Comesa launches innovation awards |13 August 2013

An innovation awards scheme has been launched by the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (Comesa) to mark the year of Pan-Africanism and the African Renaissance.

The year 2013 marks the 50th anniversary of the formation of the Organisation of African Unity and a little more than a decade since the creation of the African Union.

Consequently, the heads of state has declared this year as the Year of Pan-Africanism and African Renaissance.
Individuals, groups of people, institutions and enterprises that have come up with new products, methods of production, ways of improving technology and ways of doing business can apply.

Submissions are also invited to those who have opened a new market, conquered a new source of supply of raw materials or half-manufactured goods, and who run a new form of organisation.
There are four categories under which submissions can be made − youth up to 35 years, women, individuals or groups and organisations or institutions.

The deadline for all submissions is August 31 at 00.00 hours central African time.
It is to be noted that all submissions should be in English or French.

There will be an open nomination process but individuals and institutions are not allowed to nominate themselves.
The award ceremony will take place in DRC Congo in October at the heads of state and government summit.

Nominations should be sent directly to the Comesa secretariat via email innovation@comesa.int or by post to Comesa Centre, Ben Bella Road, PO Box 30051, Lusaka, Zambia.

Details of the process were shared with the media at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs by principal secretary for Entrepreneurship Development and Business Innovation Marise Berlouis, Barry Assary from the same department and councillor for the Seychelles’ Comesa council for innovation, science and technology Michel Savy.

Mr Savy said apart from the main awards, there will also be special recognition awards for past innovators.

For the judging, Mr Savy said all nominations which will come through will go to a technical evaluation panel and through a process of triage to assess the submissions before going to the judging panel for the final decision.

Cash prizes will be given to small innovators who need the financial support while other nominees will receive other forms of recognition which is yet to be decided, he added.

A call for sponsorship is also being made to the private sector as the secretariat is looking for long term partners who can provide valuable inputs into the Comesa regional programmes to advance the regional integration agenda.

Several points will be taken into account to assess the submissions and these include creativity and novelty of the idea, contribution to job creation and poverty alleviation, contribution to the development of the green and blue economy in the region.