Contests

Transforming Nigerian Youths: 2025 EmpowerHer Challenge (Win Up to N1 million Cash Prize) The Transforming Nigerian Youths Program is for women aged 18 – 25 years who want to start or grow a business. The courses will be done online at your own convenience. This form collects your bio data and information about your business and will only be used for training purposes. Who Can Apply for the 2025 EmpowerHer Challenge Female student entrepreneurs, aged 18-25, from Nigerian Higher Institutions Business Sectors All sectors including Trading and Services Deadline: February 27, 2025 Apply Here for 2025 EmpowerHer Challenge

2025 CarbonCapture Startup Challenge by Bosch for Tech Startups Worldwide  Climate change and the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions are among the greatest challenges of our time. Bosch Business Innovations is committed to supporting breakthrough solutions through cutting-edge technology and creative thinking. The CarbonCapture Startup Challenge is designed to nurture innovative business ideas that contribute to a circular carbon economy. This challenge is open to early-stage startups worldwide that are developing solutions for Direct Air Capture (DAC), Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage (CCUS), and downstream solutions within the carbon dioxide value chain. If your startup has a viable idea in these areas, this is your opportunity to develop and validate your business with the support of Bosch. Contest Summary Type: Contest Sponsor: Bosch Eligible Countries: All Duration: 10 weeks Perks: €15,000 funding, Mentorship from industry experts, Global exposure, Collaboration with bosch Deadline: February 28, 2025 Benefits of participating in the 2025 CarbonCapture Startup Challenge by Bosch Participating in the Bosch CarbonCapture Startup Challenge provides unique opportunities, including: Collaboration with Bosch, a global leader in technology and innovation. €15,000 in funding to test and validate your business idea. Mentorship from industry experts and networking with investors. A structured validation process to refine your startup’s market fit. Global exposure and potential for future partnerships. Requirements for the 2025 CarbonCapture Startup Challenge by Bosch Team Composition: Teams should consist of 2-4 members with diverse skill sets and a multidisciplinary approach. Stage of the Startup: Early-stage tech startups in the pre-seed to seed stage are encouraged to apply. Legal Entity Requirement: The startup must already be a registered legal entity to qualify for funding and participation. Problem-Solution Fit: The business idea should be capable of validation within three months to assess its feasibility and market potential. Geographical Scope: This program is open to startups worldwide, with no regional limitations. Bosch Employees: Bosch employees are not eligible for this external challenge but can apply for the internal campaign via the Bosch Innovation App i³. Timelines Selection and Evaluation Period: March 1 – March 21, 2025 Program Duration: April 1 – June 15, 2025 Deadline: February 28, 2025 Apply Here for the 2025 CarbonCapture Startup Challenge by Bosch

University of Lagos is Introducing: Bunmi Innovation Challenge 2025 for Nigerian Undergraduates The Bunmi Innovation Challenge is an initiative in partnership with the University of Lagos (Department of Physics ) and the Innovation and Technology Management office focused on empowering students to tackle real-world issues within Nigeria’s economy. By focusing on Agriculture and Food, participants explore innovative solutions that address significant challenges in these vital sectors. The Bunmi Innovation Challenge 2025 aims to support new solutions in Agriculture and Food Security. Contest Summary Value: #5 million Type: Contest Sponsor: University of Lagos Eligible Country: Nigeria Deadline: Not Specified Who Can Apply: The competition is open to students from any tertiary institution in Lagos, Nigeria, regardless of faculty. Perks of Participating in the Bunmi Innovation Challenge 2025 Up to 5 million in cash prizes for winning participants. Certification in your course of choice from our EdTech partners. Apply Here for Bunmi Innovation Challenge 2025

