy, water, infrastructure, solar etc.
  • The applicant’s organization or initiative must have been operation for not less than 6 months.

 

APPLICATION PROCESS

  • Applications Open: 10 September 2018 
  • Applications Close: 28 September 2018
  • Winners Announced: 10 October 2018
  • Top 3 recognised at Africa Green Growth Forum: 28 November 2018

 

JUDGING PANEL

  • Ministry of Environment, Rwanda
  • Rwanda Green Fund (FONERWA)
  • Global Green Growth Institute, Rwanda

 

APPLICATIONS CLOSED