RAE Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation 2016/2017 (£25,000 Prize)

Description

Applications are invited from engineers in sub Saharan Africa who have developed an innovation that can provide scalable solutions to local challenges.

The Africa Prize encourages ambitious and talented sub-Saharan African engineers from all disciplines to apply their skills to develop scalable solutions to local challenges, highlighting the importance of engineering as an enabler of improved quality of life and economic development. Crucial commercialisation support is awarded to a shortlist of innovative applicants through a six-month period of training and mentoring.

The aim of the Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation is to stimulate, celebrate and reward innovation and entrepreneurship in sub-Saharan Africa.

Eligibility

• Applicants must be individuals or groups of no more than three people.
• Individual applicants must be citizens of a country within sub-Saharan Africa and currently reside there. For teams of two or three, the lead applicant must be a citizen of a country within sub-Saharan Africa and currently reside there.
• Applicants must have an engineering innovation and provide a letter of support from a university of research institution.
• Industrial researchers and establishments are not eligible.
• The applicant’s innovation can be any new product, technology or service, based on research in engineering defined in its broadest sense to encompass a wide range of fields, including: agricultural technology, biotechnology, chemical engineering, civil engineering, computer science, design engineering, electrical and electronic engineering, ICT, materials science, mechanical engineering, and medical engineering. If you are in any doubt that your area of expertise would be considered engineering then please contact the Academy to discuss your application.
• Applicants should have achieved the development of, and be in the early stages of commercialising, an engineering innovation that:

1.     ​will bring social and/or environmental benefits to country/countries in sub-Saharan Africa;
2.     has strong potential to be replicated and scaled up;
3.     is accompanied by an ambitious but realistic business plan which has strong commercial viability.

The Prize

The overall winner will receive £25,000 (or local currency equivalent). Runners-up will also receive a cash prizeof £10,000 each.

How to Apply

All applications must be submitted via the online Grant System.  You must register though the system before you are able to apply.
The application form has six sections to complete.

Required Document

A CV and letter of support are also required

Notification:

All applications will be acknowledged on receipt.
Selected applicants will be contacted by email in September 2016.

Apply Now

Visit the official webpage for more info

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2016 UNICEF/Young Lions Health Award for Young Talent in Creative Communications

Description

The Young Lions Health Award in association with UNICEF invites professionals working in advertising agencies or client organizations to respond to a UNICEF brief in a competition focused on helping UNICEF raise awareness about the importance of children’s first years of life for their social, emotional and cognitive development.

The Challenge

Propose a toolkit including a digital activation, print ad and video idea to raise awareness among caregivers about how early stimulation including play, music, reading and singing, exposure to different textures and smells helps foster children’s cognitive, social and emotional development in the critical first years of life.

N.B. Children’s caregivers are not restricted to parents only.

Elements of the toolkit will be used as part of UNICEF’s public awareness and communications
strategy on early childhood development.

The toolkit must be global in its appeal but with flexibility to be adapted locally.

Selection Criteria

An outstanding toolkit (digital activation, print ad and video ) should:

• Raise awareness among caregivers about the importance of children’s first years for social, emotional and cognitive development.
• Encourage caregivers to engage in learning through early stimulationwith their children.
• Increase brand identification of UNICEF with learning and early childhood development.
• Tone: Emotional playful, positive, engaging and friendly
• Any depiction of children must be done in a way that preserves their dignity.

Eligibility

• Young professionals working in advertising agencies should be 30 years old and under (born on or after 25 June 1985)
• Young professionals working in client organisations should be 30 years old and under (born on or after 25 June 1985)
• Please note that you will not be able to amend your competition entry once it has been submitted
• All the information needs to be in English
• Competition entries are individual or in teams of two
• Entrants can only enter once either as a team or individually
• Students are not allowed to enter the competition

Prize/Benefit

The winner(s) will receive a complimentary registration for Lions Health, including travel and accommodation.

Competition entry requirement(s):

A presentation film (max. 3 minutes in length, mp4 or mov) OR up to 8 images as 1 combined file (pdf, PowerPoint, jpeg). Please ensure you submit all the necessary documents. Failure to do so may result in your entry not being accepted.

Supporting document

1. National ID/Passport in PDF format
2. Letter of employment signed by line manager with company header, address and line manager’s contact details (for full-time employment, sent as pdf)
3. OR Reference letter by client with company header, address and contact details (if applicant is freelancer, sent as pdf)

Notification

Only the winning entrant(s) will be contacted on Friday 29 April 2016. There is no fee to enter.

