Digital Innovations for Business Resilience in the EAC – Innovators Sprint Up Programme

The Digital Innovations for Business Resilience in the EAC – Innovators Sprint up Programme” is part of the East African Community (EAC) project, “Digital Skills for an Innovative East African Industry” (dSkills@EA) implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) and the Inter University Council for East Africa (IUCEA) across all EAC partner States.

Objective of the Program

• The overall objective of this assignment is to train and equip young innovators and budding entrepreneurs at universities across the seven EAC Partner States (Burundi, Kenya, DR Congo, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda), to establish sustainable business models, gain access to knowledge and tools needed to operate and scale up their Startup ventures.

Awards

• Selected innovators will receive financial support, mentorship, and access to a network of industry experts and entrepreneurs. The program culminates with demo days across the EAC Partner States, providing an opportunity for innovators to showcase their ideas and connect with potential investors.

Timeline

• The program is structured to provide comprehensive support from ideation and prototyping to scale-up and commercialization. It includes physical or in-presence workshops spanning a period of two weeks each, totalling eight weeks of intensive training and development. Following the workshops, the program culminates with demo days across the EAC Partner States to showcase innovations and facilitate investor networking.

Who They’re Open to?

• The program is open to young innovators and budding entrepreneurs from the EAC Partner States who are currently enrolled in a university or have recently graduated. Special consideration will be given to women-led innovations, with at least 40% of the selected innovators being women. The program also welcomes beneficiaries from previous programs such as the “Digital Innovations for Business Resilience in EAC.”

Eligibility Criteria

To be eligible for the Digital Innovations for Business Resilience in the EAC – Innovators Sprint Up Programme, applicants must meet the following criteria:

• Residency: Applicants must be residents of one of the seven EAC Partner States (Burundi, Kenya, DR Congo, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda).
• Age Limit: Applicants must be under the age of 35.
• Educational Background: Applicants must be enrolled in a university or have recently graduated from a university (2 years) within the EAC Partner States.
• Innovation or Entrepreneurial Venture: Applicants must have an innovative idea or an existing startup venture that they wish to scale up/grow.
• Commitment to Digital Skills Development: Applicants must demonstrate a commitment to developing digital skills and knowledge to operate and scale their ventures.
• Financial Need: Applicants must demonstrate financial need, as the program may provide financial support or resources to help with the development and scaling of their ventures.

For more information, visit dSkills@EA.