African Innovation Prize Review

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Inside
THIS REPORT
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FOREWORDS
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AIP 2013 in numbers

We couldnt have done it without you
Our background
Vision
Mission
Our story | Why Rwanda?
Why Sierra Leone?
The need
Our sponsors
De La Rue
Segal Family Foundation
12 DREAM
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What is entrepreneurship training

Phase 1 launch & business idea generation training
Business idea challenge
Phase 1 industry breakdown
16 DESIGN
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Phase 2 launch and business planning training

The business plan challenge
Judging
Meet the grand prize winners
Kigali Institute of Science and Technology
National University of Rwanda
School of Finance and Banking
DEDICATE
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37
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Enterprise Rwanda 2013

The daily themes
Day 1: Business idea generation
Day 2: Market insight
Day 3: Business modelling
Day 4: Unique selling points
Day 5: Pitching
Enterprise Rwanda survey
Enterprise Sierra Leone 2013
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3 & 4
Day 5
41 LESSON LEARNED
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Conclusion
Partners
Trustees &
Country Director
FOREWORDS
Alexander Handy
Co-founder and Trustee
2013 has been a remarkable year for AIP. Our
programme has continued to grow reaching over
700 students resulting in a 100% increase in business
plan competition entrants. The quality and potential
of this years winners continues to impress with ideas
ranging from biogas production to statistics training
for students. Excitingly, the future looks even more
promising. 2013 was the first year that we have
added full-time hires to the team both in Rwanda
and the UK and their impact continues to be seen
across the organization. With plans to expand in
Rwanda and East Africa, 2014 promises to be our
highest impact year to date.
Julia Fan Li
2013 has been a brilliant year for the African
Innovation Prize! We welcomed our first Rwandan
Country Director Herve onboard and the AIP
community presence has expanded throughout
Rwanda.
We have been thrilled with the
development of the Entrepreneurship Clubs at KIST,
NUR and SFB with high levels of student engagement
and excellent AIP Student Ambassadors. Following
Herves leadership and work of committed AIP
Student Ambassadors, the 2013 edition of Enterprise
Rwanda week was excellent, culminating in the
seed funding of three new student-led businesses in
renewable energy, education and innovative uses
of avocado oils. 2013 also marked the first edition
of Enterprise Sierra Leone and we seek to support
the youth entrepreneurship community and alumni
from the University of Sierra Leone. We head into
2014 with enthusiasm and a view to consolidate our
Rwandan business plan competition, training and
mentorship and we hope you will enjoy us on this
exciting journey.
Sarah Teacher
2013 has been another super year for AIP. Our key
theme was to consolidate for growth, and that is
exactly what we have done. Our funders De La Rue
and the Segal Family Foundation have ensured that
we could develop the core strength to do our work,
supporting us to develop our internal capacities as
well as running an enhanced training programme,
and growing the volume and quality of entries to
the competition. Through their visionary investment,
more and more students are benefiting from our
entrepreneurship work. These strengthened core
operations means that 2014 is set to be a time of
enormous excitement for the team: We have a
wonderful presence in Rwanda, and are now in a
position to register as international NGO in Rwanda,
and explore East African growth. We are privileged
to have a body of advisors, volunteers, partner
organizations and funders that are taking this
journey with us. Thank you all so much!
It is incredibly exciting looking back at this years

AIP programme, and also hearing the feedback
from the direct beneficiaries, as well as to see the
developments the previous years participants and
prize winners have made. 2013 has proven that
not only are we on the right track in stimulating
entrepreneurship in Africa, but more so in impacting
the university students experiences. With the
continued help of our dedicated funders, volunteers
and partnering organizations, 2014 will no doubt
produce more impact.
Herve Kubwimana
Rwanda Country Director
It is my great pleasure to report to you on a year
that has been remarkable and rewarding. We had
a great opportunity of helping students to improve
their business ideas. As a result, we saw students
teaming up with their entrepreneurial peers from
different universities to achieve more. Along with the
inspiring team of student ambassadors, I was very
proud to organize Enterprise Rwanda 2013 where
for one week, young innovators benefited from the
expertise and experience of previous generations
while bringing their own pioneering ideas to fruition.
This synergy across generations is something that
continues to motivate us to grow and reach as
many students as possible in the upcoming year.
Roland Ruhumuriza
Rwanda Advisor and Trustee
AIP 2013
IN NUMBERS
RWANDA
SIERRA LEONE
84 Business Plan
21 Business Plan
216 Business Ideas
05 Business Ideas
Entries
Entries
578 Students
Entries
Entries
150 Students
Trained
Trained
20 Volunteers
07 Volunteers
Engaged
Engaged
13 Judges
04 Judges
Engaged
Engaged
07 Keynote Speakers
Engaged
04 Supported
Entrepreneuship Clubs
09 Keynote Speakers
Engaged
N/A Supported
Entrepreneuship Clubs
03 Universities
01 University
03 Seed Fund
01 Seed Fund
Businesses
01 Business Service
Provider
Business
N/A Business Service

Provider
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The success of this year lies in the contribution of
various individuals across continents, universities,
government institutions, private companies, and
business leaders. Their support has been crucial to
AIPs Business Plan Competition and the African
Innovation Prizes Program in general.
We couldnt
have done it
without you
Firstly, AIP is grateful to our generous donors,