Submission deadline:    25 March 2016

Enter the Competition Now

Visit the official webpage for more info

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EO GSEA GLOBAL STUDENT ENTREPRENEUR AWARDS ($20,000 Prize)

Description:
The Entrepreneurs’ Organization’s Global Student Entrepreneur Awards (GSEA) is the premier global competition for student entrepreneurs who actively run a business.


With more than 1,700 competitors from more than 30 countries, EO GSEA is an exclusive opportunity for student entrepreneurs to make connections, find resources, and grow their businesses!

About Contest:
Student entrepreneurs compete through qualifying competitions to win their shot at going head to head against the best student entrepreneurs in the world at the EO GSEA Global Finals.

EO GSEA nominees compete in qualifying competitions for the chance to advance to the Global Finals, held in May 2016 in Bangkok, Thailand.

Nationality:
The EO Global Student Entrepreneur Awards welcomes nominations from any country around the globe!

Eligibility/Requirements:
Here are the criteria for the 2014/15 Global Student Entrepreneur Awards:

*The student must be an undergraduate student at a recognized university or college and enrolled in school at the time of application.

*The student must be the owner, founder or controlling shareholder of their company and principally responsible for its operation.

*The student’s company must have been in business for at least the past six consecutive months, and the business must be a for-profit business.

*The student must have not been the Global Student Entrepreneur Awards winner in the past and/or were not one of the five finalists for the 2013/14 Global Student Entrepreneur Awards Finals competition.

Benefits/Prize(s):
*Access to successful entrepreneurs. Feedback. Mentorship.

*Refined elevator pitches. Going head to head with other business owners and answering tough questions about their business to our judges help competitors improve their pitch skills and enhance their ability to communicate the value proposition of their business.

*Expanded networks. Competitors will meet other student entrepreneurs from around the world, as well as Entrepreneurs’ Organization (EO) members and our honored guests.

*Media Exposure. Competitors will receive local and national media attention for themselves and their business.

*Did we mention PRIZES? The Global Finals competition awards US$20,000, plus donated business products and services, including Web services, printing, PR, consulting and more!

How to apply:
-Fill out the online application at Apply Now
-After your application has been received, it will be reviewed in detail.
-If selected to compete, someone from GSEA will contact you to give you further information on the location of the competition and how to prepare.

Visit the official application page for more information and application

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Human Rights Essay Competition For Best Essay In International Human Rights Law

Description:
The Human Rights Essay Award is an annual competition sponsored by the Academy and seeks to stimulate the production of scholarly work in international human rights law.


Participants have the flexibility to choose any subject related to the assigned topic. The essay has to be a legal article.

Essay Requirements:
*Articles must not exceed 35 pages in length, including footnotes

 *Essays must use Times New Roman font, 12-point double-spaced for the body of the essay and 10-point single-spaced for footnotes.

*All essays must be on letter size paper (8.5 x 11 inches/21.59 x 27.94 cm) with 1 inch (2.54 cm) margins all around.

* Character spacing must be set to normal.

* Authors should not put their name or any identifying information in their essays.

 * Essays will only be accepted in Word format

 * Any essay that does not follow the guidelines will be reformatted and 5 points will be taken off. If the essay is longer than 35 pages, it will be automatically disqualified.

 * The essay has to be a legal article; therefore, it will include foot pages and citations. The absence of those will cause that the essay will be disqualified.

Eligibility/Rules:

 -Candidates must hold a law degree and have demonstrated experience or interest in international human rights law.

 -Each participant must also include a curriculum vitae of no more than three pages in length explaining the experience or interest of the author in human rights issues. Please submit the CV as a separate file from your paper.

-Essays must be submitted using the online submission page, no emailed entries will be accepted.

-Past Winners cannot submit essays in future competitions.

Prizes/Awards:
The Academy will grant two Awards, one for the best article in English and one for the best article in Spanish. The Award in each case will consist of:

A full scholarship to the Program of Advanced Studies on Human Rights and Humanitarian Law for either the Diploma or Certificate of Attendance options

-Travel expenses to and from Washington D.C.

-Housing at the university dorms

- Per diem for living expenses

-The best articles may be published in the American University International Law Review.

Notification:
Winners will be announced on April 1, 2015 through the official Web site.

Submission Deadline:
The deadline to submit articles is February 1, 2015, at 11:59 p.m. E.S.T. NO ESSAYS WILL BE ACCEPTED AFTER THIS TIME.

