BMCE Bank African Entrepreneurship Award 2017 for African Based Entrepreneurs ($1 million Prize)

Business ideas most needed in the region

When you start the journey, we will ask you questions about your business idea to get to know you and your idea’s relevance to the region. Once you submit your idea, our community of Regional Mentors will provide specific feedback directly to you via the website on your idea’s potential to impact your region.

During Round 1, you must convince the Regional Mentors that you understand the needs in your region and that your idea meets those needs.

We will share the Regional Mentors’ overall ranking of your idea with you at the end of Round 1 (before opening of Round 2). If your idea ranks in the top of “Most Needed in Your Region,” we will notify you that you are progressing to Round 2, “Most Likely to Succeed Across Africa.”

Business ideas most likely to succeed across Africa

In Round 2 of your journey, we will ask you more questions about your business’s customers, competition, and scalability across Africa. Pan-African Mentors who are business leaders will give you feedback to enable your business proposal to succeed across Africa, equipping you to be successful on a broader scale.

During Round 2, you must convince the Pan-African Mentors that you know your potential customers’ needs; that you are able to communicate the idea; that you are well aware of your competition; and that you can visualize or explain the idea through visual or auditory means e.g.) a video, graphic, presentation, sound file, etc.

We will share the Pan-African Mentors’ overall ranking of your idea with you at the end of Round 2. If your idea ranks in the top of “Most Likely to Succeed across Africa,” we will notify you that you are progressing to Round 3, “Most Significant and Sustainable in Africa.”

Business Ideas most significant & sustainable in Africa

In Round 3 of your journey, we will ask you more questions about the financial projections of your business, your leadership team, your advisors, and your barriers to success in Africa. Global Mentors who are experienced entrepreneurs and venture capitalists from countries all over the world will further guide you on your journey. Through mentorship and one-on-one dialogue, they will give you feedback to enable your business proposal to be more significant and sustainable.

During Round 3, you must convince the Global Mentors that you understand the risks you are facing including: leadership gaps, advisor needs, political barriers, customer constraints, and financial risks. During Round 3, Global Mentors will coach you privately via the website on how to improve your Executive Summary, which is a fantastic tool reusable in all of your future funding efforts and pitches.

We will share the Global Mentors’ overall ranking of your idea with you at the end of Round 3. If your idea ranks in the top of “Most Significant and Sustainable in Africa,” we will notify you that you are progressing to the Final Round, Presidential Jury. (NOTE: We will confirm Presidential Jury Round participation after an onsite visit by an African Entrepreneurship Award team member.)

Business Ideas with most plausible and probable impact

The Presidential Jury is comprised of distinguished business leaders and entrepreneurs who have created and/or scaled businesses on five continents. Entrepreneurs who make it to the Presidential Round will present live to the Presidential Jury in Morocco, with travel and local housing sponsored by the Award. If they are unable to travel, they are still eligible to win and will be offered a time to present live via a video session to the Presidential Jury in Morocco.