De La Rue and the Segal Family Foundation for
funding all our activities and programs. We couldnt
have done this without their support, trust and vision
to invest in the next breed of Rwandan and Sierra
leonean Entrepreneurs. We are enormously grateful to our friends at Inkomoko, who not only provide a home
for us in Rwanda, but who will be working with our Phase 2 winners this year moving forward! Thanks to
Bourbon Coffee Rwanda for generously sponsoring Enterprise Rwanda 2013 networking cocktail and award
ceremony.
In Rwanda, the School of Finance and Banking (SFB) and the National University of Rwanda (NUR) have been
helpful in supporting the delivery of trainings and campus-based activities. Kigali Institute of Science and
Technology (KIST) has been a crucial partner during our events. Special thanks go to The Rector of KIST,
Dr. Marie-Christine Gasingirwa, Mrs Immacule Mukabayire, Mr. Didier Nkubito and Mr Eric Serubibi.
In Sierra Leone, the Institute of Public Administration and Management, Fourah Bay College and TrainingSol
have also been great partners for Enterprise Sierra Leone. Special thanks go out to Ms Lola Aforo the PRO and
director of Career Advancement & Professional Services (CAPS) at University of Sierra Leone (USL), the Vice
Chancellor, Karim Noah, Desmond Coker, Samuel Weekes, Thomas Yormah, Winston Webber and Samuel
Braima.
AIP is greatly indebted to the judges who committed their time to assessing the Business Ideas in Phase 1 as
well as Phase 2. Thanks to Anneke Evers, David Sengeh, James Schneider, Jay Zimmerman, Jean Claude
Rwubahuka, Jean Paul Rutagarama, Jonathan Wolf-Phillips, Lydie Hakizimana, Manisha Garg, Natasha
Haguma, Nikki Germany, Norbert Munana, Oscar Karekezi, Patrick Cyusa, Prosper Ishimwe, Samzu Agbaje,
and Zainab Koroma.
We appreciate the participation of our keynote speakers during Enterprise Rwanda and Enterprise Sierra
Leone. In Rwanda, we thank Lydie Hakizimana, Serge Mushinzimana, Julienne Oyler, Roland Ruhumuriza,
Emile Murekezi , Sam Barigye and Isaac Nkusi. In Sierra Leone we thank Daniel Osei-Antwi, William Conteh,
Fatou Wurie, Claudette Ahiabor, Evelyn Lewis, Fatu Yumkella, Udozima Ulasi and Edmond Nonie.
Finally, the stellar team of Rwandan student ambassadors and UK based volunteers did an incredible job
during AIPs yearly activities. Thanks to Aline Sine, Bernard Nkurunziza, Bosco Rusagara, Brenda Mutoni, Brian
Mudahigwa, Chantal Iribagiza, David Karuranga, Domitille Akeza, Elie Nzayisenga, Emily Newton, Fabrice
Niyibizi, Hannah Marshall, Jean Pierre Hodari, Joshua Ishimwe, Lucy James, Maurice Ndamukunda, Milly
Hennayake ,Nomfundo Magudulela, Priya Khetarpal and Robert Karamuzi.
The AIP Team.
Our Background
The African Innovation Prize is a UK based nonprofit organization founded by three Cambridge
University Graduates to spur student innovation
and entrepreneurship in Africa, through
university based business planning competitions.
AIP encourages Rwandan university students to
DREAM, DESIGN, and DEDICATE themselves to
their business ideas.
Vision
African universities
with vibrant
entrepreneurship culture.
Mission
Stimulating and supporting

university entrepreneurship
in Africa
Our Story | Why Rwanda?

In December 2008, the Rwandan President Paul
Kagame delivered a public policy lecture at the
University of Cambridge. He spoke of a country
committed to moving forward, moving upwards
and realizing its potential as an emerging economy
in the African region. Importantly, he believed that
models of trade, not traditional aid were the means
by which Rwanda would heal its economic, political,
ethnic and psychological scars and move forward as
one country committed to making for itself, a better
future. He ended with an open invitation to students
to visit Rwanda and form their own views of the
country today.
In the summer of 2009, inspired by President Kagames

lecture, AIPs founding Trustees visited a number of
higher education institutions in the countrys capital
Kigali. Despite a commitment to stimulating economic
growth, prospects in business and entrepreneurship
for University graduates in Rwanda are little within
the university curricula. It was this experience that
provided the final catalyst for the launch of the
African Innovation Prize in Rwanda.
Why Sierra Leone?

Today Sierra Leone still bears the scars of its history:
2.6 million of the countrys 6 million population are
aged 15-35, and more than two thirds of these young
people are under-employed or unemployed. This
challenging context is in contrast with the enormous
potential of the country, not only of its abundant
natural resources, but also its rapidly developing
institutions. There is a growing optimism in Sierra
Leone, led since 2007 by President Ernest Koroma that
In 2011, with the support of De La Rue, we explored

the feasibility of initiating the African Innovation Prize
in Sierra Leone. We discovered that entrepreneurship
is a key emerging discourse in the country, with strong
government and academic interest in catalyzing
start-ups and a nascent enterprise development
sector. Though there are some fantastic organizations
doing excellent work in Sierra Leone, none were
working specifically with the soon-to-graduate
through capitalizing on its people and a tight focus

on economic growth, the country can maintain its
positive trajectory. Its this energy for positive change,
and focus on private sector development that the
African Innovation Prize is so thrilled to be a part of.
population.
The Need
As highlighted in the Economic Development &
Poverty Reduction Strategy 2 (EDPRS 2) program, in
2011 Rwandas formal private sector employed only
4% of the countrys labor force, and only 0.5% of
firms had more than 30 employees. The small size of
Rwandas
private sector is a major limiting factor to future
prospects for economic growth and economic
transformation. The private sector needs to undergo
significant structural transformation to be able to
become the main driver of economic growth. With
a number of university graduates every year, the
majority aspiring to public sector jobs, AIP believes
that entrepreneurship and access to finance should
We develop connections between students and

the local enterprise community through seeding
entrepreneurship clubs within universities, and
brokering mentorship between students and local
business leaders.
be considered as a high level priority. This can be

done through empowering these students when still
at the university to create their own businesses thus
create the large number of jobs the Rwandan
economy requires.
them into the social and economic development

drive. AIP encourages students to develop innovative
businesses especially related to the information and
communications technologies. This approach will
continue to bring down the costs of sharing
information, increase business efficiency, and reduce
communication and payments costs for consumers.
AIP tackles this issue by providing a world-class
One of the cross cutting issues of the Vision 2020 is

the adoption of science, technology and ICT. It has
been noticed that the integration of science and
technology in socio-economic life is very low and
the shortage of technically qualified professionals
is visible at all levels. There is a need to generate,
disseminate and acquire scientific skills as well as
technological innovations, in addition to integrating
Our Sponsors
At AIP, we see significant value in supporting university entrepreneurship, and are inspired by the novel ideas
and opportunities that students can commercialize. We like to explore our own
networks for organizations that both innovate in their own practice, and support
others to do the same.
De La Rue
No organization exemplifies these characteristics more than our lead funder
De La Rue an organization that has managed to sustain its technological lead in
business for almost 200 years, and helps us support young business people in both
Rwanda and Sierra Leone. The African Innovation Prize team, talked to De La Rue
Key Accounts Director, Tony Mullen, to understand what we and our students can
learn from the companys practice.
What does De La Rue do, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa?

