Coaching session for bidding to entrepreneurship and innovation opportunities

UR-CIE IS OFFERING COACHING SESSIONS TO THOSE WHO ARE BIDDING TO ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND INNOVATION OPPORTUNITIES

The UR Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (UR-CIE) would like to remind the University community, especially the students that UR-CIE offers coaching sessions to those who want to apply to entrepreneurship and innovation opportunities available outside UR, starting with those available in the Country. It is in this context that UR-CIE would like to inform the University Community about the following two open opportunities :

1. The Innovation Accelerator (iAccelerator)

iAccelerator is a mentorship driven acceleration programme, supporting young entrepreneurs with seed funding, training and skills development to generate innovative solutions in response to challenges related to sexual and reproductive health, sexuality education, family planning, maternal health and other population development issues (http://www.imbutofoundation.org/iaccelerator/).

a) The call for proposals to iAccelerator is now open.
b) To apply open the link : http://www.imbutofoundation.org/iaccelerator/
c) Deadline : 20th October 2019.
d) Program highlights (source : http://www.imbutofoundation.org/iaccelerator/) :
o Seed funding : USD 10,000
o Focus market : Adolescent Sexual Reproductive Health (ASRH)
o Challenge to solve : “Availing Adolescent Sexual Reproductive Health information & services as a way of preventing teenage pregnancies.”
o The top 3 projects will win a grant, as well as access to 3 months of training & mentorship

2. 250Startups incubation program

250Startups is a multi‐partners incubation program which accelerate startups to be fundable for the period of six months per each cohort, It’s an initiative from ICT Chamber Rwanda, The initiative has taken a leading role in its realization by creating an appropriate and effective mechanism to foster technology startups from incubation into expansion phase through financial, technical, mentorship among others (https://www.250.rw/about).

a) The call for proposals to 250Startups program is now open.
b) To apply go to the link : https://www.250.rw
c) Deadline for submission of applications : Friday, 1st November 2019.
d) Program highlights (source : https://www.250.rw)
o Objective : The objective of this call for proposals is to incubate startups, which have innovative ICT, enabled solutions to help mitigate challenges in Rwanda.
o Target sector : Applicants should address the challenge(s), which hinder the economic development of Rwanda. The applicants are requested to state the challenges and propose a solution(s) to address the challenge(s) using ICT (either software, hardware, platforms, or combination of all) (scalable innovative ICT solution).
o Eligible applicants are those who have a working prototype available to present, and ready to participate in the 6-month incubation program when selected.
o Benefits : Selected applicants will be granted benefits including :
• 1-week bootcamp on sharpening its business model
• Work environment (e.g. Internet and lunch)
• 6-months hands-on incubation support

In case you wish to benefit from UR-CIE support in fine tuning your innovative idea(s), please book time with us by sending us an e-mail to ebienvenu3@gmail.com with Cc to D.GAGA@ur.ac.rw

Dr. Emile Bienvenu
Director,
Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship
University of Rwanda