The challenge of the “1000 entrepreneurs” has been launched for a few months now. As part of the Africa France 2020 Summit on Sustainable Cities, France has decided to offer 1000 young Africans with innovative solutions the opportunity to take part free of charge in this major event, where a reflection on the future of sustainable cities in Africa will be developed. The successful candidates will participate in the City of Solutions, which will be held on the margins of the summit. It is a fair, which will be open to companies, members of civil society and French and African funders. A unique space dedicated to projects and solutions for sustainable cities and territories in Africa. It is also an opportunity to stimulate reflection on the challenges of sustainable cities in Africa and France.
The African entrepreneurs who will be selected on the list of 1000 will have their travel and accommodation partially or totally covered by the organisation. And, of course, they will be able to present their projects for sustainable cities in Africa at the City of solutions.
The challenge is managed by the Summit organisers in collaboration with Digital Africa (an association that was created thanks to the initiative of French President Emmanuel Macron to support and accompany African entrepreneurship.) To be eligible to participate, the following conditions must be met:
– Be a young African entrepreneur;
– Have a legal existence (registered status);
– To have a growing turnover;
– Have an activity related to one of the following seven themes:
- Access essential services (security, energy efficiency, renewable energies, risk management, etc.).
- Feed the cities (agri-food, shops, restaurants…).
- Develop and beautify the city (architecture, urban furniture, green spaces…).
- Moving around the city/visiting the city (transport, mobility, tourism…).
- Living in the city (housing, health, education, culture…).
- Financing and structuring projects (donors, banks, insurance).
- Connect the city (digital innovation).
Applications are open until January 31, 2020, and registrations can be made via the following link: https://digital-africa.co/challenge-des-1000/ The list of successful candidates will be published at the end of March 2020.
The summit on sustainable cities will be held in Bordeaux from the 4th to 6th of June 2020. The summit will bring together 58 African heads of state and about 500 French and African companies working in the sustainable city sector.
Luchelle Feukeng