De La Rue is the worlds largest integrated commercial banknote printer and we work with central banks
issuing authorities and commercial organizations all over the world. Africa is a really important market for us
and we work with a number of African nations to provide Identity Management systems including passports,
identity cards, voter registration systems, driver licenses, birth certificates and software solutions.
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De La Rue is also involved in the production of
national currencies, the manufacture of cash
processing machines and revenue protection and
product authentication systems, including tax stamps
and track and trace technology.
You have been working in sub-Saharan Africa for

decades, and have witnessed some highly turbulent
times. With that long-term perspective, do you share
in the new optimism around the future of the
continent?
Yes. Africa has a growing, vibrant economy and all
the factors are currently pointing to enrichment of
the continent and its people. In particular, we have
seen countries such as Rwanda and Sierra Leone
entering a stable phase in their history and we would
like to help them to continue to achieve this stability.
How have you tailored your products to cater for the
Rwandan / Sierra Leonean market?
Every product we produce is bespoke to the individual
country as no two countries are the same. With
national documents such as passports and currency
we are able to produce intelligent and striking
designs which offer the highest levels of security whilst
also demonstrating iconic designs which represent
the nation.
What innovation in those markets has De La Rue led,
that you and your team are most proud of?
Several of our products have been modified so
that they can operate in harsh environments with
unstable electricity supplies and little or no access
to the internet. This pragmatic approach to the
manufacture and issuance of our products has
ensured that we can combat any environmental
challenges! In regard to products we are in the
process of implementing Rwandas first ever national
eID card and support system which is the latest phase
of the Rwandan National ID Project. This document
is at the cutting edge of technology and innovation
and will allow citizens easier access to services whilst
providing improved levels of security.
With almost 200 years of operation, how does

De La Rue stay ahead of the competition?
As a company with such heritage De La Rue is proud
to be able to lay claim to a number of enduring
customer relationships with our longest partnership
spanning over 150 years. We place a huge amount
of value on our customers and it is by listening to
their needs, understanding their requirements and
producing value for money products which allows
De La Rue to continue to deliver excellence. It is
also through the support of schemes such as the
African Innovation Prize which allows us to show our
commitment to the progress and development of
the countries we work in.
De La Rue is a huge multinational corporation, but
students that the African Innovation Prize is working
with are embarking on start-ups. Is there any advice
you would give from a 200-year-old to a start up?
No matter what kind of business you want to develop
make sure youve done your research. Having a
sound understanding of the market you are entering,
the challenges you will face and developing your
own unique selling points will be invaluable. Another
key element is the development of your customer
base. Customer loyalty can make or break a business
so it really is worth taking the time to nurture your
working relationships, listen to your existing customers,
establish best practice to deliver to future customers
and make sure you are offering a product or service
which your customer not only needs but also loves.
Why is the company interested in supporting the
African Innovation Prize in Rwanda and Sierra Leone?
Rwanda and Sierra Leone are both long standing
customers for De La Rue and by supporting the African
Innovation Prize we are able to give something back
to both counties, proving our long term commitment
and intention to create a lasting footprint. Both
Rwanda and Sierra Leone are making great strides
towards stability and through the encouragement
of an entrepreneurial culture, private sector
development and innovative thinking we believe
that schemes such as the African Innovation Prize
can really start to make a tangible difference.
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Segal Family Foundation
The Segal Family Foundation is one of our
generous funders in our work of inspiring students in
entrepreneurship. We spoke with Andy Bryant, the
Executive Director of the Segal Family Foundation. He
oversees the foundations team and implements its
vision.
What is the mission of the Segal Family Foundation,
particularly in sub-Saharan Africa?
SFFs mission is to partner with outstanding individuals
and organizations that improve the well-being of
communities in Sub Saharan Africa.
What is your long term perspective on the future of
entrepreneurship in Africa?
There is a growing ecosystem of support for African
entrepreneurs. The impetus has often come from
abroad but there is increasing African ownership
of these incubators, ideas, competitions, & even
funding. The journey taken by AIP in bringing on
strong local leadership reflects this evolution.
What is the SFFs approach in supporting
entrepreneurship in Africa?
We are interested to find the minimum viable
package of support services that will empower
African entrepreneurs to build successful enterprises
(both for-profit & non-profit).
There are a lot of well-intended capacity building
services that are not necessarily worth the opportunity
cost of participation by entrepreneurs. We need to
identify what services are a net positive for them &
eliminate others that are superfluous.
What advice do you have for aspiring student
entrepreneurs in Africa?
The most important components of a business plan
are the Today & the Five Years from Now. How will
you sell your first fifty units right now & do you have
a product or service that is valuable enough to your
consumers that you can sell fifty thousand of them in
five years? Everything in between is fiction.
Also, if you are at a very early-stage & just have a

great idea, try to be strong enough to avoid taking
on debt or equity investment before you have a
sense of your revenue & valuation. (Research is risky
& unprofitable. It should be grant-funded).
In addition to the African Innovation Prize, what other
resources and initiatives would you recommend to
student entrepreneurs?
Unreasonable Institute- East Africa is run by some
young Ugandans based in Kampala. They will be
building a truly African incubator in the next few
years. Ashoka East Africa is always looking for more
fellows & they have a wide & deep network to tap
into if selected.
African Innovation Prize

Annual Impact Report
www.africaninnovationprize.org
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www.africaninnov ationprize.or g
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What is entrepreneurship training

The entrepreneurship training launched AIPs activities in 2013. The training, led by AIP advisor Roland
Ruhumuriza, gathered 75 students from the Kigali Institute of Science and Technology, the National University of
Rwanda, and the School of Finance and Banking. During this training the students learnt why entrepreneurship
is needed in African countries and the characteristics of an entrepreneur.
Phase I Launch & Business Idea Generation Training
This training marked the official launch of AIPs Phase I Business Idea Challenge and it took place at the three
different universities, KIST, NUR and SFB on March 6th, March 9th and March 12th respectively. The trainings
were well attended by the members of the entrepreneurship clubs especially at NUR, where we saw an
incredible number of 105 attendees. KIST and SFB entrepreneurship clubs registered a turnout of 39 and 54
attendees respectively.

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The big turnout at Nationa University of Rwanda (NUR) was

driven by support from two student associations; the Junior
Chamber International (JCI) and the Students Association for
Graduates Integrated into Private Sector (SAGIPS). This shows
how student entrepreneurship can be increased at the
universities once the right associations are chosen to spread
the news. For instance, in KIST and SFB the Entrepreneurship
clubs should approach other relevant associations to have
partnerships and involve them in the activities. By doing
so, the message is conveyed by different associations and
reaches a bigger number of students.
Business Idea Challenge

The Business Idea Challenge was open to students from all three major universities in Rwanda. All the entries
were submitted exclusively online using the ISTART Platform: http://africaninnovationprize2013.istart.org.
During this phase students were required to submit a profitable business idea in less than 250 words. It took
place from March 1st to March 31st.
Phase I of AIPs Business Plan competition saw a considerable increase of entries compared to 2012. The
student entries more than doubled during the year 2013 and again the National University of Rwanda (NUR)
recorded a high number of entries compared to KIST and SFB.
The following table shows the evolution of Phase I entries from the year 2010 till the year 2013:
YEAR
KIST
NUR
SFB
TOTAL
2010
36
n/a
n/a
36
2011
18
n/a
n/a
18
2012
25
33
16
74
2013
40
135
41
216
The improvement in entries has primarily been driven by increased presence and activity on the ground. The
implementation of a full time secretariat supported by engaged student ambassadors has been central to
this effort.