Global Call: 2025 Apple Swift Student Challenge for Student Developers Worldwide  Apple is proud to support and uplift the next generation of developers, creators, and entrepreneurs with the Swift Student Challenge. The Challenge has allowed thousands of student developers to showcase their creativity and coding capabilities through app playgrounds and learn real-world skills that they can take into their careers and beyond. From connecting peers to mental health resources to identifying ways to support sustainability efforts on campus, previous Swift Student Challenge participants around the world used their creativity to develop apps to solve real-world problems. Apple encourages you to brainstorm and develop thoughtful ideas for apps that address important issues in your community and beyond. Dream, draft, and organize ideas for your app playground, download what you’ll need to make your vision a reality, and start building! Benefits of the 2025 Apple Swift Student Challenge They’ll select 350 Swift Student Challenge winners whose submissions demonstrate excellence in innovation, creativity, social impact, or inclusivity. From this esteemed group, they’ll name 50 Distinguished Winners whose work is truly exceptional and invite them to join them at Apple in Cupertino for three incredible days. All winners will receive one year of membership in the Apple Developer Program, a complimentary voucher to take an App Development with Swift certification exam, a personalized certificate from Apple, and AirPods Max. Eligibility Criterias for the 2025 Apple Swift Student Challenge To be eligible for the Challenge, you cannot be employed full time as a developer, and at the time you submit your app playground you must: Meet the minimum age for requirement for your country or region as follows: 14 years of age or older in Austria, Bulgaria, China mainland, Cyprus, Israel, Italy, Lithuania, South Korea, and Spain. 15 years of age or older in Czechia, France, Greece, Peru, and Slovenia. 16 years of age or older in Brazil, Croatia, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Kosovo, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Netherlands, Philippines, Poland, Romania, Singapore, and Slovakia. 13 years of age or older in all other countries and regions. Be registered for free with Apple as an Apple developer or be a member of the Apple Developer Program; and Fulfill one of the following requirements: Be enrolled in, or have graduated within the last 90 days from, an accredited academic institution or official homeschool equivalent, or an Apple Developer Academy; Be enrolled in a STEM organization’s educational curriculum; or Have graduated from high school or equivalent within the past 6 months and be awaiting acceptance or have received acceptance to an accredited academic institution. You can receive a Swift Student Challenge award up to four times. You may be selected as a Distinguished Winner one time only. Application Criterias for the 2025 Apple Swift Student Challenge Your submission must be an app playground (.swiftpm) in a ZIP file. Your creation should not rely on a network connection and any resources used in your app playground should be included locally in the ZIP file. Submissions will be judged offline. Your ZIP file can be up to 25 MB. Your submission must be created by you as an individual or a template modified by you as an individual. Group work will not be considered. You may include third-party open source licensed code and/or public domain images and sounds, with credit and an explanation of why it was used. Your app playground must be built with and HERE to Applyrun on Swift Playground 4.5 or Xcode 16, or later. You may incorporate the use of Apple Pencil. All content should be in English. Deadline: February 23, 2025 Apply Here – 2025 Apple Swift Student Challenge  

Open Call: 2025 Global Innovation Challenge by Citi Foundation | Win Up to $500,000  The Citi Foundation’s Global Innovation Challenge is an open call for applications or request for proposals (RFP) designed to provide catalytic grant funding to community organizations across the world. This year, the Foundation invites proposals from community organizations developing innovative employment solutions for low-income youth primarily between the ages of 15 and 24 Program Summary Type: Contest Project Duration: 2 Eligible Countries: All Sponsor: Citi Foundation Value: $500,000 Deadline: March 18, 2025 Eligibility Criterias for the 2025 Global Innovation Challenge by Citi Foundation  Applicant organizations must be registered as nonprofit entities under local law. For example, for U.S. entities, applicants need to be tax-exempt public charities as per Section 501(c)(3) of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code. Applicants must be able to submit their most recent externally audited financial statements, including auditor’s notes, covering some part of calendar year 2023 or a subsequent year. Applicant’s proposed program must align with the Foundation’s mission of supporting low-income communities as defined by local standards and definitions. Applicant’s proposed program must impact one or more of the target geographies. Perks of the 2025 Global Innovation Challenge by Citi Foundation The Foundation plans to award grants of $500,000 (USD) payable over two years to 50 community organizations working in select communities where Citi has a presence. Grants are meant to be catalytic in nature, supporting the piloting or expansion of ideas and projects in the field of youth employability. In addition to grant funds, the Citi Foundation will seek ways to support the selected grantees through volunteerism as well as hosting learning opportunities to promote shared lessons and best practices. Selection Process Organizations must first register and confirm they meet the eligibility requirements to gain access to the Citi Foundation’s grantmaking portal. Eligible applicants will receive access to the portal within three business days. Deadline: March 18, 2025 Apply Here for the 2025 Global Innovation Challenge by Citi Foundation

