Business Plan Competitions

  1. Development Innovation Ventures aims to find and support breakthrough solutions to the world's most important development challenges—interventions with the power to change millions of lives at a fraction of the usual cost.  Through our grant program DIV invests in these game-changing ideas, rigorously tests them using cutting-edge analytical methods, and scales solutions that prove they work. 

  2. BID Network and 7 investment partners have announced the Fast5 Challenge, a new competition designed to support the financing of leading fast growing established businesses in emerging markets. The Fast5 Challenge aims to identify the most sustainable companies, showcasing them on the international stage and presenting them to ready-to-invest financiers. Our investment partners are eager to invest up to $5 million in great opportunities in any sectors of industry although some have preferences for Agri-businesses and Clean Energy. Click here for more informantion.

  3. The Argidius Foundation and the Aspen Network of Development Entrepreneurs (ANDE) have announced the Argidius-ANDE Finance Challenge (AAFC), a new competition designed to support innovative ways to provide capital to small businesses in emerging markets that require $20,000-$250,000 in early stage capital.  The goal of the challenge is to accelerate the development of innovative and sustainable solutions in a number of emerging markets, ideally establishing models that can be replicated.  Successful proposals may:

    -- Transport a proven model from other locations to the target countries,
    -- Support expansion of existing models in target countries, or
    -- Represent an entirely new model.

  4.  Business Plan Competitions (BPC)  is the world’s most complete listing of entrepreneurship contests and business plan competitions. Including the ADM II.

  5. Kenya Diaspora Development Expo Business Plan Competition: K.D.D.E has developed a business plan competition that awards Kenyans in Diaspora with entrepreneurial spirit to start a sustainable business in Kenya. The main aim of this competition is to encourage innovation, job growth, and development in Kenya.
  6. De La Rue African Innovation Prize: the African Innovation Prize, supported by De La Rue, contributes to the development of entrepreneurs by incentivizing the most promising African university students to create sustainable and locally driven business models.
  7. 3A Challenger Middle East & African Business Plan Competition: "3A-Challenger Service" is a competition offered to entrepreneurs / registered users of 3A Challenger. It is an opportunity to present innovative and unique Business Ideas for potential funding and support. Entrepreneurs of the World are invited to register and submit their Business Plans and all documentation, files describing and supporting their ideas. Although, it is no longer accepting proposals for this year’s competition, there’s always next year.
  8. Ernst & Young's Entrepreneur of the Year awards are the world's most prestigious business awards for entrepreneurs. The award encourages entrepreneurial activity among those with potential and recognizes the contribution of people who inspire others with their vision, leadership and achievement.
  9. The United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) and the African Innovation Foundation (AIF) will be awarding the inaugural $150,000 Innovation Prize for Africa (IPA) to be awarded for the first time in February 2012. Although, it is no longer accepting proposals for this year’s competition, there’s always next year.
  10. The African Media Initiative (AMI), the continent's largest association of media owners and operators, has announced a $1 million fund to spur innovation in the news industry. The African News Innovation Challenge (ANIC) is designed to encourage experimentation in digital technologies and support the best innovations that strengthen African news organizations. Although, it is no longer accepting proposals for this year’s competition, there’s always next year.
  11. The Africa Awards for Entrepreneurship recognizes and rewards business leaders who serve as role models to Africa’s aspiring entrepreneurs and who demonstrate business excellence, innovation and profitability.  Entry is open to all firms that have revenues between US$ 1 million to $15 million; have been profitable for at least two years; are independent, and not a subsidiary of a larger organization; have more than 10 employees; are fully registered in their home country and free of legal actions. One Grand Prize of US$ 100, 000 will be awarded along with five further prizes of US$ 50,00 each; two of these prizes will be reserved for businesses with less than US$ 2 million in revenue. Although, it is no longer accepting proposals for this year’s competition, there’s always next year.
  12.  EDUCATING AFRICA Pan-African Awards for Entrepreneurship in Education is a competition initiated by Teach a Man to Fish and generously sponsored by our partner organization Educating Africa. The competition is open to all organizations based in Africa working in education, from primary through to tertiary, as well as in non-formal and adult education. As well as a First Prize of $10,000 and two Runners-Up Prizes of $5,000, there are up to 50 Awards of $1,000 available for the best entry from every country on the continent. Although, it is no longer accepting proposals for this year’s competition, there’s always next year.
  13. The African Awards recognize outstanding African individuals, groups or businesses that have made an impact in the African immigrant community and the community at large in the United States. Although, it is no longer accepting proposals for this year’s competition, there’s always next year.
  14. The G20 Challenge on Inclusive Business Innovation is a global search for businesses with innovative, scalable, and commercially viable ways of working with low-income people in developing countries.
  15. The Dell Social Innovation Challenge identifies and supports promising young social innovators who dedicate themselves to solving the world's most pressing problems with their transformative ideas. We provide university students with world-class teaching and training, as well as with start-up capital and access to a network of mentors and advisors.
  16. INDIAFRICA: A Shared Future features a series of multi-disciplinary contests across top campuses in Africa and India planned from August 2011. The contests are aimed at offering students and professionals from both geographies a common platform for future collaborations in business, design and culture.
  17. Launched in 2009, the MENA 100 Business Plan Competition is co-organized by the MENA-OECD Investment Programme, aims to promote entrepreneurship and small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the Middle East and North Africa, by mentoring entrepreneurs with innovative ideas to come up with the perfect business plan for their startup or expanding their young enterprises.
  18. The Zayed Future Energy Prize will invite entries from companies, individuals, organizations and high schools to submit applications by August 5, 2013, for a chance to win part of the US$4 million prize fund. The scope of the Prize has also been broadened to include five distinct categories: Large Corporations, Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), Lifetime Achievement, and the newly instituted Global High School Prize.
  19.  African News Innovation Challenge (ANIC) provides grants from $12,500 to$100,000 for the best projects aimed at strengthening and transforming African news media. The contest is modeled on the highly successful Knight News Challenge in the United States. Grantees will also receive technical advice, startup support and one-on-one mentoring from the world’s top media experts.Of particular interest are proposals that improve data-based investigative journalism, audience engagement, mobile news distribution, data visualization, new revenue models and workflow systems. The African Media Initiative (AMI), Africa’s largest association of media owners and operators, announced the contest last November as part of a pan-African initiative to spur digital experimentation and technology-driven projects and startups.

