The Global Monitoring For Environment And Security & Africa Project (GMES & Africa) is calling on developers and creatives to participate in the 2019 edition of the Innovation Challenge. This application round is targeted at French-speaking West Africa.
Purpose of the Innovation Challenge
Design mobile applications and communication tools to support the sustainable utilization of marine and coastal resources, and contribute to actions that will reduce the degradation of coastal ecosystems.
Eligibility
This competition is open to the following categories of candidates (application developers, animators, graphic designers / comic artists etc) operating in Benin, Togo, Côte d’Ivoire, Senegal, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, and Cape Verde:
- Registered companies
- Start-ups
- Freelance developers
The apps and communication tools developed should address issues in the following categories
- Ocean state monitoring
- Monitoring Fishing activities
- Coastal Environment Monitoring
Mode of application
Applicants must submit their application by completing the registration form at Innovation UG-GMES challenge.
The deadline for registration and submission of the concept note is Thursday, June 28, 2019. Selected applicants will be invited to submit their ideas and samples of products on a date to be communicated to them. The evaluation committee will select six (6) finalists by August, who will receive up to 2,000 euros each after completion of the application/tool/product.
The selection criteria can be classified in the following categories:
Integration with the GMES Geoportal and Africa
Develop using open source tools
Develop using open source tools
Educational potential
Commercial potential
Social and cultural impact
Communication, creativity and innovation
Final contest
The finalists will have two (2) months for the development of applications, tools and products until October 15, 2019, when they will submit their final product to the organizers.
Finally, a public event will be organized to present the best products. The winners will receive an additional 3,000 euros at the event in Abidjan (Ivory Coast) in November 2019.