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Challenges do, however, remain. Students continue to find the ISTART platform difficult to use. Previously,
students submitted business ideas by sending an attachment to AIPs email address. We noticed that some
students continued using this way, but remedial action was taken by giving them feedback and pointing
them in the right direction. Three different workshops on the use of the istart platform to submit business ideas
were organized at the universities. Now students are getting more and more familiar with the use of istart and
the student ambassadors are always there to help the students in their respective universities. During this same
period, judges for the competition were recruited to assess the business ideas. In total the business ideas have
been assessed by 13 judges, 4 international and 9 from the local enterprise community. The judging period
took place from April 1st to April 21st and each business idea has been reviewed by 2 judges separately to
allow the process to be as fair as possible.

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Phase 2 Launch and

Business Planning Training
This training marked the official launch of Phase II
of the competition and took place in Kigali at KIST
on April 27th 2013. Generally the training gathered
around 85 students from the three major universities.
Most of these students had participated in the
Business Idea generation training as well as Phase I of
the competition.
A total of 84 entries were received into this phase

from the three major universities as follows:
Phase 2 entries
The training was about giving an insight on why a

business plan is needed, what to put in a business
plan and what make a successful business plan. It
ended in a question and answers session.
The Business Plan Challenge

The Business Plan Challenge was open to students
from all three major universities in Rwanda. This
phase demanded a more rigorous analysis, writing
a full business plan in under 1,500 words. Successful
participants needed to clearly identify and quantify
a market niche, as well as build a team to make the
idea happen. It took place from May 1st to June 15th.
This year marked an improvement in both the number

and the quality of applications as compared to the
previous competitions. This can be attributed to the
number of training sessions and workshops geared
to improve students skills in business planning. The
table below shows the evolution of the number of the
entries from 2010 to 2013.
Entries
YEAR
KIST
NUR
SFB
TOTAL
2010
25
n/a
n/a
25
2011
26
n/a
n/a
26
2012
16
10
35
2013
28
35
21
84

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All the entries were submitted exclusively online using the ISTART platform. Every university had a personalized
platform as follows:

KIST: http://africaninnovationprize2013kist.istart.org/
NUR: http://africaninnovationprize2013nur.istart.org/
SFB: http://africaninnovationprize2013sfb.istart.org/
All the personalized platforms had forms where students had to fill in details of their business plans. This was
done in order to harmonize the submission process as well as making sure the entries were brief and concise.
The following table shows what the required sections were:
Business Name
Business Name
Name of the business
Executive Summary (250 words)
Provide a brief and comprehensive summary of your business plan

which highlights its key points such as the product or service, why
the product is needed, the customer, the management team, etc.
Business Model (400 words)
Describe how your business will be making money, What are your
products and what value they create to the customer, Who will be
your clients and how many of them are you targeting, who are your
competitors and what is your competitive advantage, etc
Marketing (250 words)
Describe how you will communicate your products/services to your

target customers; How your products will reach your customers,
what are your strategies to reach as many customers as possible?
Product Development ( 150 words)
Describe how you will manufacture/deliver your product/service.

What are the needed resources and who will provide those resources
to your business?
Financial Considerations
(200 words)
Discuss in general financial considerations i.e. timings of business

start-up, the nature of fixed and variable costs, budget of the
business and how it is spent, product/service pricing strategy,
working capital requirements and financing strategy, Budget and
its source

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Budgeting
Upload a document showing all the needed funds and their

intended use i.e. purchase of equipment, salaries, rent, etc.)
Balance Sheet
Upload a document showing your Assets, Liabilities and the

Owners Equity
Income Statement
Cash Flow Statement
Management Team (125 words)
Economic and Social Impact

(125 words)
Upload a document showing your expected revenue in the first

year, Taxes, Bank Loans, Net Profit, etc)
Upload a document showing cash inflows and outflows in your
business
Describe the management team that will be running your business
and the skills and knowledge necessary required to make the
business profitable. You can also indicate any possible partners
and their roles
Indicate the local economic and social welfare of the business
in the place it will be located i.e. number of people employed,
tax payments, etc.

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Judging
The judging of the Phase 2 took place from June 16th July 10th. 9 judges participated in the 2nd phase of the
competition, 3 judges per university. Every business plan was assessed by 3 separate judges to ensure 100%
fairness of the competition. The judges followed the following judging criteria:
Question
Ranks
Does the business plan

demonstrate clarity of market?
0 None
1 Vague unsubstantiated assertions about market size and growth rate.
2 Adequate description of market, size and growth rate with limited factual support
3 Thorough fact-based description of market, size and growth rate based on direct
experience
Does the business plan capture

competitive position?
0 None
1 Poor description of existing competitors. No obvious reason for continued growth.
Not sustainable
2 coverage of existing competitors, some issues on competitive edge, defensibility/
sustainability.
3 Existing competitors described. Clear competitive advantage for the proposed
team. Defensible
Does the business plan describe

product or service reality ?
0 None
1 Unclear how product will work or what value it gives customer.
2 Convincing story on how product will work but limited idea of future generations.
3 Convincing story of how the product will work and capability of diversifying into
new areas.
Is the business plan well

presented?
0 None
1 Rambling structure, missing information, typographical errors.
2 Clear and does not include irrelevant material.
3 Well-organized. No irrelevant sections, no careless errors, all superlatives are
supported.
What is you general feedback to

the participant?

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Meet the grand prize winners

Three students scooped our Rwf 2 Million seed funding each as the Grand Prize Winners of the 2013 Business
Plan Competition. The Award ceremony took place on 12th July 2013 at KIST. These winners impressed our
judges and emerged as the top scorers of the assessment. And the winners are:
Kigali Institute of Science and Technology:

Bosco Nyandwi, My Village Heat
Bosco Nyandwi along with Jean Bosco Nzayimanas
Business Plan is to build of a simple household biogas
plant in their home village in Kitabi sector in the
south province to address the villages problem of
lack of electricity. This biogas plant will be powered
by collecting wastes from households, cow dung
in order to use them in feeding the biogas digester
which will in turn allow the plant to generate more
gas to all people in the village.
Did you have any experience in business before the
competition?
So far, this is my first business initiative.
What are other competitions have you participated
in and/or won?
I have participated in several competitions with
different prizes. I am still waiting for feedback from
some of the other competitions Ive participated
in. There are others which dont reward money
but training and workshops. In the past I have
participated in Educat as well as UN workshops.
How did you meet your business partner (if any)?
Bosco and I were born and raised in the same village.
How did you approach writing your business plan?
My motivation to writing the winning business plan in
AIP was to provide a source of energy for efficient
cooking and lighting in my village. Now that Ive
won I am working with experts from INKOMOKO to
help me finalize all the details.
How do you hope to develop your business

in the future?
My business is for my native villages interests, I
expect not to stop until I make something of great
importance. I will achieve that objective by working
hard and using new technologies.
What do you think of entrepreneurship?
Entrepreneurship is a key to development for every
nation. If this spirit starts from youth, the world will
be safe and many people will flourish economically.
I hope that my business will be a way to earning
money but the more importantly, contribute to
peoples welfare by proving jobs.
What are you excited about being a young
entrepreneur?
Starting while I am still young gives me confidence
to achieve great things in my life. I will be proud
when on my graduation date, I will not be thinking
of applying for jobs but rather providing them!

