Call for Applications!
Are you an innovation support organization (ISO) in Eastern, Central or Southern Africa helping build the future of sustainable and connected cities? Do you want to become the go-to hub for Smart Cities entrepreneurs in your region?
If yes, we have an exciting opportunity for you!
Make-IT in Africa in collaboration with Yunus Environment Hub is excited to open applications for the Smart Cities Innovation Program (SCIP): Specialization of Innovation Support Organizations across Eastern, Central and Southern Africa.
This program aims to build a strong regional community of 13 ISOs with expertise in supporting Smart Cities startups. Selected ISOs will receive tailored capacity building, tools, and access to networks to help them specialize and become the go-to organizations for Smart Cities entrepreneurs in their regions.
Apply now!
Challenge
Innovation Support Organizations (ISOs) across Africa often take a generalist approach to supporting startups, lacking strategic focus and specialization in niche sectors. This limits their ability to provide tailored assistance, mentorship, tools and access to partners that tech entrepreneurs need. There is a need to build a collaborative pan-African community of mission-driven, specialized Smart Cities ISOs that can fully support startups to develop innovative solutions for Africa's growing cities.
Approach
To address this gap, the program will select 13 ISOs from Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi, Congo, Zambia, Botswana, and South Africa, with at least one organization represented per country. Needs assessments will be conducted for each participating ISO to design a tailored, week-long capacity building bootcamp. The in-person bootcamp will equip ISOs with practical strategies and support them to develop individualized game plans.
Crucially, the program does not end after the bootcamp. To ensure sustainability of outcomes, the ISOs will be supported throughout the duration of the program through peer exchange, individual mentoring sessions, and expert workshops that will facilitate ongoing collaboration and knowledge sharing amongst the ISOs.
Goal
The primary goal is to create a regional and interconnected community of ISOs dedicated to supporting Smart Cities startups. The program will provide capacity building, tools and global connections to enable the ISOs to specialize and to position them as go-to ISOs for Smart Cities innovation startups.