Visit the official competition page for more information and application

 

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BBC International Play Writing Competition [£2200 Prize Each]

Description:
The International Play writing Competition - from the BBC World Service & British Council in partnership with Commonwealth Writers and co-produced by The Open University calls on  interested writers to make submission for 25th Edition of International Play writing Competition.


Who can apply?
The competition is open to new and established writers, provided they live outside the UK.

Competition Requirements:
In order to enter you need to send:
• A script for a 53 minute radio play with up to 6 central characters - we are unable to return these, so make sure you keep a copy
• A synopsis which outlines your play is no longer than 400 words
• A completed form (download here), attached to your play and synopsis.

Eligibility/Rules:
Entry is only open to anyone who is over the age of 18 as at 31 January 2016 who is not normally a resident of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Channel Islands or Isle of Man (“UK”).

Individuals who have lived or worked in the UK on a temporary basis for no more than 12 months at the time of entering the competition are also eligible.

Professional and previously published writers are eligible to enter, but this is not a requirement of entry. We may require proof of eligibility.

Entrants must not be BBC or British Council or The Open University or Commonwealth Foundation employees, their close relatives or any person connected to the competition. Proof of age, identity and eligibility may be requested.

Prize(s):
There are three prizes

English as a First Language Winner
£2200 sterling will be given for the overall winning playwright of the best play written with English as a first language and a trip to London to see the play being recorded for broadcast on the BBC World Service and to attend a prize-giving evening.

English as a Second Language Winner
£2200 sterling will be given for the overall winning playwright of the best play written with English as a second language and a trip to London to see the play being recorded for broadcast on the BBC World Service and to attend a prize-giving evening.

The Georgi Markov Prize:
The Georgi Markov Prize includes a standard return flight to London, with 2 weeks accommodation – a week of which will be spent with the BBC’s London Radio Drama department and a week with BBC World Service. These 2 weeks will coincide with the making of the winning plays from the International Radio Play Writing Competition and the winner of the Georgi Markov prize will attend the prize-giving ceremony and receive recognition at the same time.

How to apply:
Entries must be submitted either by by post to the following address:
International Play Writing Competition 2016,
BBC Radio Drama,
Room 6015 BBC Broadcasting House,
Portland Place, London W1A 1AA,
 United Kingdom,

Or:
To your local British Council office, or by email to the following email address: radioplay@bbc.co.uk

Application Deadline: 31 January 2016.

Visit the official competition page for more information and application

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St Gallen Symposium Leaders of Tomorrow Essay Competition ($19,403 Cash Prize)

Description:

Compete for the St. Gallen Wings of Excellence Award and qualify for participation as a Leader of Tomorrow in the world’s premier opportunity for intergenerational debates: The St. Gallen Symposium. 

About the Essay:

Your essay must answer the following question: What are alternatives to economic growth? Leaders of Tomorrow have expressed scepticism towards economic growth as it stands today. We challenge you to develop your alternative guidelines to the concept of growth. 

Present your own idea to convince the jury. You are expected to submit a professional, creative and thought-provoking essay. Be bold and unconventional! Your essay (max. 2,100 words) must be written in English language and all sources must be cited and referred to the respective part in the essay. Individual work expected, no group work allowed. 

The essay must be written exclusively for this contest and your name must not be mentioned anywhere in the contribution file.

Eligibilty:

You must be enrolled in a graduate or postgraduate program (master level or higher) in any field of study at a regular university

You must be born in 1986 or later

Requirements:

-Copy of passport or other identification (in English for non-Roman languages)

-Confirmation of matriculation/enrolment from your university which proves your enrolment in a graduate/postgraduate level programme as of 1 February 2016 (download sample document here)

-Your contribution file with no indication of your name in the file name, the file metadata or the file itself

Prize/Benefits:

*Join the debate with 600 top global leaders and decision makers

*Share your thoughts, ideas and visions with the global elite

*Expenses for travel, board and lodging covered, travel service provided

*Meet 200 of the world’s brightest young minds

*Small and intimate gatherings with world leaders, exclusively for the Leaders of Tomorrow

*CHF 20,000.– prize money shared by the three winners

*Broad media coverage

*Become member of a truly unique and strong global community

Selection Criteria and Process:

All contributions will be evaluated according to specific criteria by an independent jury composed of professors, corporate executives and entrepreneurs. The authors of the best 100 contributions qualify as Leaders of Tomorrow and will be invited by the ISC to the next St. Gallen Symposium.

