As part of the 2022 Digital Economy Summit, the United States Chamber of Commerce’s US-Africa Business Center (USAfBC) is hosting its annual Digital Entrepreneurship Competition for African Startups.

The competition will be focused on three broad thematic areas:

• Fintech and Cyber Solutions: covering data flow solutions, cross-border digital platform solutions, mobile technology, intellectual property management, cyber security, and digital movement of creative art
• Sustainability & Supply Chain Solutions: covering smart manufacturing, e-commerce, management of shared economies, improvement to digital supply chain, logistics solutions to e-commerce businesses, and agriculture technology
• Human Development & Social Services Solutions: covering digital health solutions, and e-learning platforms.

Benefits:

• cash prizes as well as in-kind services to be provided to the top three winners.
• The in-kind services may include laptops, annual subscriptions to digital platforms, mentoring, and also digital marketing/advertising services for the top three winners of the competition.
• The top three winners will also be offered a virtual platform to engage with mentors and participants during the Digital Economy Summit on December 07, 2022.

Eligibility:

To be eligible, an applicant (or their startup) must:

• Be a startup or innovator with at least 51% African ownership
• Must be incorporated /registered with the appropriate country-based body, e.g., Nigerian Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC).
• Also, not be a government agency, public administration, political organization, or non-profit of any type Africa Digital Entrepreneurship Competition 2022.
• In addition, the startup must be headquartered in one of the African Countries.
• The startup must not be older than five (5) years and not be part of a franchise brand or licensing agreements for distribution in a different country.
• Moreover, not be a Business engaged in any illegal activity and not listed on the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Sanctions List

Submission Evaluation:

Each applicant will be evaluated by a panel of judges based on:

1. the pertinence of the idea being resolved
2. the quality of the innovation/service response
3. also, the business model
4. its scalability
5. the size of the market
6. In addition, the clarity and persuasiveness of the two-minute video pitch.

The selection and evaluation process of submissions shall be reviewed and accredited by an external certified reviewer. The winners of the competition will be determined by the judges’ ranking of the applicants based on a set of pre-determined criteria.

How Many Scholarships will be Given?

3