A Concept of the African Union Innovation Lab (AU InnoLab)
The future of Africa lies in its youth, and specifically in empowering its young women to take their rightful place at the forefront of technological, social, and economic progress. The African Union “AU Go Gal!” Innovation Initiative is a NextGen challenge targeting young African women in innovation, aged 15–25. The initiative aims to empower 20 young African women innovators to develop digital and other innovative, scalable, and sustainable solutions to key socioeconomic challenges facing the continent, thereby contributing to the continent’s transformative growth under Agenda 2063.
Specifically, these solutions should advance Women and Youth Financial and Economic Inclusion, including innovations on enhancing young women’s participation in economic decision-making processes and improving access, retention, and completion of girls in education systems.
The selected participants will be linked to mentors and industry throughout their innovation journey, while 5 finalists will receive support and recognition.
Leveraging the continent’s unique demographic dividend calls for innovative and disruptive approaches that ensure the involvement of young people in the continent’s development, both as contributors and beneficiaries. This youth-centric approach perfectly aligns with Aspiration 6 of Agenda 2063, the African Youth Charter, the AU Women and Youth Financial and Economic Inclusion (WYFEI 2023) Initiative, the African Girls Can Code Initiative, AU CIEFFA’s Youth Capacity Building Programme and, the 1 Million Next Level Initiative - which aims to provide 300 million young people with opportunities for quality education through digital skills development, employment, entrepreneurship, engagement, health and wellbeing.
1. Objectives
- Empower young women in innovation by offering a platform for their active involvement in the innovation space, thereby addressing the gender disparity in innovation and technology.
- Enable young women to contribute to the Socioeconomic Development of the continent through scalable, sustainable solutions.
- Connect young women in innovation to mentorship and industry leaders for capacity building and career opportunities.
- Demonstrate young women’s potential and ability to contribute towards Africa’s socio-economic development through innovation.
- Converge multi-stakeholder efforts to actively promote and sustain the involvement of women in the innovation space and technology ecosystem.
2. Selection Criteria
Twenty (20) participants, four (4) from each region, will be selected based on the following criteria:
- Age: Participants must be young African women, aged between 15 and 25.
- Languages: English and French
- Citizenship: Participants must be citizens of an African Union member state, residing on the continent.
- Digital or Innovative Idea: The applicant should present an original, practical, and scalable solution that addresses a pressing community, regional, or continental challenge. The innovation should be in the area of Youth Financial and Economic Inclusion or girls and women’s education, including innovations on enhancing young women’s participation in economic decision-making processes towards empowerment.
- Feasibility and Impact: The idea should demonstrate clear potential for solving real-world problems in Africa, with a strong focus on sustainability, scalability, and community impact. Solutions that integrate social, environmental, and economic considerations are particularly valuable.
- Stage of Innovation: Whether the idea is in the conceptual phase, prototype stage, or has already been tested in a real-world environment, ideas at all stages are eligible.
- Commitment to Community and Societal Impact: A demonstrated commitment to solving problems that benefit the community, with a focus on underserved or marginalised populations. The project or innovation should address issues that are relevant to the local context of the participant’s home country or region, with a vision for broader application across Africa.
- Potential for Scaling and Sustainability: Evidence that innovation can be expanded or adapted for other regions or countries. Preference will be given to projects that have the potential to grow beyond a single location and contribute to broader socioeconomic development. The project should have a plan for long-term sustainability, either financially, socially, or environmentally. This may involve partnerships, funding strategies, or self-sustaining models.
- Educational Background & Technical Competence: While formal education is not the sole determinant, applicants should demonstrate the ability to actualise their digital and innovative solutions. Applicants with an exceptional track record in relevant courses, self-learning, or experiential learning in innovative-related fields will also be considered.
- Availability: A commitment and availability to fully participate in training, mentorship, networking events, and other activities organised under the AU Go Gal! initiative.
- Communication and Presentation Skills: The ability to present and communicate innovation, its potential impact, and the long-term vision. This includes the ability to pitch ideas to investors, stakeholders, and potential partners. Ability to write clear proposals, reports, and updates. The submission should demonstrate good writing skills in terms of clarity, structure, and attention to detail.
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