You qualify as a semi-finalist to compete for the prestigious award 2016 if your essay makes it in the top 20. You will be asked by mid-March the very latest to pitch the essence of your essay in a 3-minute video presentation.

Based upon the quality of both the essay and the video pitch, the jury selects the six finalists who will compete for the award against each other on the symposium’s big stage.

The award will be bestowed to those finalists who show the very best performances both on the essay and on the stage in St. Gallen.

How to apply:

The application and submission of essay is online.

Application deadline: 1 February 2016

Visit the official application page for more information and application

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AU Design Competition for the African Union Human Rights Memorial Site ($10,000 Prize)

Description:

The Design Competition is a call to all African artists and designers to compete in a continent wide competition for the design of the memorial. This activity is part of the implementation of the Action Plan of the Human Rights Strategy for Africa.

About the contest:

The overall objective of the AUHRM should reflect the history of the site and draw connections with experiences of human right violation like apartheid in South Africa, genocide in Rwanda, colonialism and slavery in Africa, as well as other forms of human right atrocities. 

The objective of the assignment should also simultaneously manifest the history of the prisons and be inclusive by reflecting the contents history, as both a site of repeated atrocities and human losses, and a place where people stood together, strived to learn, and to retain the dignity of humanity.

Scope of the assignment:

The scope of the services will include all necessary steps and materiel production in order to achieve the objectives stated above:

-The candidate should reflect, explain and present its proposal in writing (English or French).

-The memorial sample should be supported by technical drawings, details and specifications.

The candidate should clearly indicate the steps, the structural materials used, the finishing component used to make the memorial durable and long lasting with low maintenance costs.

-The candidate should provide a model in 3 D of the propose monument.

-She or He should write a complete report (10 page maximum) that explains the meaning of the proposed monument.

Eligibilty:

This Human Right memorial design competition is open only for African citizen or African Diasporas artists, designers and sculptures with two years of similar experience and have good working exposures with at least three similar projects. 

Prizes:

1st Winner: $6,000

2nd Winner: $2,500

3rd Winner: $1,500

Application process:

All participants to this competition should provide, in a sealed envelope, the following documents:

*Presentation of the participant and its achievements Technical drawings

*Maquette model in 3 D

*Explanation report explaining the meaning of the choice monument (10 pages excluding the cover page)

The envelope should be written as follows and mailed to the address below:

AUHRM SITE DESIGN COMPETITION

AFRICAN UNION COMMISSION, ROOSEVELT STREET

ADMINISTRATION AND HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGEMENT DIRECTORATE

PROCUREMENT, TRAVEL AND STORES DIVISION

BUILDING C, 3rd Floor

P.O BOX 3243 ADDIS-ABABA

 ETHIOPIA.

Note:

Request for clarification should be emailed to tender@africa-union.org

Application deadline: All interested African Citizen or African Diasporas artists, designers and sculptors can participate in the competition and send their proposal until the proposal submission date December 23, 2015 3:00 PM Addis Ababa time in the address indicated above.

Visit the official competition page for more information

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Enterprise Forum Arab Startup Competition(win up to $50,000)

Challenge:
Select your track (these tracks are avaliable: Ideas , Startups ,  Social Entrepreneurship) and submit your business plan, idea or prototype and you could win up to $50,000 depending on your track plus training, mentorship, exposure and networking.

Description:

As one of the biggest entrepreneurship competitions in the region  receiving 5,000 applications each year from 21 Arab countries, besides money `prize, the competition engages entrepreneurs in training, mentorship, exposure and networking.

So far, the Competition has trained more than 1,500 entrepreneurs and has created over 250 knowledge based jobs. It receives applications in 4 different tracks: Ideas, Startups, Social Entrepreneurship, and The Silicon Valley Program in 3 different languages: English, Arabic and French.

Eligibility Criteria for the Startups Track:

*At least two members per team

*At least one Arab national on the team

*Working prototype, ideally with some user traction and some sales

*Generates at most $500K in annual revenues

*0-5 years in operations

*Legally registered in one of the Arab countries

*Your Startup can be in ANY industry

Eligibility Criteria for the Social Entrepreneurship Track

*At least two members per team

*At least one Arab national on the team

*You should have a registered social enterprise, as we are targeting "Startups" stage social enterprises (It can *be for-profit or non-for-profit)

*Your core product/service needs to address a social problem targeting marginalised/disadvantaged *population

*Your Social Enterprise can be in ANY industry

Eligibility Criteria for the Ideas track

*At least two members per team

*At least one Arab national on the team

*No Working Prototype required

*No Sales

*No Registration required when applying, but winners are required to incorporate a company in one of the *Arab countries in order to be able to receive their prize

*Should not have received any previous funding

*Your Ideas can be in ANY industry

How to Apply?