Call for Applications: APNI Annual Photo Contest 2025 (African Plant Nutrition Institute) The African Plant Nutrition Institute (APNI) is excited to announce the launch of its 2025 edition of its Annual Photo Contest, inviting photographers, researchers, and agriculture enthusiasts to showcase compelling images that highlight the importance of plant nutrition in African agriculture. This year’s contest features two themes: Nutrient Deficiency Symptoms in Crops: Help us visualize the impact of nutrient deficiencies in crops and the need for balanced plant nutrition. Whether it’s nitrogen-starved maize or potassium-deficient potatoes, your photos can help educate and inform! Plant Nutrition Research in Action: Capture the innovative work happening in plant nutrition research whether it’s field trials, lab experiments, or soil testing your images can showcase the science driving sustainable agriculture. Summary Type: Contest Sponsor: African Plant Nutrition Institute (APNI) Eligible Countries: African Countries Deadline: September 1, 2025 Criterias for the APNI Annual Photo Contest 2025 High-resolution, high-quality photos. The file size should be at least 1 MB. Uncompressed photos are preferred. Accepted formats: high-quality JPG, JPEG, or PNG. No submissions with a logo or time stamp visible on the photo will be accepted. Benefits of participating in the APNI Annual Photo Contest 2025 Get a chance to have your work featured by APNI Help spread awareness about plant nutrition and soil health Win exciting recognition and a chance to win cash! Application Guidelines for the APNI Annual Photo Contest 2025 Submit photos via this online submission form by the published deadline. All photos must be from within Africa Photos must be at least 1 MB in size to submit. Up to five (5) photos will be accepted per person. Winners in each category will receive the cash award plus a certificate of acknowledgement. Submitted entries are the property of APNI Deadline: 1st September, 2025 Apply Here for APNI Annual Photo Contest 2025

