AFD Digital Challenge 2021 (€20,000 prize): (Deadline 26 May 2021)

Agence française de développement calls applications for AFD Digital Challenge 2021. For the fifth consecutive year, the Agence française de développement is supporting high-impact digital actors in Africa. For this new edition, the AFD Digital Challenge aims to combine the challenges of the digital transition with those of climate protection and biodiversity, in line with Goal 13 of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Since 2016, the AFD Digital Challenge has been rewarding the most innovative African startups, associations and research centers in terms of digital technology and solving sustainable development goals on the continent. After 5 years of existence, 35 African start-ups have benefited from financial support and coaching to scale up their businesses. The digital revolution is transforming the African continent, driven by a new generation of entrepreneurs who combine innovation, economic performance and social and/or environmental impact. When addressing climate and biodiversity issues, information and communication technologies are, most of the time, considered through their negative impacts (infrastructure, electronic waste, data storage…).

Themes

The Agence française de développement Digital Challenge has three themes

• Reducing the digital footprint
• Innovating to build a sustainable economy.
• Preserving natural resources

Awards

Agence française de développement Digital Challenge 2021 has the following prizes

• €20,000
• International Visibility
• Customized Support

Eligibility

• Open to innovative African startups.
• Your project is related to one of the themes presented above and detailed in the rules.
• Your project is already on the market and is in the seed/launch phase.
• The project must have a legal structure as well as a sustainable and autonomous business model.
• Digital technology is at the heart of your solution.