The third iteration of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) Talent Hunt Research through Hackathon has begun.
This is part of putting its Strategic Vision Plan 2023-2025 into action, which aims to promote the development of innovative technologies and indigenous content through cutting-edge research.
According to the Commission, the purpose of this effort is to foster long-term economic growth and development in Nigeria.
The Commission stated that it has asked Tech Hubs and Innovation-Driven Enterprises (IDEs) in Nigeria to participate in the Talent Hunt Research with their start-ups and solutions.
The Commission stated that the Hackathon would concentrate on Blockchain-enabled Data Protection Solutions for Improving Regulatory Compliance, Assistive Technology Solutions for the Elderly and People with Disabilities, and Technology Solutions for Renewable Energy in Rural Areas.
According to the NCC, its Talent Hunt Research Through Hackathon leverages Emerging Digital Technologies to facilitate the development of home-grown innovative solutions and local content development in the telecommunications sector, while also fostering economic growth and social advancement in Nigeria.
According to the Commission, the competition will facilitate the translation of unique ideas into hardware/software solutions that address industry and societal concerns.
According to a statement signed by Reuben Muoka, NCC Director of Public Affairs, the best three solutions, one from each of the three categories stated above, would get grants of N10 million each for development.
According to NCC, the Enterprise must provide a certificate of registration with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), the Enterprise must not have previously received support from the Commission, the project must have clear relevance to one of the three thematic areas above, and it must provide a clear problem statement, proposed solution, and roadmap to deployment.
Other requirements, according to NCC, include a proof of concept (which may also include technical feasibility of the idea with diagram, algorithm, existing models, or case studies; the solution must be novel with the applicant making a declarative statement on intellectual property ownership; the solution, including prototype development, must be completed within 6 months of receipt of the Grant; and the prototype must propose a detailed commercialization plan.
It also stated that the proposal must include ideation, Minimum Viable Product (MVP) and solution, Current Sweat Equity Investment, Product-Market Fit status, Verifiable Go-to-Market status, Growth Feasibility Assurances, Maturity Model and Timeliness, and existing time: Disaster Recovery, where applicable, according to the Entry Submission format.
It mandated that all applications be made online and must adhere to the specified entry format, and that there be no financial cost to participation in the competition, while the Commission retains full control and ownership of the intellectual property of the produced solutions.
Furthermore, the NCC stated that the entries must be made by a Tech Hub/Innovation-Driven Enterprise that must show evidence of the relationship with the Start-up/solution being entered, a 4-page Executive summary of the project concept, a 3-5 minute video of the pilot project, names, age, contact details, passport photos and profile of all team members, and the website (if available), as well as the applicant’s E-mail address.
It went on to say that all interested and qualified businesses should send the requested documents in a zip folder to https://ncc.gov.ng/talenthuntresearchhackathon2023 with the topic “Submission from” and the zipped file named after the company.
The Commission stated that it has aired an advertisement on the Hackathon for three weeks and recommends that those in the startup ecosystem take note that the application expires on Friday, September 22nd, 2023.