2025 African Forum on Research and Innovation Startup Competition by ECOWAS The African Forum on Research and Innovation (FARI) is the ECOWAS forum dedicated to the promotion of science, Technology, and Innovation. Its creation was the subject of a decision (A/DEC/.1/6/21) by the eighty-sixth Ordinary Session of the Authority of Heads of State and Government. This is the decision establishing and organizing the African Forum on Research and Innovation of ECOWAS (FARI). For this second edition, ECOWAS approved the establishment of the Jury for the selection of the three (03) best Start-ups in the regional competition and the Scientific Committee of the Forum. FARI-2025 involves the participation of start-ups, experts and Ministers of ECOWAS Member States in charge of Science and Technology, the President of the Republic of Benin (host country) and the Chairman-in-Office of ECOWAS. Summary of the 2025 African Forum on Research and Innovation Startup Competition by ECOWAS Type: Contest Sponsor: Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Eligible Countries: ECOWAS Member States Perks: Incentive funds to the winners, Prizes and awards Deadline: February 28, 2025 Benefits of the 2025 African Forum on Research and Innovation Startup Competition by ECOWAS A FARI Innovation Prize is awarded to the three (3) best Start-ups or Innovators or Inventors in the region by the ECOWAS Commission. This prize rewards the efforts of innovation and creativity of young companies in the region. The value of the Prize to the FARI laureates will be determined by the President of the ECOWAS Commission. The terms of selection of the start-ups receiving the prizes will be defined by a Jury set up by the President of the ECOWAS Commission. The funds granted to the winning Start-ups during the FARI by ECOWAS and its partners are incentive funds. These funds may be used to finance the activities of Start-ups, Innovators and/or Inventors. Start-ups must meet the following Conditions: Come from an ECOWAS member country; Have their headquarters in an ECOWAS member country; Be less than five (5) years old; Respect the rules and deadlines for submission (Via the FARI website, www.fari-ecowas.com) Start-up Selection Criterias for 2025 African Forum on Research and Innovation Startup Competition by ECOWAS Governance: marked out of ten (10) points This criterion takes into account the formal declaration of the start-up, its level of employability (number of employees), The consideration of gender (ratio of women/men) and the qualification of the management team (experience, level of education, diplomas, etc.). Management: rated out of ten (10) points This criterion focuses on the growth stage of the start-up (Idea, Birth, Seeding, Growth, Expansion), the status of mentoring and partnerships and collaborations. Risk Management: marked out of twenty (20) points This criterion focuses on the start-up’s positioning strategy on the market in relation to competition and risks. Financing: rated out of fifteen (15) points This criterion takes into account the start-up’s method of financing (Self-financing; Loan; Investors; Lessor; Fundraising, etc.) and its financial resources (Existence of working capital, others). The economic and societal impact: rated out of fifteen (15) points This criterion is based on the profitability, current profitability of the start-up (loss, neither loss nor gain, gain) and its distribution channel (the marketing circuit of the products). It also makes it possible to evaluate the usefulness of the proposed product in relation to the need of society. Innovation: rated out of thirty (30) points This criterion is used to evaluate the prices of products resulting from innovation, the originality of the products offered. It also includes the protection of the idea or product through patenting. Deadline: February 28, 2025 Apply Here for 2025 African Forum on Research and Innovation Startup Competition by ECOWAS

2025 Youth Leadership Competition by UONGOZI Institute for African Students The Youth Leadership Competition is organised as a component of the African Leadership Forum (ALF) to provide a space for the youth of Africa and the next generation of leaders in the region to contribute to important discussions on leadership and sustainable development. In each contest, African citizens between the age of 18 and 25 are asked to write about their perspectives on leadership as it relates to a theme tied to the ALF. The essays are rigorously evaluated on the basis of originality, organisation, creativity, appropriateness to contest theme and the use of language. The winners get the opportunity to participate in the ALF plenary session and receive their awards at a prize-giving ceremony in the presence of distinguished delegates from the forum. Essay Topic: If you were an African leader, how would you accelerate the implementation of SDGs on the continent? Recap of the 2025 Youth Leadership Competition by UONGOZI Institute Type: Contest Location: Uganda Sponsor: UONGOZI Institute Leadership Eligible Countries: African Countries Entitlements: Grand prize of USD $2,000, Visa fees, Air ticket and Accommodation. Deadline: February 18, 2025 Benefits of partaking in the 2025 Youth Leadership Competition by UONGOZI Institute Up to five winners will be selected. Winners will be asked to create posters to visually describe their ideas. The posters will be showcased at the ALF. Winners will receive their awards at a prize giving ceremony to be held during the ALF Gala Dinner. The ceremony will be attended by senior leaders from across Africa, representing public, private and third sectors. A grand prize of USD $2,000 will be awarded to the overall winner, and they will be asked to read their essay at the dinner event. Selected winners residing outside Uganda will be required to have valid travel documents for travel. UONGOZI Institute will cover the costs related to their travel, including visa fees, air ticket and accommodation. Eligibility Criterias  Young Africans between the age of 18 and 25. All essays must be typed. The minimum length is 500 words, and the maximum is 700 words. The format shall be of single spaced, Arial font size 11 with page margins of 1 inch (2.54 cm) for each margin, and sent as a Microsoft Word document. Selection Criterias  Applicants must also submit a written statement of originality and ownership of intellectual property rights. Download a template here. Essays will be judged on the basis of originality, creativity, use of language and appropriateness to contest theme. Deadline: February 18, 2025 Apply Here for the 2025 Youth Leadership Competition by UONGOZI Institute