Melton Foundation SDG Innovation Challenge for African Entrepreneurs 2023

Are you a young African with a desire to collaborate with others who share your passion for creating positive change starting from the local level? If you are a student, professional, community activist, change-maker, or simply someone interested in making a difference on the continent and in the world, the SDG Innovation Challenge is the place to be!

Designed as a virtual, pan-African collaboration space, the SDG Innovation Challenge is a powerhouse for young Africans (18-35 years) to develop cross-boundary, sustainable solutions to grassroots challenges in order to further the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) from the grassroots level up. Since 2020, this challenge has called upon participants to employ creativity, collaboration, and complex thinking to tackle problems measurably and systematically. 

Under the theme Mobilizing the African Youth for Sustainable Impact, the SDG Innovation Challenge 2023 converges young talent with three primary goals:

• To trigger fresh thinking by connecting innovators from diverse backgrounds and sectors.

• To develop practical, impact-oriented solution ideas through cross-boundary collaboration.

• To ignite transformative action towards sustainable development and improved livelihoods of communities across Africa.

About Melton Foundation

The Melton Foundation promotes and enables global citizenship as a way for individuals and organizations to work together across boundaries of place and identity to address global challenges. The Melton Foundation is an international 501(c)(3) non-profit organization registered in the USA, and a leading proponent of global citizenship practice worldwide. Established nearly thirty years ago with the credence that collaborations across boundaries can forge sustainable solutions to the world’s most pressing challenges, today, our presence spans six global citizenship hubs in Chile, China...... read more

SDG Innovation Challenge

Aim and Benefits of SDG Innovation Challenge

There are numerous reasons to participate; here are a few of them:

• Access to an unorthodox, dynamic, and diverse platform of youth activists, organizations, and legislators – Tap into a conducive online space to converge around practical SDG solutions!

• A much-needed opportunity to visualize and implement the SDGs at the grassroots level – Participate in the making of our future and jumpstart your involvement in the sustainable development agenda as an active, passionate global citizen.

• Immense networking potential – Build connections, and be part of a community of practice around eco-systemic, collaborative solutions.

• A space to exercise your global citizenship muscle – Sharpen and hone skills in leadership, innovation, cross-sector collaboration, analytic thinking, interpersonal communication, intercultural communication, and allied areas.

• Sourcing diversity of thought, background, and sector – Collaborate with people from many different domains, including engineering, design, civic policy, social justice reform, project management, finance, education, and many others.

Requirements for SDG Innovation Challenge Qualification

• SDG Innovation Challenge is open to participation from young people across Africa.

Applicants must:

• Share a passion, drive, and commitment to improving livelihoods in your community and beyond
• Have a genuine interest in sustainable development and a desire to contribute to advancing the SDGs in your community and beyond
• Possess the motivation to engage pro-actively throughout the event
• Be able to work in an interdisciplinary team from different domains and geographies
• Have the motivation to extensively ideate throughout the SDG Innovation Challenge and work in an agile hackathon-like environment
• Be committed to taking the idea to completion and remain engaged with the cause after the SDG Innovation Challenge

Interview date, Process and Venue for SDG Innovation Challenge

All project ideas should:

• Have a connection to the overarching theme: Mobilizing African Youth for Sustainable Impact 

• Be able to connect to one or more key themes

• Contribute to change of mindset and behavior in their community

• Contribute to a more inclusive society

• Must demonstrate Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI), Changing Mindsets & Behaviour, Employment, Digital Transformation, Partnerships and Collaborations

Application Deadline

How to Apply

For more details,visit Melton Foundation website