Apply for the Presidential and Innovation Challenge & Award 2024-2025
The Presidential Innovation Challenge and Award (PIA) 2024 - 2025 is a KeNIA programme in collaboration with the Ministry of Youth Affairs, Creative Economy, and Sports that intends to develop the entrepreneurial capacity of innovators across the country through scouting, recognising and commercialising of the innovations along priority sectors of the National Government. This will encourage and support young people who are using their innovativeness, creativity and problem-solving skills to make a positive impact on society while becoming economically active
The Presidential Innovation Award Focuses on the following priority areas:
Food Security and Agriculture
Innovations, technologies, and solutions that aim to increase food production, improve the efficiency and sustainability of agricultural practices, and enhance access to nutritious food for all people.
Digital Transformation
Innovations, technologies, and solutions that aim to leverage digital technologies to fundamentally change business processes, improve efficiency, enhance customer experiences, and drive growth.
Healthcare
Solutions that address healthcare challenges in society ranging from prevention, detection, surveillance, diagnosis, response, monitoring of health conditions to health promotion.
Entertainment & Gaming
Innovations, technologies, and solutions that aim to enhance the quality, engagement, and accessibility of entertainment and gaming experiences for consumers.
Climate Action and Green Energy
Innovations, technologies, and solutions that aim to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, mitigate the impacts of climate change, and accelerate the transition to a low-carbon economy.
PIA 2024-2025 Categories
- The innovation/start-up must be legally registered in Kenya and its founders must be students in both Public and Private universities in Kenya and supported by member of faculty as a supervisor.(VC's Letter Upload).
- The applicants must be developing and scaling an innovative product, service, or technology that solves a significant social problem or addresses an unmet need in the market.
- The innovative product, service or technology must be within the sectors of Digital Transformation, Affordable Healthcare, Food Security and Agriculture, Entertainment and Gaming, and Climate Action and Green Energy.
- The applicant must have a clear understanding of its market and a viable strategy for customer acquisition and retention.
- The startup must have a minimum viable product that has been tested and piloted.
- The applicant must have an intellectual property or proprietary technology that differentiates it from competitors and provides a competitive advantage.
- The startup must have an active and permanent team with at least 3 members having relevant complementary skills and expertise.
- The founding members should be youth aged between 18 – 27 with the exception of PWDs (between 18-30).
- The innovation/startup must not have received any funding or award from the Agency before.
