Entrepreneurship and Innovation

Develop entrepreneurship education and business opportunities to foster a startup technology culture and ecosystem across Africa

The innovation & entrepreneurship pillar is a commitment to foster entrepreneurship education in higher learning institutions and create opportunities for entrepreneurs and innovators to launch and grow their enterprises. This is to be achieved through entrepreneurship courses, programs, startup incubators, accelerators and funding opportunities. The pillar aims to nurture a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship in technology by encouraging collaboration between technology institutions across Africa, building a supportive startup ecosystem in the continent.

Objectives

Ensure students and staff get started on their entrepreneurial journeys

Support early stage entrepreneurs

Raise awareness of entrepreneurship and innovation among the university community

Build digital capacity among students

Call for Startups

Are you a dynamic startup operating in Kenya, eager to grow and make a positive impact? We are excited to announce an internship opportunity that could benefit both your organization and aspiring students looking to gain valuable experience in the field of ICT.

Digital skills play a pivotal role in the success of MSMEs in today’s business landscape. However, many MSMEs lack access to advanced digital skills, hindering their growth and innovation. Our program – Tech skills marketplace – in partnership with AFRETEC (African Engineering and Technology Network), connects startups with graduate students and alumni for a three-month internship.

This call seeks innovative startups/ MSMEs with ICT – based projects looking to engage graduate students and alumni from science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields with advanced digital skills. While the MSME itself may not be tech-focused, the projects the interns will work on must be tech-focused.

Benefits for startups

Access to motivated and talented interns who can contribute to your projects and bring fresh perspectives.

Opportunities to mentor and develop future talent in the ICT field

Potential long term recruitment opportunities

Important Dates

Stage of the Call	Date
Call opening	April 23, 2024
Call closure	May 15, 2024
Startup/ MSME Selection	May 16 -23, 2024
Notification of selected Startups/MSME	May 24, 2024
Posting of internship opportunities	May 27 – 31, 2024
Intern application and selection process	June
Internship	July – September 2024

Eligibility criteria for startups

Has been in operation for at least two years

Is registered and operational in Africa with a website or media presence

Has a well-defined ICT-based project relevant to a student’s career aspirations and well developed to allow both the student and the MSME to grow

Has a dedicated team member to supervise and mentor the intern

Able to co-fund 20% of the monthly internship cost (KES 15,000)

Ready to provide the intern with an internship contract that complies with the labor laws and clearly outlines the scope of work

Selection procedure and criteria

The evaluation and selection process are designed to be open, accountable, multi-step and based solely on the merit of the submitted applications. All the eligible startups will have the same opportunities.

Each eligible startup will be evaluated by a team composed by the UoN staff, AFRETEC staff and collaborators.

The evaluation process is planned to take place in May and June 2024, and selected startups are expected to host the intern from July 2024 to September 2024. However, the organizers reserve the right to change this timeline.