The AYuTe Nigeria Challenge – Enterprise Development Program
The AYuTe Nigeria Challenge is an enterprise development program formed by Heifer International and implemented by Enactus Nigeria to recognize, develop, and support innovative, relevant and technology-driven agric-centric enterprises to grow, scale and thrive. The enterprise is inviting suitably qualified Nigerians who are early-stage or growth-stage youth-led agritech businesses/ companies with innovative solutions impacting smallholder farmers at scale to compete for a chance to win a grant of $20,000 in the 2022 challenge.
You might be wondering which enterprise is AYuTe? Well, the AYuTe Challenge is one of the most ambitious agriculture competitions on the continent. The Challenge envision combining the power of Nigerian youth and African youth at large with the many possibilities of emerging technologies to support smallholder farmers across Nigeria and Africa to grow their businesses and income, The Challenge is termed a trans-formative force.
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Eligibility for The AYuTe Nigeria Challenge – Enterprise Development Program:
- Applicants must be between the ages of 18 to 35 of age before the deadline of submission to the AYuTe Nigeria challenge.
- Applicants must be a youth with innovative ideas targeting on the agriculture sector.
- Applicants must have ideas that are proven to solve social problems and are implementable, technically feasible, economically sound (affordable), and environmentally smart (eco-friendly).
- Applicants must posses Nigerian nationality with official ID (national identity card, international passport, or permanent voters’ card).
- Applicants must make available financial statements for the venture.
- Applicants must be the founder or co-founder of the enterprise represented in the competition and play an active role in its operations and leadership.
- Applicants must have no criminal record related to corruption, tax evasion, financial impropriety, felony or other offences.
- Applicants must have the potential for partnership and collaboration with other actors/stakeholders.
- Applicant’s enterprise must have been registered/incorporated with the relevant government agencies in Nigeria.
- Applicant’s enterprise must have the ability to scale and impact a large number of smallholder farmers, including recorded proof of demonstrated impact on smallholder farmers’ revenue and/or operations.
- Applicant’s enterprise must have the potential for job creation and poverty reduction in Nigeria.
- Applicant’s enterprise must align with relevant national policies and international treaties like, SDGs.
- Applicant’s enterprise must have an identifiable technological innovation that addresses the following problems for smallholder farmers:
- Smallholder farmer productivity
- Smallholder farmer income
- Labour intensiveness of operations
- Resilience
- Access to information
- Strong competitive advantage
Timeline for The AYuTe Nigeria Challenge – Enterprise Development Program:
- September 2022: The first stage of the challenge will identify the top 10 agritech innovators and the second stage will identify the top 5 agritech innovators.
- October 2022: The top three enterprises will be awarded cash prizes at a pitch and awards ceremony.
Application Deadline: September 16, 2022.
