Deadline: May 26, 2021
Applications are invited for the AFD Digital Challenge 2021. For the fifth consecutive year, the Agence française de développement is committed to supporting high-impact digital actors in Africa. For this new edition, the AFD Digital Challenge wishes 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.
Themes
Startups, associations and research centers developing digital solutions on the themes presented below are eligible.
- Reducing the digital footprint:
- Digital tools and services for the reduced energy consumption of networks and data centers, eco-construction and tools used to reduce the consumption of terminals and boxes
- eco-design of digital equipment and services
- recycling of electronic waste
- Innovating to build a sustainable economy:
- Digital technology to reduce the impact of land, air, sea and river transport
- digital technology to promote sustainable territories
- digital services for the dissemination of best environmental and climate practices for the public sector, businesses and citizens
- digital services for green finance
- digital tools and services for agro-ecology, traceability and limiting agricultural losses
- Preserving natural resources:
- Preventing and reacting to natural disasters: data and prediction, warning systems, business continuity plans for climate incidents, civil protection systems, etc.
- contributing to the preservation of ecosystems and helping the most vulnerable populations to adapt to climate change.
Awards
- €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;
- Your project has a legal structure as well as a sustainable and autonomous business model;
- Digital technology is at the heart of your solution.
Application
For more information, visit AFD Challenge.
