Innovation Challenge Award of the Pan African University (PAU)
Call for proposals
The Pan African University PAU (www.pau-au.africa) is steadily committed to offer high-end courses
and trainings and support its students in activities to develop market-oriented competences to
enable them to successfully address current technological and societal challenges in the African
continent. Thus, the ability to utilize academic knowledge to propose new solutions and contribute
to the economic, cultural, environmental and social development of Africa is vital to fulfil the social
responsibilities of PAU.
The PAU Entrepreneurship Hub aims at providing students of PAU with necessary skills, incubation,
mentoring and seed funding through events in collaboration with partners. Students get
entrepreneurial support in the hub to create innovative projects with added value for the entire
continent by making knowledge applicable to serve the goal of transforming the continent, as
envisaged by the African Union’s agenda 2063.
Innovation is the translation of an idea into a good product, service or project with an added-value
for the customer. In this spirit, PAU invites all current PAU students and alumni to submit proposals
for the innovation challenge Award. The intention is to support startup teams of PAU which
addresses technological or social innovations. This invitation addresses all students and alumni at all
4 PAU institutes.
Scope of the competition: All subjects related to the Pan African University’s research fields in
alignment with the AU Agenda 2063.
Application process: In order to apply, you need to fill out an online form with the questions below.
The link to the online form will be shared later.
The questions that you have to answer are:
Team biographic questions:
Applicant’s Name (team coordinator): / Gender:
Applicant’s PAU Institute:
Applicant’s Degree Program:
Applicant’s Email:
Applicant’s WhatsApp Number:
Studying statues: Student Alumni
Name of team members: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. / Gender:
CVs of team members (less than 1 MB):
Technical Questions: (Add clarification notes each questions)
I. What is the name of your idea?
II. Please provide a short summary of your idea (max. 250 characters including spaces).
III. As a business which problem does your idea solve for Africa’s sustainable development
(max. 2,500 characters)?
IV. How do your potential customers currently solve the described problem (max. 2,000
characters)?
V. What is your solution of the problem (max. 2,500 characters)?
VI. What is your target market (max. 2,000 characters)?
VII. What is your model of marketing and distribution? (max. 1,500 characters)
VIII. Whom do you need in your team? (max. 1,000 characters)
IX. What costs do you expect for investment and running costs during the next 5 years? (max.
1,000 characters)
Who can apply?
All current PAU students and alumni. Application of teams of at least two persons and up to five
persons are accepted.
Award’s Process:
Selection Process:
A committee of diverse backgrounds and disciplines will screen the applications and develop a
shortlist of approximately 8 teams, who will be invited to pitch their Idea in Tlemcen, Algeria.
What do we offer?
1. Selected teams will be invited to pitch their ideas in an international event in Tlemcen,
Algeria,. All costs of the trip and accommodation will be covered by the awards’ originators .
2. Free-of-charge participation in a training course of German institution, which will prepare
your team to develop a successful business plan and to establish your business. The
participation in the training will be followed with an international certification.
3. An individual coaching plan for your team in the following 3 months of the training,
accompanied with an orientation to seek finance.
4. In addition to that, there will be two prizes; a jury prize and an audience prize. The jury will
award the best team with a prize of money and mentoring. The audience will also select its
favorite team, which will be also awarded
When can you apply?
We will communicate to you through the time and the link ,you will have a more than one month to
upload you application
Additional information:
Each person is only allowed to be part of one application. Double mentions of names will
lead to the discernment of all related applications.
All applicants must be PAU students or alumni.
All team members of the short-listed teams are invited to the pitch event, but the award’s
organization will cover the cost of only 2 members.
Only one person of the team must submit the application, who will be the coordinator of the
team.
It will be favorable to have a team with gender (not mendatory)