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What would be your message to other young
entrepreneurs out there?
If you are thinking of doing something great, you are
in the right way. So, just be you and move ahead.
The world will be bettered by our ideas and we have
to be the ambassadors of the change. We have to
shape our future because now is the right time to do
it.
Design
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How do you hope the prize will help you achieve

your business goals?
The AIPs prize is the most interesting and motivating
seed fund which will help me to get many other
opportunities. Many banks require the business
owners contribution when applying for a loan.
Because of this prize, I think I will secure a loan. This
is also an important part of the capital needed and
I hope that with it I am able to achieve my business
goals.
National University of Rwanda:

Elie Nzayisenga, Data Ltd.
Elies Business Plan is to establish a company that
provides training in statistical software. Their training
will be focused on Statistical software training,
Questionnaire design, data collection and entry,
data analysis and report writing and will be targeting
students conducting research projects at NUR.

competition?
No other business experience before winning the
competition.
in and/or won?
No other competition but this is my second year in
AIP business plan competition.
I met my business partners at school at the National
University of Rwanda.
As I am a graduate in statistical studies, I used
some books. Participating in some business
planning workshops organize by AIP as well as other
organizations also helped me in writing my business
plan.
How do you hope to develop your business in

the future?
I hope that in the next few years my business will
be profitable and generate more money as a big
statistical consultancy company
Entrepreneurship is essential in general as the
demand of public jobs exceeds the supply.
Therefore, it is better to create our own jobs to fill
that gap and also provide jobs to others.

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We have what others lack: ambition, time and
energy. So, let put together our efforts and share our
business ideas and be the solution for our problems.
How do you hope the prize will help you achieve

your business goals?
I believe this prize will help me to achieve my dream
of establishing a statistical consultancy company
that I was expecting to start after five years. Now
that Ive won this prize, I am going to start this year.
School of Finance and Banking

Dieudonn Dusengumukiza, Kigali Oil Company
Dieudonns business plan is to process oil out of
avocadoes. Avocadoes are a very common fruit in
Rwanda and they are grown in almost every part of
the country. Avocado oil helps to reduce cholesterol
levels as well as protect the heart against diseases.
It can be used for baking, preparing salads and
dressings etc. This oil can be used as an alternative
to olive oil which is very expensive as it comes from
Europe.

competition?
Before AIPs training and competition, I didnt have
any other business experience
in and/or won?
Apart from winning the AIP business Idea Challenge,
I havent won in any other business planning
competition.
Till now I dont have a business partner.
First off all I found theres an untapped avocado
supply in Rwanda that can be diversified in other
value added products than just fruits.
With that in mind, I participated into the competition

by writing about exploring how to make oil out of
avocadoes in Rwanda.
How do you hope to develop your business in
the future?
I am confident that my business will grow by my
efforts and having partnerships in the future. I am
continuously searching for an efficient way of
producing avocado oil and I am confident that in the
future Ill be selling avocado oil.
In my point of view, entrepreneurship is the best way
of creating and designing my own job as well as
employing other people. This helps in exploring an
entrepreneurs individual potential.

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What are you excited about being a young

entrepreneur?
Its a great achievement and it helps to unleash
my full potential by contributing to my personal
development as well as the countrys economic
development in general.
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My message would be that they should be confident,

believe in themselves and work hard to achieve their
goals no matter how difficult or challenging the road
seems to be.
How do you hope the prize will help you achieve your
business goals?
The prize will be helpful as it will be the foundation of
my business finances. It will help to do more at the
startup stage as buying some of the assets needed.
Sierra Leone
Sunah Keili, Mabel Fatu
Mabel Fatu will be a bag assembling outfit that
utilizes raffia, decorative canes and African fabric
stems and the decorative arts to create beautiful
accessories. Design will focus on traditional African
fabric and kontri cloth which may be colored,
tie-dyed, hand painted or hand finished giving a
unique fusion of color coordination to create in
style products.

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DEDICATE

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Enterprise Rwanda 2013

After two successful editions, the 3rd edition
of Enterprise Rwanda took place from July
8th-12th at Kigali Institute of Science and
Technology. This weeklong interactive
training and workshop for budding student
entrepreneurs
from
universities
across
Rwanda gathered on a daily basis around
140 students.
The main theme of this years edition was DEDICATE. Students were given the opportunity to dedicate
themselves on their business plans and network with their entrepreneurial peers. Each day, local business
leaders came to share their experiences and provide to students with advice and frameworks to consider
for each key phase of starting a business.

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The Daily Themes

DEDICATE was the overall theme of the 3rd edition of Enterprise Rwanda. However, each day had its own
theme. During this time, a group of students volunteered to do a write up of our sessions as an essential
summary of the presentations as well as their impression of Enterprise Rwanda 2013. This was aimed for fellow
students who couldnt make it to the conference.

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Day 1: Business Idea Generation

by Bosco RUSAGARA
I was among the student that had a chance to

volunteer as a student ambassador during Enterprise
Rwanda 2013. I first participated in AIPs activities
in 2012 when I was invited with a friend of mine
to participate. I really liked the organization and
decided to be part of team that will coordinate the
next edition.
The sessions were developed into various daily
themes spread over the week as the business idea
generation, business modeling, and market analysis
and pitching. The first day started with opening
remarks from Tony Mullen, De La Rues representative
which is the major supporter of the African Innovation
Prize. He emphasized on their choice of supporting the
organization as part of De La Rues term commitment
and intention to create a lasting footprint in Rwanda.
The first Keynote Speaker Roland, explained about

the first influential steps in business idea generation
were viewing a problem, thinking of an idea, writing it
in details, and interacting with local business leaders
or friends for more support and insight. The second
Keynote Speaker, Lydie, Managing Director of
Drakkar Ltd, inspired the students by telling the way
she started her business of writing books out of her
reading passion and advising them to not be afraid
of following their dreams and passions. The session
ended up with a question and answers workshops
where students asked questions and expressed their
gratitude to the speakers for their motivating sessions.
Keep on bringing more entrepreneurs, the

training was inspiring and full of innovative
entrepreneurs. NGENZI Elvis
Bosco RUSAGARA is a 3rd year student in the Faculty of Economics and Management at the National
University of Rwanda. He is planning to start his business in Green and Service sector.

