Smart Cities Innovation Programme
The Call for Applications for the Smart Cities Innovation Programme is now officially open! If you are you a tech start-up operating in the field of Mobility, Housing or Fintech, we encourage you to apply to #SCIPAfrica accelerator and contribute to shaping the African Cities of tomorrow!
What is the Smart Cities Innovation Programme (SCIP)?
SCIP aims at supporting 30 high-potential start-ups from Africa divided into 3 tracks: Smart Mobility, Smart Housing and Fintech for Affordability. The start-ups will benefit from individual mentoring, training as well as intensive networking and matchmaking with international business partners and investors, including Volkswagen, Siemens and the African Business Angels Network (ABAN). Start-ups will also be able to use Green City Kigali, Rwanda’s flagship smart city project, as a sandbox to test their solutions and enter the Rwandan market. To learn more about SCIP, visit .
Who are we looking for?
The start-ups must have already launched their tech-enabled product or service on the African market and have customers. They should also have a high growth and job creation potential, as well as a positive social and/or environmental impact. Finally, start-ups from Rwanda and/or with female members in management are preferred at equal qualification.
When and where does SCIP take place?
SCIP is a 6-month remote accelerator running from June to December 2021. It will culminate with demo-days organised in Kigali the last week of September.
How to apply?
Submit your application form on before the end of the Open Call on May 9th. If your application is shortlisted, you will be invited to submit additional information about your start-up and participate to an interview.
About SCIP
The rate of urbanisation in Africa is the highest in the world. By 2030, 50% of Africans are predicted to be living in urban settings. According to the World Bank, this increasing urbanisation holds much potential for the continent, as it can result in economic growth and poverty reduction. At the same time, it holds the risk of aggravating inequality and urban poverty. Therefore, concrete action to direct Africa’s urban transformation in terms of the Sustainable Development Goals is needed. In collaboration with the Rwandan government, SCIP has been set up to support the growth of digital urban innovations in Rwanda and beyond.
SCIP is a joint project of the Special Initiative on Training and Job Creation and the Tech-Entrepreneurship Initiative “Make IT in Africa”. Both initiatives are implemented by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). The implementation of SCIP is supported by Luvent Consulting, MEST and AfriLabs.
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