The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has kicked off activities for the third edition of its Talent Hunt Research through Hackathon as part of its Strategic Vision Plan 2023-2025 to encourage the development of new technologies and indigenous content through cutting-edge research. The goal of this initiative is to stimulate sustainable economic growth and development in Nigeria.
As part of its commitment to innovation and development, the NCC is inviting Tech Hubs and Innovation-Driven Enterprises (IDEs) in Nigeria to participate in the Talent Hunt Research Hackathon.
This event, organized by NCC, focuses on three critical areas: Blockchain-enabled Data Protection Solutions for Enhancing Regulatory Compliance, Assistive Technology Solutions for the Elderly and People with Disabilities, and Technology Solutions for Renewable Energy in Rural Areas.
The hackathon leverages emerging digital technologies to stimulate the creation of innovative solutions and the development of local content within the telecommunications sector. By doing so, it contributes to economic growth and social advancement in Nigeria.
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How to register for the Talent Hunt Research Hackathon
This competition provides a platform for translating novel ideas into tangible hardware or software solutions that address both industry and societal challenges. Notably, the top three solutions, one from each of the areas listed above, will receive grants of N10 million each for further development.
The Commission has set out eligibility criteria for those seeking to participate in the competition, which include that the Enterprise must provide a certificate of registration with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), the Enterprise must not have previously received support from the Commission, the project should have clear relevance to one of the three thematic areas above, it must provide a clear problem statement, proposed solution, and roadmap to deployment.
Other requirements include a proof of concept (which may also include technical feasibility of the idea with diagram, algorithm, existing models, or case studies; the solution must be novel with the applicant making a declarative statement on ownership of the intellectual property, the solution including prototype development shall be concluded within 6 months of receipt of the Grant and must propose a detailed commercialization plan of the prototype.
The Entry Submission format indicates that the proposal must include ideation, Minimum Viable Product (MVP) and solution, Current Sweat Equity Investment, Product-Market Fit status, Verifiable Go-to-Market status, Growth Feasibility Assurances, Maturity Model and Timeliness and existing time: Disaster Recovery, where applicable
All applications should be made online and must follow the stipulated entry format and there is no financial cost to participating in the competition while full control and ownership of the intellectual property of the developed solutions remain with the Commission.
The entries must be made by a Tech Hub/Innovation-Driven Enterprise that must show evidence of the relationship with the Start-up/solution being entered, a 4-page Executive summary of the project concept, a 3-5 minute video of the pilot project, names, age, contact details, passport photos and profile of all team members and the website (if available) as well as an E-mail address of the applicant.
Interested and qualified enterprises should submit the requested documents in a zip folder to https://ncc.gov.ng/talenthuntresearchhackathon2023. The application period is set to conclude on Friday, September 22, 2023.
The Commission has run an advertorial on the Hackathon for 3 weeks and hereby requests those in the startup ecosystem to note that the application closes by Friday, September 22, 2023.
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