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Day 2: Market Insight

by Fabrice NIYIBIZI
The second day of Enterprise Rwanda was about

Customer Insight. Knowing who my customer is and
acquiring skills on this topic is one of the reasons I
applied to attend Enterprise Rwanda 2013.
As a successful local entrepreneur, the speaker
begun by explaining concepts regarding knowing
the personality and behavior of your customers.
Basically one should try to understand his/her clients
even better than they understand themselves in terms
of the particular need. I felt that in order to achieve
this, I have to understand them deeper and jump into
their feet and try to see things from their perspective.
The 2nd speaker, Serge, the Managing Director of
Bourbon Coffee Rwanda, who is another successful
local entrepreneur, also, stressed on the importance
of knowing and understanding your customer as a

very crucial step in developing business relationships.
Serge quoted Gandhi that A customer is the
most important visitor on our premises. He is not
dependent on us. We are dependent on him. He
also talked about the importance of doing Research
and Development for product development and
updating prices to match with customer needs.
Personally I have found the sessions to be helpful and
important to any aspiring entrepreneur in equipping
them with the basics any one would know if they are
to venture into business.
The training was very important and inspiring.

Plan for many trainings within one year.
MURENZI John
Fabrice NIYIBIZI a 3rd year student at Kigali Health Institute (KHI) in the department of dentistry and planning
to start a business in the field of Dentistry- Iwacu Dental Clinic!

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Day 3: Business Modeling

by Elie NZAYISENGA
The session that I am reporting on, was about Business

Modeling by Julienne Oyler, the Managing Director
of Inkomoko Business Development. She spoke on the
importance of knowing all the components of the
business (customers, cost, revenues, competitors and
suppliers) and how they fit together when making
a Business Plan. She also emphasized that we have
to take the time to know our customers, who they
are, their needs and using this information to start
something that we are passionate about.
In business, more people do the same mistake of
focusing more on the products rather than the
customers that will buy those products. We do not
give them the chance to participate in our price
strategy. I was so interested by the lean canvas which
I considered as the perfect format for brainstorming
possible business models, prioritizing where to start,
and tracking ongoing learning.
I was thrilled to know the difference between the

product and the market, where many of us start up
entrepreneurs, always focus more time on product
and forget how it will generate money. Here I have
learned that first I have to know my customers and
their needs and come up with solution for their
problems.
I find this training most important and full of

knowledge related to business. I`d like to
continuously be attending all the next sessions
even though I am about to graduate.
UMUHIRE Liliane
Elie NZAYISENGA, is graduating in Applied Statistics at National University of Rwanda. Winner of AIP 2013
Challenge and Start-up entrepreneur in statistical software training & management consultancy.

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Day 4: Unique Selling Points

by Domitille AKEZA
The theme of the fourth day of Enterprise Rwanda

was about Unique Selling Points in a business. It was
a perfect combination from Business idea generation
until the time you know what will be the unique selling
points of your business.
The First speaker, Emile Murekezi, Co-founder and
Head of Operations of Igihe Ltd started by telling us
their Unique Selling Point as a business which is the
first Rwandan news website that uses Kinyarwanda.
He told us that it requires effortless experimentation
of activities you find appearing in your business
and that youre good at. It also requires identifying
your market opportunity by knowing the customers
needs, finding what is lacking and addressing it in the
most efficient way.
The training inspired me to innovate my own
business. The customer care session was
amazing. NGABOYISHEMA Olivier
Sam Barigye and Esperance Umulisa from Workforce

Development Authority came after to talk about
the customer care services in Rwanda. Sam begun
by introducing the state and the quality of customer
care in Rwanda. He told us that in a much globalized
world with market saturation, rapid technology
advancement and increasing competition, no
one can succeed without satisfying his customers.
He added that a satisfied customer will more likely
become a partner and bring more and more
customers to your business. He ended with a Maya
Angelou quotation saying that People will forget
what you said, People will forget what you did, But
people will never forget how you made them feel.
Personally I felt that as an aspiring entrepreneur,
I really have to make my future customers feel like
partners instead of treating them as outsiders because
without them the business will not be.
Domitille AKEZA is currently a student in Bio-medical Laboratory Sciences in the Faculty of Allied Health
Sciences at the Kigali Health Institute.

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Day 5: Pitching
by David KARURANGA MWIZERWA
The fifth and last day of Enterprise Rwanda 2013

started with the largest number of participants in the
week. The large number was due to the fact that it
was the last day of Enterprise Rwanda with everyone
eager to know who will eventually become the Grand
Prize Winners of the 2013 Business Plan Competition.
Isaac Nkusi, the managing director of the East African
Reference was the first speaker, with a very active
and participating audience. He interacted and gave
key important notes on how to present a business to
potential investors or other people who may be willing
to offer help, and he also hinted on pitching due to
the interest of one of the students who wanted to
know the difference between presenting a business
and pitching. Isaac gave his experience which
spurred a wide interest from students who started
asking him different questions. He insisted that being
passionate at what you do is important. However
much you see yourself below others, you should
struggle in order to progress those were his
inspirational words.
The second presentation of the day was about Pitching

in details. Herve, AIPs Country Director presented the
importance of pitching for entrepreneurs since it acts
as a basis to capture investors interests and get you a
second meeting to discuss in details on whether they
are willing to offer their support or fund your business
plan, depending on how convincing you are. Toward
the end of his presentation questions were asked and
answered and then followed pitching session where
different students pitched their Business ideas in one
minute.
After a short break the awards ceremony kicked
off around 6.30pm with an increased number of
students plus various guests who were judges of the
competition, government officials, and academic
staff and AIP partners. Amongst the guest of honors
was the Rector of KIST Dr. Gasingirwa Marie Christine
whose remarks were an encouragement to all
students who had attended Enterprise Rwanda as
she pointed out how fortunate they are to obtain
such knowledge on how to write and make their own
business plans which they obtained in a
week-long training provided by AIP.

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During her closing remarks, the guest of honor,

Rosemary Mbabazi, the Permanent Secretary in
the Ministry of Youth and ICT also emphasized on
the importance to participate in such training and
also reminded the students that the government
of Rwanda is always ready support youth initiatives
through various institutions and programs that are
established to support creative and innovative
entrepreneurs
With the award ceremony coming to an end, all the

invited guests and university students enjoyed the
networking event which portrayed how important it
was to students who were eager to learn and know
how other entrepreneurs view business development
in Rwanda. Finally, Enterprise Rwanda 2013 came to
an end at around 9:30pm.
This workshop revealed the ability we have to

run businesses in us. Now I feel ready to set up
my own businesses. Great work done by AIP.
UMUTONI Jasmine
David KARURANGA MWIZERWA is a 3rd year student in Monetary Economics at the National University of
Rwanda. He is the 2012 AIP Business Plan Competition winner at NUR.

