Kofi Annan Award 2021 //1 Million Euros for Entrepreneurship in Africa

The call for applications for the Kofi Annan Award for Innovation in Africa is now open!

The Federal Chancellery of Austria, together with its partners, the World Food Programme Innovation Accelerator, the Austrian Development Agency and the Kofi Annan Foundation, is looking for promising social entrepreneurs with digital or technology-powered solutions that are helping to improve the health and well-being of people in Africa in line with SDG3.

The award aims to support promising African social entrepreneurs with a sustainable business model in the further development of digital solutions for the common good. Successful applicants will be invited to participate in an innovation boot camp and subsequently gain the opportunity to get a grant of up to 250,000 EUR and be a part of an accelerator programme.

The challenge seeks applications from social entrepreneurs with digital or technology-powered solutions for people in Africa who are addressing one or more of the following challenges:

• Availability and access to safe, effective, quality and affordable essential medicines and vaccines (including production, transport and distribution, as well as financial mechanisms allowing for affordability)
• Access to quality essential healthcare services (including telemedicine: diagnostics, data exchange between health posts and specialists in hospitals and mHealth (Mobile Health)
• Availability and access to mental health services (including training of mental health practitioners, tele-health solutions and projects aiming at de-stigmatisation)
• Better prevention and prophylaxis: early warning, risk reduction, and management of health risks (including disease prevention and prophylaxis and health awareness)
• Improve financial risk protection for the most vulnerable (including micro-insurance solutions, reduction of out-of pocket expenses, prepayment and pooling of resources for health)
• Wildcard: high potential disruptive innovations in the digital health space are welcomed to apply.

About Kofi Annan Award

The Kofi Annan Award has been initiated by the Austrian Federal Chancellery, in collaboration with the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) Innovation Accelerator, the Austrian Development Agency and the Kofi Annan Foundation. 

The Award aims to identify and support promising social entrepreneurs with digital or technology-powered solutions for people in Africa to help them build the foundations to scale. 

The 2021 Kofi Annan Award is seeking innovative solutions from across the African continent to contribute to Sustainable Development Goal 3, Good Health and Well-Being, with a strong focus on achieving high quality universal health coverage.

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Background

The world has made incredible progress over the past decades with regard to global health and well-being. 

Life expectancy has increased dramatically on a global scale. Infant and maternal mortality rates around the world have declined continuously since the 1960s and deaths from malaria have declined over the last 15 years. 21.7 million people living with HIV were already receiving antiretroviral therapy by the end of 2017, contributing to a global reduction of deaths and a better quality of life for people living with HIV/AIDS.

Although the global community has made progress, there are still at least 400 million people lacking access to basic health care and approximately 1.6 billion people live in fragile settings. 

Natural and anthropogenic disasters, lack of hygiene, and malnutrition combined with insufficient basic health services present a significant risk to the health and well-being of those affected. 

The incredible progress that has been made in the fight against HIV still leaves more than 15 million people waiting for treatment. 

The World Health Organization (WHO) announced in December 2015 that the global incidence of malaria had finally been slowed, however, malaria and other contagious, preventable diseases, such as tuberculosis, pneumonia and even leprosy, are still major obstacles to achieving SDG 3.

What the award will offer

• Nine teams will be invited to participate in a fully virtual WFP Innovation Bootcamp, where they will benefit from the chance to work with technical and industry mentors who will provide guidance to further develop and refine their solutions.
• Projects that make it to Bootcamp will have the opportunity to apply to the Austrian Development Agency for 3 x EUR 250.000.
• The 3 ventures that are each awarded EUR 250.000 will also join the WFP Sprint Programme, a 12-month acceleration programme with access to mentorship, and a global network of partners.
• The final 9 ventures will be able to tap into and leverage a network of relevant businesses, investors and mentors.

Eligibility criteria

• Your company must be a for-profit legal entity and incorporated for at least two years at the time of application.
• Your solution is anchored in at least one African country.
• The applicant must have existing contacts/presence in the country of implementation: country office or other permanent presence, subsidiary, long-term operations or partnerships in the country.
• Your innovation clearly addresses one or more areas of SDG 3 Target Indicator 8.
• The entity does not fall under any of the points listed in the solemn declaration.
• Your innovation has more than 1 million people in the total addressable market.
• Your startup pays attention to environmental protection and climate change, gender equality and women empowerment, as well as social inclusion (leave no one behind).
• Your startup is not required to make a monetary contribution to the proposed project budget.
• Your innovation should have a strong proof-of-concept with initial traction and a clear path to scale.

Your application will be evaluated in equal weight according to the following criteria:

• Impact & Scalability
• Team
• Innovativeness
• Traction
• Business Model

If this sounds interesting send in your application by December 1st 2021 here