Innovation Agency Opens Nomination Call for National Innovation Awards Until October 15

The Kenya National Innovation Agency (KeNIA) has opened nomination call for the National Innovation Awards (NIA).

The aim of the awards is to recognize, and honour Kenya’s leading innovators with remarkable achievements in diverse fields.

The award consists of three categories; the Big 4 Innovation Award, Assistive Technology Award, and the Government Agency Innovation Award.

Big 4 innovation Award seeks to recognize, and award outstanding innovations within the Big 4 Agenda of universal healthcare, affordable housing, food security, and manufacturing.

Assistive Technology Award aims to recognize and award innovations that are assistive and adaptive for people living with disabilities or the elderly population.

Read: Huawei Wins Multiple Awards at 2021 Mobile World Congress

Government Agency Innovation Award aims to recognize Government agencies that have adjusted to technological changes and have gone above and beyond in spurring innovation in the country.

The award whose purpose is to stimulate and encourage innovation in the national priority areas will play a critical role in strengthening the National innovative capacity through motivation, recognition, and support of innovators.

Eligibility

For both the Big 4 Innovation Award and Assistive Technology Award:

1. The innovator or founder must be a Kenyan citizen;

2. The innovation must be registered in Kenya;

3. The innovation must have been in operation for at least one year;

4. The innovation should not have received an award from NIA before;

5. The innovation should have a demonstrable product or service with an existing market;

6. The innovation should have a profile available online with appropriate information;

7. The innovation should have an active and permanent team of two or more members.

For the Government Agency Innovation Award:

1. The agency must have impactful programs and initiatives that address existing social issues in line with the SDGs or programs and initiatives that support innovators;

2. The agency should have the ability to display a collaborative framework with the public and industry experts;

3. The agency should have the ability to demonstrate uptake of innovation within the organization;

4. The agency must have at least developed or are in the process of developing an evidence-based approach to governance;

5. The agency must have established an innovative process or implemented new approaches to carry out initiatives that better serve the needs of the country;

6. The agency should have a profile available online with appropriate information on its various activities and initiatives.

Submission of nominations will close on October 15, 2021 after which shortlisting and selection will follow.

The exercise will culminate at the Kenya Innovation Week (KIW) Awards Gala slated for December 8, 2021.

Selected innovators will pitch during the week to an audience of investors, potential partners and customers.

Members of the public are encouraged to nominate an innovation and/or a Government Agency by creating a profile at nia.innovationagency.go.ke

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