  20. Webbit StartUp Challenge is offering all EMEA start-ups the chance to pitch on stage in front of investors and the international media. Webbit StartUp Challenge offers the opportunity to present a business to the European, Middle Eastern and African tech community, as well as the chance to gain exclusive contacts with investors and direct feedback from renowned judges.

  21. Seed Engine is a South African organization that works with entrepreneurs to develop ideas, hone business skills and invest in business ventures. Through an application process Seed Engine selects 10 business ventures throughout the year to take part in their program. Selected ventures receive R100000 in seed capital to fund their business initiatives and attend a 13 week program where they receive mentorship and support through the business start up process.

  22. Hub Ventures is an organization that helps high caliber entrepreneurs build their world changing startups better and faster. Hub organizes a 12-week program in the Hub Bay Area where participating companies will receive up to $20,000 in seed funding and engage in best-in-class mentorship, and content tailored to impact startups.

  23.  DEMO Africa is the launchpad for emerging technology and trends in Africa and is scheduled to take place in Nairobi, Kenya from 24-25 October 2013. DEMO Africa will be the latest addition to the DEMO family of conferences and is expected be an iconic event for the continent’s most innovative entrepreneurs. Apply to take part in DEMO Afica Lauch 2013 here.

  24. The Sustainable Energy Fund for Africa (SEFA) and its partners have launched a business plan competition called the West Africa Forum for Clean Energy Financing (WAFCEF/the Forum) to identify promising regional entrepreneurs and unlock renewable energy and energy efficiency investments in West Africa. The Forum, aims to identify and nurture entrepreneurs, start-ups and existing companies with promising clean energy projects in West Africa. The competition is open to all businesses and entrepreneurs operating and registered in any of the ECOWAS countries as well as foreign individuals and entities with projects in those countries.

 

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    ADM Updates

    Welcome to the ADM News and Updates page. Check back often as we add new items. 

    The Small Business Finance Institute, a non-profit, socially-responsible enterprise, provides information and tools to business owners to teach them to manage the money they have and find the funding they need read more>>>

    Cape Verde is now part of the ADM program! Please click here to see a picture of Ambassador of Cape Verde to the US Fatima Veiga and the ADM Team.

    LDM FAQs read more>>

    LDM press release - Arabic read more>>

    8 April 2013: USAID and Western Union Launch the Libya Diaspora Marketplace! read more>>

    Cape Verde is now part of the ADM program!

    15 March 2013: Installation of a Power Pallet Biomas Generator at Booker Washington Institute, Liberia read more>>

    19 Nov 2012: BOI, Western Union and USAID Hold SME Live-Banking Forum read more>> 

    17 Nov 2012: The Tony Elumelu Foundation, Western Union and USAID host the African Diaspora Marketplace Investment Event read more>>

    Watch Global Culture TV's coverage of the ADM II here.

    Since its inception the African Diaspora Marketplace has supported SME development throughout Africa, with programs such as:

    • ADM I, a business plan competition which provided matched grant funding for 14 SMEs in 7 countries (2009-2010)
    • ADM II, a business plan competition which has provided matched grant funding, technical assistance and linkages to other sources of financing for ADM participants (2011-2012)
    • Tony Elumelu Foundation (TEF) 2nd Round Investment event, provided the opportunity for 17 SMEs to pitch their businesses for equity and social impact investment (2012)
    • Bank Of Industry (BOI) ADM Live Banking Forum, created access to 8 competing Pan-African banks for entrepreneurs to pitch their business plans for SME loans and other financing (2012)
    • Libya Diaspora Marketplace (LDM), encouraging SME growth and employment following a time of change (2013)
    • TEF and BOI ADM financing events, details to be announced for November 2013

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