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Enterprise Rwanda Survey

At the African Innovation Prize, we value the opinions of the students our program is dedicated to. As they
are the main reason AIP exists, we seek their suggestions on ways of improving our program by taking into
account their experiences and asking them what they would expect from it. This is why during Enterprise
Rwanda we distributed daily feedback forms to the attendees to learn from their experience.
Everyday students rated the quality of the sessions and gave their own comments on how they think we
should improve generally the program. Heres what our students suggested to improve:
Most of the students suggested that we increase the time for the speakers to allow them to ask more
questions and have longer interactions with the speakers. This is true because most of the keynote speeches
lasted for an average of 55 minutes followed by 15 minutes questions & answers sessions. This was done
to make sure that we had at least two different speakers as well as a group session at the end of the day.
The time for group sessions proved also to be very limited. An hour was allocated to the groups interactive
sessions at the end of the keynote speeches during the last hour of the daily program. This proved to be
very short. Students in their comments suggested putting group sessions in the middle of the program after
each session. This would help them reflecting on the session and concealing it with their own experiences.

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A certain number students also suggested that we should bring more speakers during Enterprise Rwanda.
These students in their comments also suggested that AIP should think of a way of running the sessions
the whole working day and provide lunch to the attendees to make an optimal use of the week. Some
students said that having lunch and spending a whole day with their peers would be a great opportunity
to network with their peers
We were thrilled to see that attendees advocated for other students who were not able to attend the
conference. They suggested to us to allow other students from both public and private higher learning
institutions in Rwanda to participate in AIP events. Managing logistics and expectations is the main reason
to limit the number of the students that can be allowed to the conference.
Students also requested that AIP should at least provide some transportation fees to the attendees to allow
them to be on time and increase the number of turn up. The venue of the conference was at KIST which
can be considered as the centre and most convenient venue for the majority of the students. Unfortunately
providing transportation fees as a way of motivating students proves to be an inefficient strategy. Students
need to take ownership of the conferences. However, AIP is exploring a way of organizing the next edition
of Enterprise Rwanda on two different venues to be as close to the student as possible.

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As shown in the figures above, students learnt a lot from the keynote speakers invited during the workshop.
With the guest speakers sharing their experiences on various business skills and concepts as human resource
management, business financial management, teamwork, etc. students improved their skills consistently as
shows the trend going from very poor skills to excellent skills.
We also asked students to tell us more about their overall experience of the whole week and to rate it.

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Enterprise Sierra Leone 2013
To round-up the end of the first post-pilot year of running the African Innovation Prize (AIP) , Enterprise Sierra
Leone 2013 took place from the 2nd 6th of September at the Sierra Leone Library Board. The week of
interactive training and workshops drew about 40 budding student entrepreneurs daily from Freetown. This
inaugural week of training in Sierra Leone followed the structure, format and contents of Enterprise Rwanda;
itself a workshop with three years track record.
Below students share their experience of Enterprise Sierra Leone, either of individual sessions, or the entire
week itself.

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Day 1
I am thinking of starting my own business upon
graduation from University, and Enterprise Sierra
Leone 2013 helped me greatly with the knowledge
on how I could fulfil my dream in starting my own
business with little or no capital.
The workshop was a wow from start to finish,
especially with the presence of young successful
local business enterprise men and women who spoke
on different topics. They covered issues including how
they started to get to where they are which helped
me greatly to get an insight into the opportunities
and constraints of starting and running a business.
Successful entrepreneurs who constituted speakers
for example Daniel Osei-Antwi, Managing Director
of Splash awakened the Entrepreneur in me on the
first day, the young Harvard Masters holder in Business
Administration did not only mesmerise me with his
ideas and achievement but also with his young age.
This was backed up by the great presentations from
the rest of the speakers.
Studying for a Bachelor of Arts Degree with very little
business background I can today boast of knowledge
in understanding entrepreneurship,
drawing a business plan, generate, develop and

refine my business idea, market insight or research,
idea generation to business planning and financial
management and customer strategy amongst many
others.
A big thank you to all those who made it possible for
the Enterprise Sierra Leone 2013 with a special kudos
to the AIP Country Volunteer Milly Hennayake for her
time and hospitality, and the African Innovation Prize
and the University of Sierra Leone.
Hassan Sannoh is a Final Year student at the Fourah Bay College, University of Sierra Leone. He is planning to
start his own business in Cocoa Production upon graduation.
I was attracted to Enterprise Sierra Leone to help me to
be creative and innovative in going into the business
and to build my business plan to be an entrepreneur.
The session on the first day was about awakening the
entrepreneur in you and the speaker, Daniel OseiAntwi, taught us that inspiration without perspiration
is hallucination. The experience was relevant to me
because it helps me to become a job creator. An
example being Bill Gates, Brian Scudamore, Shane
Pannell etc. and how to build up my business plan as
an entrepreneur.
I learnt to:
Make meaning- build up your desire to make
a difference in the world.
Make a mantra- think big and work towards it.
Make the move- surround yourself with
people who will inspire you to act.
Make money- make sure you have a business
model and how you are going to make them transfer
that money into your pocket.
What interested me is to be an Entrepreneur and the
most important thing I learnt is to be become a job
creator and to improve my idea. I learnt that I need
to create winning mentality that will help me become
successful.
Amadu Bangura is in his 2nd year of a Bsc. Business Administration at IPAM, USL. He is planning on starting
business in Palm oil.

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Day 2
I was attracted to ESL by the advertisement and
the way it was made. The most catching word was
entrepreneurship. On this note, I applied because I
want to have more knowledge on entrepreneurship.
The Tuesday session was very exciting to me because
it was about how to generate ideas for the success
of business and how to start a business without a
capital.I enjoyed the two presentations made by
both Fatou Wurie of MamaYa Campaign and William
Conteh of Capitalism Without Capital as I was able
to learn a lot from them. The experience gathered
would serve as a kind of motivation and guide to
start up my own business. From the session, the thing
that interested me most was the experience gained
about strategic branding and steps involved in it.Amongst the things I learnt, the most important thing was
that in a business,one does not necessarily need to start big, you start small and grow big. As a result of this
session, I can endeavour to start my business irrespective of the size of my capital and I will never give up.
Joseph Koroma is a final year student at FBC, USL. He wants to start a business in Information and Communication
Technology (ICT).
Day 3 & 4
First of all, I would like to say a thanks to the African
Innovation Prize for giving us the opportunity as
University Students in Sierra Leone to be able to be
part of the training they provided in order to help us
widen out brains and encouraging us not to be afraid
of the dreams we have in making a difference in the
lives of our fellow Sierra Leoneans and even beyond.
The 3rd day of the training was also an awesome
one. Two presenters with different topics both aimed
to inspire us as students not to be afraid to choose
the path of entrepreneurship. Presenter Evelyn Lewis,
CEO of SBTS Group and TrainingSol and Claudette
Ahiabor, of SMILE enterprise. Claudette is currently
a mentor to me with my business ideas and she is a
great supporter of young entrepreneurs, it was great
to see her inspiring others.

