(JICA), is providing grants for African Startups in the NINJA Business Plan Competition. NINJA is short for Next Innovation with Japan. The application is open for startups/organizations in all sectors with a specific focus on emerging businesses in COVID-19-related fields.

Deadline: 5th August, 2020 For Ethiopia, the deadline has been extended to August 26, 2020 (due to the internet ban)

Countries: Angola, Burkina Faso, Botswana, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Madagascar, Mauritius, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania, Tunisia, Uganda, Zambia

Opportunity Type: 

• Financing of up to USD30,000 in project activities, 
• Connections with investors / business partners, and 
• A visit to Japan as part of investment/business matching, 

Opportunity Summary: The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), has announced the launch of the NINJA Business Plan Competition for businesses emerging during the COVID-19 outbreak. NINJA is short for Next Innovation with Japan. The application is open for startups/organizations in all sectors with a specific focus on emerging businesses in COVID-19-related fields. 

Eligibility:  The application is open for startups/organizations in all sectors with a specific focus on emerging businesses in COVID-19-related fields including, but not limited to:

1. Health: Online healthcare support; disease-testing solutions; medical data sharing and privacy protection solutions; distribution of drugs and medical equipment; IoT, including 3D printers, in the medical field
2. Disaster management: Geo-tracking during disasters; emergency information dissemination
3. Business services: Support for remote workers; efficient management/operation of online events
4. Education sector: Remote learning support
5. Food and agriculture: Efficient food/commodity distribution technology
6. Finance: Contactless transactions/payment; lending/insurance services to SMEs and individuals
7. Logistics: delivery service, urban mobility management
8. Other: Substituting imported goods with local innovative technolog.

To take part in JICA’s NINJA Business Plan Competition, startups must:

• Have their head office or a branch in one of the target countries.
• Be a profit/non-profit organization registered as an independent legal entity. Proposals from individuals will not be considered.
• Have a very strong management team of at least 2 people.
• Have innovative product(s) or service(s) in response to or adoptable to the Pandemic and post-Pandemic society OR have a feasible business plan to create prototypes (MVP).

Selection Criteria

• The proposal should introduce some level of innovation in terms of a business model, a new product or service that can be more actively used, and/or profitability in the current and post COVID-19 era.
• Proposals should be as commercially-oriented as possible.
• JICA will cover the budget of the activities up to USD 30,000. The use of funds will cover costs associated with the proposed activities including, 1) remuneration of staff, 2) other expenses, and 3) indirect local tax.

Learn more about the award: https://www.jica.go.jp/ghana/english/office/topics/200716.htmlHow to Apply: Fill online application form on https://forms.gle/8E5RQuchUsU5P8Jt7

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