The U.S.-West Africa Tech Challenge is inviting technologists from all over Africa to apply and share their solutions for these challenges. You will have the opportunity to present your technology to important people from the government, civil society, and private companies. A panel of judges will select up to eight organizations to showcase their technology. The top three organizations will be chosen as winners and receive a total of $250,000 USD in funding.
About The U.S.-West Africa Tech Challenge
The U.S.-West Africa Tech Challenge is a program supported by the U.S. Department of State’s Global Engagement Center, along with partners like the U.S. Embassy in Abidjan, the Ministry of Communication and Digital Economy in Côte d’Ivoire, the United Nations Development Program, She Code Africa, Impact Hub Abidjan, and Becera.
The main goal of the U.S.-West Africa Tech Challenge is to promote the growth of promising technologies that can provide innovative solutions to address issues like disinformation, propaganda, and violent extremism in Coastal West Africa. The program aims to support the development of technology-based initiatives that can help expose, understand, and counter these challenges
Program details
The U.S.-West Africa Tech Challenge is scheduled to take place in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, on September 27-28, 2023. It will be a two-part event.
- Part one of the event will be a demo day where the selected technologists will showcase their solutions. They will have the opportunity to present their innovative technologies to an audience consisting of government officials, civil society representatives, academia, and media.
- Part two of the event will involve panels and discussions among the technologists and various stakeholders. These discussions will focus on sharing lessons learned and exploring opportunities for collaboration in addressing the challenges related to disinformation, propaganda, and violent extremism.
- While the winning solutions will be implemented for the benefit of countries in Coastal West Africa, the Call for Submissions is open to organizations from across Africa. It is not limited to those based only in Coastal West Africa.
Benefit
The U.S.-West Africa Tech Challenge offers several benefits to participating organizations:
- Opportunity to Demonstrate Technology: Up to eight organizations will be chosen to showcase their technology to a panel of judges. This provides a platform to present their innovative solutions and demonstrate their capabilities.
- Recognition and Validation: Being selected as one of the winners of the challenge brings recognition and validation to the organization’s technology and its potential impact in addressing disinformation, propaganda, and violent extremism.
- Funding Support: Up to three organizations will be chosen as winners and will receive a total funding of $250,000 USD. This financial support can be instrumental in further developing and scaling their technology solutions.
- Networking and Collaboration: The program brings together technologists, government officials, civil society representatives, academia, and media. This offers opportunities for networking, knowledge sharing, and potential collaborations for future projects and initiatives.
- Learning and Exposure: Participating in the challenge provides a valuable learning experience and exposure to different perspectives, ideas, and approaches in combating disinformation and extremism. The event also includes panels and discussions that can broaden participants’ understanding of the challenges and potential solutions.
Eligibility
The eligibility for the U.S.-West Africa Tech Challenge is as follows:
- The opportunity is open to tech organizations that are domiciled and headquartered across Africa. It is not limited to organizations based solely in Coastal West Africa.
- Organizations that have innovative technology solutions that aim to address the challenges of disinformation, propaganda, and violent extremism specifically within Coastal West Africa. These solutions should contribute to exposing, understanding, or countering these issues in the region.
How to apply
To apply for the U.S. West Africa Tech Challenge:
- Visit the U.S.-West Africa Tech Challenge submission link
- On the left side of the page, you will find a registration form. Fill out the required information in the form to get started with your U.S.-West Africa Tech Challenge application.
- The deadline for submissions is July 16, 2023, at 11:59 pm UTC. Make sure to complete and submit your application before this deadline.
Overview
Types of opportunity: Tech Challenge
Deadline: 16th July 2023
Open to: Oganisations
Duration: 27th – 28th September
Location: Abidjan, Cote D’Ivoire
Organizer: U.S. Department of State’s Global Engagement
Country: Africa
Inquiry
For more information visit the official website of the U.S.-West Africa Tech Challenge