The 5th of September marks the 4th day of the

training. Fatu Yumkella, from Dallan Consulting,
was very wonderful with the presentation on market
insight and competition Analysis. Many of us never
knew how to analyze the market before starting out
businesses so we learnt a lot and I definitely will put
it to action. The other motivating thing also that we
were fortunate to meet with the last years winners of
AIP, Edmond Nonie and Udozima Ulasi, who shared
their experiences with us and letting us believed that
we are no different from them and that we can do it.
On the 5th of September Leah Mansaray, from
AFFORD, taught us about Business Plans and Pitching,
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which was also an achieving one as many of us

use to have problems with writing business plans.
The most beautiful part of all the sessions is that we
were free to ask questions and answers were given
to us as we have as, also, for each session, a group
work was given to us by Milly, which she carefully
explained how to go about it and at the end of the
day each work was presented successfully.I gained
so much knowledge on how to become a successful
entrepreneur. Thank you once again for AIP for giving
us the road map to success.
Zainab Nasiru, a third year student in Business Administration, IPAM, USL. She is planning to do a business.
Zainab also volunteered during the week of training and her help was invaluable!
Day 5
On Day 5, after an inspiring presentation on business
pitches by Leah Mansaray from AFFORD, which
emphasised the need for students to use simple,
approachable language to communicate their
ideas and how to sell them quickly. The students
then practiced this in groups on the ideas they had
been working on throughout the week. Although the
session had to be cut short for the prize giving, it was
great opportunity for the students to give feedback
to each other and highlighted the importance of
establishing entrepreneurship clubs and learning
from and giving feedback to peers. The feedback
from the students is resoundingly positive and overall
the main of inspiring and encouraging the students
has been achieved. Students mention how they
feel encouraged to pursue their ideas, think big,
create employment and make a difference in their
community. One student mentiond that AIP should:
Always continue using speakers who have made
positive changes in entrepreneurship in SL for students
to see the reality of entrepreneurship.

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LESSON
LEARNED

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In addition to the successes outlined above, we have

experienced challenges which have helped us to learn and
grow as an organisation. Here are a few things we learned in
2013:

Planning our activities and events calendar to align with
the academic year is of paramount importance. In 2013, we
started with an introductory workshop in January and phase 1
in March while the academic year had started in September. This deprived us of a precious time to start
engaging the students way ahead of the competition and running other activities.
This same lack of alignment with the Rwandan academic year also led to average success in engaging
university staff in charge of entrepreneurship. With the beginning of the introductory workshops in March
we made sure to correct this.
The adoption of an online platform in submitting the business ideas and business plans caused a few
challenges to the students who had previously submitted their ideas/business plans as an email
attachment. We recognized thatwhile iStart was organizationally beneficial to AIP as it provided one
single platform for all competition-related mattersstudents would need to be better informed in order for
everyone involved to reap its benefits. Our response to this issue was to organize campus-based training
sessions for students. They were then able to use the platform to engage effectively in all stages of the
competitionfrom the call for entries in Phase 1 to the final judging round of Phase 2, providing them with
more functionality and taking up less of their valuable time.
Students have repeatedly requested that we open the competition to all higher learning institutions in
Kigalipublic as well as private. As we currently work with the main public universities, students from other
universities had let us know that they felt left out. While we are aware of this challenge and would like to
make our training and competition accessible to as many students as possible, we provide a full package
within our budget and are not able to include all the universities. We are, however, proud to be reaching
over 20,000 students within our current partner institutions.
Conclusion
As we gear up for 2014, we can look back and acknowledge that 2013 has been a fruitful year for our
organization but, most importantly, for the students we have impacted. Our presence within the universities
has never been as visible as it is now and for that we thank all the students, faculty members, business leaders,
donors and everyone else who has supported us throughout the year. As 2013 draws to a close, we are
excited to see that this years grand prize winners are already far advanced with their business plans and are
enjoying the support of our dear partners at Inkomoko.
We are looking ahead to 2014 with enthusiasm and a view to consolidating our program, engaging an
increasing number of strategic partners and making sure that our hearts and minds are fully prepared to
effectively support ever more university students in dreaming, designing and dedicating themselves to their
business ideas.
University Supporters
Business Supporters
Entrepreneurship Clubs
Published by African Innovation Prize

Rue du Lac Ihema
T2000 Building
4th Floor, Suite 514
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Tel. +250-788-580-310
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Copyright African Innovation Prize 2013.

AIP 2013 in numbers

What is entrepreneurship training

Phase 2 launch and business planning training

Enterprise Rwanda 2013

It is incredibly exciting looking back at this years

216 Business Ideas

N/A Business Service

Firstly, AIP is grateful to our generous donors,

Stimulating and supporting

Our Story | Why Rwanda?

In the summer of 2009, inspired by President Kagames

Why Sierra Leone?

In 2011, with the support of De La Rue, we explored

through capitalizing on its people and a tight focus

We develop connections between students and

be considered as a high level priority. This can be

them into the social and economic development

AIP tackles this issue by providing a world-class

One of the cross cutting issues of the Vision 2020 is

What does De La Rue do, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa?

You have been working in sub-Saharan Africa for

With almost 200 years of operation, how does

Also, if you are at a very early-stage & just have a

African Innovation Prize

African Innovation Prize

What is entrepreneurship training

Phase I Launch & Business Idea Generation Training

African Innovation Prize

The big turnout at Nationa University of Rwanda (NUR) was

Business Idea Challenge

African Innovation Prize

Phase 1 industry breakdown

African Innovation Prize

African Innovation Prize

Phase 2 Launch and

A total of 84 entries were received into this phase

The training was about giving an insight on why a

The Business Plan Challenge

This year marked an improvement in both the number

African Innovation Prize

The following table shows what the required sections were:

Executive Summary (250 words)

Provide a brief and comprehensive summary of your business plan

Business Model (400 words)

Marketing (250 words)

Describe how you will communicate your products/services to your

Product Development ( 150 words)

Describe how you will manufacture/deliver your product/service.

Discuss in general financial considerations i.e. timings of business

African Innovation Prize

Upload a document showing all the needed funds and their

Upload a document showing your Assets, Liabilities and the

Cash Flow Statement

Management Team (125 words)

Economic and Social Impact

Upload a document showing your expected revenue in the first

Phase 2 industry breakdown

African Innovation Prize

Does the business plan

Does the business plan capture

Does the business plan describe

Is the business plan well