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GIST Tech-I Competition 2018 for entrepreneurs from emerging economies worldwide (All-expenses-paid trip to Istanbul, Turkey)

by OFA

Application Deadline: 12:00 PM US ET, December 28, 2017.

The GIST Tech-I Competition is an annual competition for science and technology entrepreneurs from emerging economies worldwide. Aspiring innovators submit their ideas and startups online which are then reviewed by experts and voted on by the global voting public in order to determine the finalists. New this year, U.S. Department of State is inviting all former GIST Tech-I finalists to participate in the program to recruit and mentor the next generation of science and tech entrepreneurs.

Since 2011, innovators from around the globe have showcased their science and technology ventures to the world through GIST Tech-I Competitions. Thousands of expert reviews have taken place and the online voting public has cast over 1 million votes in support of these talented young innovators.

The GIST initiative is led by the U.S. Department of State, and the Tech-I competition is implemented by AAAS.

Eligibility Requirements for Applicant
Applicants must meet ALL of the following eligibility requirements:
  • The applicant must be 18-40 years old on the application deadline, December 28, 2017.
  • The applicant must be a citizen of at least one of the 136 GIST-eligible emerging economies.
  • The applicant must not hold dual-citizenship or permanent resident status in a non-GIST economy.
  • The applicant must not submit more than one application per GIST Tech-Icompetition year.
  • The applicant must not be a previous GIST Tech-I finalist who traveled to and competed in the GIST Tech-I Finals at GES.
  • In addition to meeting the applicant requirements above, applications must to be for Ideas or Startups
    that met ALL of the following requirements:
    1. The application must be the original work of the Idea or Startup applicant.
    2. The Idea or Startup must be developing an innovative science or technology solution with market potential in a GIST-eligible economy.
    3. The Idea or Startup must be for-profit. Applications from non-profit ventures or NGOs are
    not eligible and will not be reviewed.
    4. The Startup must be less than three years old.
    5. The Idea or Startup must be, at least in part based, in a GIST-eligible economy.
    6. The Idea or Startup must be developing or selling products and services that use its own
    innovations in science and technology. Applications from organizations that buy and resell
    technologies will not be reviewed.
    7. The Idea or Startup must not submit more than one application per GIST Tech-I competition year
Prizes and Benefits
• Semi-finalists:
o Global exposure.
Last year’s semi-finalists received more than 430,000 votes from all over the world and were featured by numerous local, national, and international media outlets. Several even met or were mentioned by their heads of state.
o Marketing and networking support from the AAAS Team, including the provision of
voting graphics, and guidance on reaching out to media outlets.
• Finalists:
o All-expenses-paid trip to Istanbul, Turkey to pitch their project and network with entrepreneurs and investors at GEC 2018.
o Opportunity to attend several pre-finals training webinars on topics such as pitching to investors, business models, and intellectual topic.
o One day of intensive training and mentoring in Istanbul before the finals.
o Opportunity to win seed capital prizes and other prizes during final pitch contest. Prize amounts will be published closer to the finals.
How to Apply and Application Materials
• Prospective applicants will go to GISTNetwork.org to apply.
• The applicant will complete a standard application form and will select an Alumni Mentor to work with should they be selected to continue in the competition.
The GIST Tech-I Application consists of:
o A 100-word short summary of your project, to be used on the public voting website,
if your project advances to semifinals. Your short summary must be in English.
o Brief eligibility questions.
o Responses to several questions that address the Judging Criteria listed in section VII.
Each response is limited to 100 to 150-words. All responses must be in English.
o A 90-second pitch video in English or with English subtitles provided. Formats accepted include .MOV, .MPEG4, .MP4, .AVI, .WMV, .MPEGPS, .FLV, .3GPP, and .WebM. See examples from previous participants on YouTube.
• All application materials must be submitted through the online portal before the deadline:
12:00 PM US ET, December 28, 2017. Application materials can be edited any time before that deadline

 

For More Information:

Visit the Official Webpage of the GIST Tech-I Competition 2018

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1 comment

GIST Tech-I Competition 2019 for entrepreneurs from emerging economies (All-expenses-paid trip to Bahrain) | Opportunities For Africans October 25, 2018 - 8:19 pm

[…] The U.S. Department of State is excited to announce the launch of the 2019 Global Innovation through Science and Technology, Technology Idea (GIST Tech-I) competition […]

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