The Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation is open for ambitious and talented sub-Saharan African engineers from all engineering fields to demonstrate innovative and engineering entrepreneurship skills
Crucial commercialisation support is awarded to a shortlist of innovative applicants through a six-month period of training and mentoring. Following this period of mentorship, finalists will be invited to present at an event held in Africa and a winner will be selected to receive £25,000 along with runners-up, who will each be awarded £10,000.
Eligibility Criteria
To be eligible for Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation in Sub-Saharan Africa,
- 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:
- will bring social and/or environmental benefits to country/countries in sub-Saharan Africa;
- has strong potential to be replicated and scaled up;
- is accompanied by an ambitious but realistic business plan which has strong commercial viability.
Offered Benefits
The Africa Prize offers a unique benefits package for up to 16 shortlisted participants to help accelerate their business including:
- Access to business and technical expertise and sector specific engineering mentoring
- Bespoke press coverage and communications support
- Seven month tailored training programme
- Access to the Academy’s network of high profile engineers and business experts in the UK and Africa.
- Opportunity for finalists to present their innovation to a judging panel at the Africa prize showcase event
- Prize money of up to £25,000
Application Process
Go to Royal Academy of Engineering on www.raeng.org.uk to apply
