Johnson&Johnson Africa Innovation Challenge 2019 for African Health Entrepreneurs ($100,000 funding + mentorship)

Application Deadline: 16th January, 2019

Eligible Countries: Countries in Africa

Eligible Fields: There are three different categories, however you can apply to all three:

• Promoting Early Child Development & Maternal Health: Improving maternal health helps nurture happy, healthy babies and generates positive child development. We are looking for non-pharmaceutical product and technology solutions that will help ensure women and newborns in Africa stay healthy during pregnancy, childbirth and throughout child development.
• Empowering Young Girls: Access to good education and basic needs such as feminine care products is important to make sure young girls across Africa realize their full potential. We are looking for consumer product, technology and educational innovations that address these needs, making a brighter future possible for young women.
• Improving Family Well–being: Families need reliable healthcare information and access to healthcare professionals and effective products in order to thrive. We are searching for innovative technology-driven solutions that help promote access to healthcare knowledge, advice and products and enhance the well-being of consumers in Africa.

About the Award: With its focus on consumer health care, the Africa Innovation Challenge will help tackle important issues impacting local communities. We are looking for an idea that has a clear project plan to progress towards commercialization. Commercialization is the process of introducing a new product or solution into commerce – making it available on the market. As you are submitting your application, you will find a downloadable project plan template that will guide you step-by-step so that we can better understand the feasibility of your idea. If you have a business plan to share, that is great.

Categories: Citizens and permanent residents of African Countries can apply. Applications should only be submitted by authorized representatives of the Applicant applying for the AIC. To qualify, each Applicant must submit an innovative idea in at least one of the following categories:

1. Botanical Solutions – we are seeking naturally-derived, plant-based solutions that tap into traditional knowledge and deliver consumer health and wellness benefits through topical application;
2. Packaging Innovations – We are seeking sustainable innovations for packaging of single dose units and other affordable product sizes that will reduce or eliminate waste, while protecting the product;
3. Mental Health – We are seeking innovations that create awareness for mental illness as a public health problem and offer solutions for patients, caregivers, and their communities to address these issues.; and
4. Essential Surgical Care – We are seeking innovations that promote access to timely, safe and skilled surgical care.
5. Digital Health Tools – For one or more of the areas of HIV, Tuberculosis, Mental Health, Maternal Health and Ebola, We are seeking digital tools (including apps and other mobile/web/data enabled tech) for these important health care areas that can inform, educate, communicate and connect people to treatment, support and care through their reach and information and improve health outcomes especially for women.
6. Health Worker Support – We are seeking innovations that support the wellbeing and resilience of nurses, midwives and community health workers at the heart of delivering care.

Type: Entrepreneurship

Eligibility: 

Selection Criteria: One or more individuals, teams or companies from Africa are encouraged to make their submissions. Solutions will be evaluated based on their ability to meet the following criteria:

• Solution submission addresses at least one of the three critical health areas mentioned earlier.
• Submission must be innovative and creative.
• Submission must be scalable.
• Submission outlines a commercialization plan and how the award would help the applicant reach a critical milestone within the timeframe of a single yea

Number of Awardees: Not specified

Value of Scholarship: Participant(s) with the best solutions will receive up to $100,000 in funding and mentorship from scientists, engineers and researchers in the Johnson & Johnson Consumer Research & Development organization. The winner(s) of the challenge could also receive dedicated space at a lab facility in Africa throughout their product or service development, dependent on the needs of the solution submission.

How to Apply: To apply to the challenge, visit the Africa Innovation Challenge application page

Visit Contest Webpage for details

Award Provider: Johnson and Johnson