Applications call for Youth Innovators Competition and Design Bootcamp 2020 on COVID-19.

The United Nations Commission for Africa and its partners are pleased to invite youths from all walks of life to the first COVID-19 Innovation Competition and Design Bootcamp 2020, to be held virtually form 15-26 June 2020.  The Bootcamp will bring together a selected number of students from across the continent and their partners through the innovation competition. The Bootcamp will be organized through a major online platform, for promoting innovation and instilling entrepreneurial competencies and imparting technical skills that may not be taught at colleges and universities in Africa (e.g. coding mobile devices, rapid prototyping with 3D Printing etc). Students will work in teams to address common challenges, attend classes, and access mentors and coaches.

Focus Areas

Of the topics of the Innovation and Investment Forum 2020, the Bootcamp will focus on the following areas, related to COVID-19

• Enhance medical devices and personal protection gear design and fabrication.
• Alternative tools for efficient and effective contact tracing and isolation.
• New approaches for testing and diagnosis.
• Reliable and cost-effective medical devices for therapy.

Eligibilities

The Bootcamp is open to all youths up to the age of 30 that may or may not be in colleges and universities across Africa, including those in innovation hubs or in employment are welcome. Participants might be supported by partners abroad as well as professionals in research centers, innovation hubs, universities, and institutes as well as government and business leaders. They will be welcome to serve as talent scouts, mentors, coaches, and guest lecturers.

Benefits 

Besides the opportunities to meet business and government leaders, the top 20 innovations selected in each of the 2 categories will be profiled on the ECA and partners’ websites; and the top 10 in each category will be given the opportunity to convince and get the support of judges, governments, investors and potential partners and collaborators.

Selection Criteria

Participants will be selected on the basis of:

• Education (university career, evaluation proportional to the age of the participant) – 6 points
• Motivation letter – 1 point
• Projects already developed and documented –   3 points

 registration form