Up to £55k up for grabs in latest edition of Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation

The UK’s Royal Academy of Engineering has opened applications for the 2019/2020 Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation, with a total prize pool of £55 000 up for grabs

The Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation aims to stimulate, celebrate and reward innovation and entrepreneurship in sub-Saharan Africa. Applications for the prize are open to innovators from the region who have developed an innovative product or service that can provide scalable solutions to local challenges, with a particular emphasis on sustainable social and economic development.

The overall winner of the prize will receive a £25 000 prize, while three runners-up will each receive £10 000 each. Applications close on 22 July, with the final set to take place in June 2020.

The overall winner of the 2019/2020 Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation will receive £25 000

After applications close, 16 applicants will be selected to receive an eight-month package of tailored support that will run from November this year to June 2020 — including three-week immersion sessions in the UK and Africa — designed to:

• Further develop their technology
• Strengthen and develop their existing business plans
• Successfully communicate their innovations through pitching
• Forge links with potential partners, investors and customers
• Move towards commercialisation, or scale up

Once selected, the 16 will be required to submit a full business plan and updates on their ventures from the first period of training up until 30 April 2020. Thereafter, a judging panel will review the business plans and identify four finalists.

The four will then pitch at the prize’s final event which will be held in June next year in an as yet to be disclosed location in Africa. At the event the remaining shortlisted applicants will exhibit their innovations, while the judging panel will select the overall winner and the runners-up.

Read more: Here’s who made shortlist of the 2019 Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation
Read more: Ugandan behind malaria test kit wins Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation
Read more: Here are the four finalists of £25 000 Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation

Featured image: RAEngGlobal via Twitter