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. 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.

     

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

  4. 2012 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. Winners of this award will be awarded during the Kenya Diaspora Expo 2012 which will take place in Nakuru Kenya.
  5. 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.
  6. 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.
  7. 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.
  8. 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.
  9. The African Media Initiative (AMI), the continent's largest association of media owners and operators, has announced a $1 million fund to spur innovation in the news industry. The African News Innovation Challenge (ANIC) is designed to encourage experimentation in digital technologies and support the best innovations that strengthen African news organizations. Although, it is no longer accepting proposals for this year’s competition, there’s always next year.
  10. The Africa Awards for Entrepreneurship recognizes and rewards business leaders who serve as role models to Africa’s aspiring entrepreneurs and who demonstrate business excellence, innovation and profitability.  Entry is open to all firms that have revenues between US$ 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.
  11.  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.
  12. 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.
  13. 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.
  14. 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.
  15. 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.
  16. The Teens in Tech Incubator is open to any young entrepreneur between the ages of 13 and 19. Below you’ll find our application form in two versions — one for teams, and one for individuals. If you’re interested in spending the summer learning, and building some awesome products, the Teens in Tech Incubator is the place for you! Applications are due by April 2012.
  17. Launched in 2009, the MENA 100 Business Plan Competition is now accepting applications for its third competition, with a deadline of February 29th, 2012. The competition, which 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 prior to the deadline to submit - July 16, 2012, 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. Africa’s first major contest designed to promote the development of digital media products and innovations will be now accepting applications through July 10, 2012. African News Innovation Challenge (ANIC) will provide 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. VC4Africa, the largest online community of venture capitalists, angels and entrepreneurs dedicated to building businesses in Africa, and Sanaga Ventures, an early stage investment firm with a focus on African tech ventures, have launched the Cameroon Startup Challenge. The competition offers a cash prize of USD $5,000 for the most innovative web, mobile or hardware-based business venture in Cameroon. As an additional benefit, the winning venture is eligible to be incubated at ActivSpaces, Cameroon’s leading technology hub, and receive ongoing support, oversight, services and mentoring. An awards ceremony will be held in Cameroon at the close of the challenge with the top three startups, participants, judges, invited guests, a video crew and local press. Entries will be accepted from May 7th – July 6th, 2012.

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