In order to compete in the 9th Edition of the MIT Enterprise Forum Arab Startup Competition, applicants must select one track - and only 1 of the 3 available tracks: Ideas , Startups ,  Social Entrepreneurship.
 

Prizes

Startups Track: $50K for the first winner, $15K for the second winner, and $10K for the third winner

Ideas Track: $15K for the first winner, $10K for the second winner, and $5K for the third winner

Social Entrepreneurship Track: 3 winners winning $10K each.

Timeline:

*Deadline for submissions: January 4, 2016

*Announcement of the 70 semifinalist teams: February 1, 2016

*Pre-boot Camp in 4 different Arab countries (Egypt,Jordan,Morocco and UAE): Date TBC

*Lean startup Training: 11-12 April, 2016

*Round 2 Judging-Speed dating activity-Networking dinner & announcement of the finalists: April 13, 2016

*Final oral presentations: April 14, 2016

*Final Awards Ceremony-Announcement of the winners followed by a Gala Dinner: April 14, 2016

*MIT Technology Review Arab Edition full day conference: April 15, 2016

Visit the official application page for more information and application

WE WISH YOU GOODLUCK!!!

2015 Muzinda Hub Business Plan Competition for African Entrepreneurs

Challenge:

 As a part of Muzinda Hub's efforts to support African entrepreneurs during Global Entrepreneur Week, the hub is having a Business Plan Competition.  Develop a business idea prototype or business proposal based on the web or app technology and submit it for a review by a panel of judges.

Description:

Muzinda is Zimbabwe’s first entrepreneurship and innovation Hub; a one-stop shop for idea development, innovation and digital skills development. These ideas will then be turned into solutions and business cases for job creation, wealth creation and sustainable social impact. The Hub’s initiative seek to capacitate the youth with both an investment in human capital through training and mentorship programs that connect Zimbabwe’s youth to opportunities within the emerging knowledge economy.

Eligibility:

Open to only Africans

Requirement:

*The idea must be at concept stage or at very early stage prototype.
*The proposal must be for a profitable business idea.
*The idea must be scalable within an African context.

*The business proposal must be for a web or app based business idea.

Benefits:

*10 shortlisted African businesses will pitch to a panel of judges during Global Entrepreneurship Week (16-22 November 2015).

* Muzinda Hub will build the technology platforms for the top 5 businesses and also provide online entrepreneurship training from Ubuntu Equity.

Application Deadline: 30^th October, 2015.

Visit the official application page for more information and application. 

WE WISH YOU GOODLUCK!!!

2016 Hult Prize $1m Team Challenge($1,000,000)

Challenge:

Win US$1,000,000. Compete in the planet’s largest student competition to solve the world's toughest challenges. How will you change the world with $1M in start-up capital?

Description:

The Hult Prize Foundation is a start-up accelerator for budding young social entrepreneurs emerging from the world’s universities. Named as one of the top five ideas changing the world by President Bill Clinton and TIME Magazine, the annual competition for the Hult Prize aims to create and launch the most compelling social business ideas—start-up enterprises that tackle grave issues faced by billions of people. Winners receive USD1 Million in seed capital, as well as mentorship and advice from the international business community.

The Hult Prize is offered in partnership with Former US President Bill Clinton and the Clinton Global Initiative. It is hosted and supported by Hult International Business School. And it is generously funded by Swedish entrepreneur Bertil Hult and his family. It has been called the "Nobel Prize for Students" by media outlets world-wide.

Scope of Competition: 

It includes, but not limlited to the following social advancement. Access to Education, Clean water, Affordable housing, Clean energy, Solar Power,  Food insecurity, Healthcare. These are a few of the issues competitors have tackled since the competition’s inception.

Eligibility:

Open to universities, colleges and students on every continent.

Teams of 3-4 students are challenged to develop a custom tailored innovative start-up enterprise to eradicate a problem.

Competition Process:

 Regional rounds of the competition will be held in Boston, San Francisco, London, Dubai and Shanghai on March 11-12, 2016.

Benefits:

*1 million US Dollars($1,000,000) start-up capital to be awarded the team that won.

*Business mentoring and global networking opportunities.

*Global Media awareness and fame.

Apply Now!!!

Visit the Hult Prize Competition official page for more information and application.

Application Deadline:  18^th December, 2015.

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