About Startup North-east
This project seeks to identify and support innovative and technology-focused startups whose activities can create solutions to the problems in north east Nigeria, and especially address gaps in areas of aid distribution and data management.
Successful participants will be supported to deploy their applications to increase the availability of solutions that will support community, government and donor initiatives in rebuilding the region.
Benefits
Why you should apply
Grant
Business equity-free funding up to $3,000 each for 6 startups
Business Advisory
Get access to a pool of mentors and business experts
Partnerships
Access to network of partners
Key areas of interest for your solution
Applications should focus on the following areas:
Poor Data Management
This blindsides the aid organisations from knowing the actual gaps in the north east, which mitigates the efforts of aid distribution and hampers accountability in the region.
Misappropriation of relief materials and funds
Local leaders sometimes divert and sell these relief materials, are nepotistic and bring only their family members to benefit from the aid provided by development organizations.
Lack of insight
Non-consultation with local communities to determine actual need
Insecurity
Fewer organizations are willing to move outside the capital cities of the Northeastern states, to deliver aid to other areas. This poses a challenge for many organizations to find implementing partners and delivering programs outside of the city
Unqualified personnel
The lack of trained personnel in handling aid distribution
Extortion
Sex for cash, food items and non-food items with vulnerable women and girls in the IDP camps
Poor coordination and lack of good communication
There is poor coordination and lack of good communication among disaster management stakeholders
Poor data collection
Poor identification of households that require these relief services
Mishandling of equipment
Physical cards provided to IDPs for identification, sometimes get missing or is reprinted so many times to enable them collect the relief materials multiple times
Eligibility
In order to qualify for this funding, The following criteria have to be met:
- You must be operating in Nigeria
- The startup is in idea-stage or early-stage
- Can demonstrate the potential for future scale
- The solution must be solving problem around the key area of interest
- Startups should have a well-rounded, complementary team i.e. in-house capacity for product vision (what to build), technology (how to build it), and business (how to make money from it)
- Founders should have some unique insight or compelling worldview deep domain expertise and/or a strong grasp of the landscape an eye for detail tenacity, high conscientiousness, and a bias towards execution
- Solution should leverage technology
Program Timeline
Startup North-East
Call For Application
2nd Nov - 2nd Dec 2020
Online Application
Startup North-East
Build Phase
11th Jan - 19th Jan 2021
Virtual program
Startup North-East
Virtual Incubation
25th Jan 2021 - 25th May 2021
Virtual program
Startup North-East
Demo Day
27th May 2021
Online Event
About Ventures Platform Hub
Ventures Platform Hub is a catalyst for innovation & entrepreneurship across Africa. It provides smart capital through its early-stage fund, Ventures Platform Fund, it provides infrastructure and nurtures communities of entrepreneurs and innovators through Ventures Park and it builds pipelines by providing capacity and ecosystem support through its not-for-profit – Ventures Platform Foundation. More information about Ventures Platform Hub is available at
FAQs
Quick links
- About Startup North-East
- Eligibility
- Program Timeline
- FAQs
Get in touch
- 29, Mambilla Street, Off Aso Drive, Three Arms Zone, Abuja
- (+234) 809 041 5327
- hello@venturesplatform.com