Deadline: 4-Jun-23

RES4Africa is proud to renew its commitment to support those young people from all African countries who are committed and motivated to create a real change in their communities, by launching the 2023 Edition of the Young Talent of the Year Award, carried out in collaboration with Enel Green Power (EGP) and the European Investment Bank (EIB) and with the support of SDG7 constituency.

At its Fourth edition, the initiative aims to support brilliant young African talents from the RES4Africa’s Academy Technical and Vocational School (Former Micro-Grid Academy) alumni community. Applicants are required to submit innovative and groundbreaking ideas, ongoing experiences and projects; the three most innovative ones will be awarded with financial support and promoted in visibility by the RES4Africa Academy.

RES4Africa Foundation believes that young people, thinking differently and innovatively, represent the backbone of a prosperous and sustainable future for Africa where access to energy for all is a reality. What does it take to make this happen? Giving voice and opportunities to young talent, innovators, entrepreneurs, start-ups.

RES4Africa Foundation is a strong advocate of the youth’s role in Africa’s energy transition: the continent’s young generations can offer groundbreaking solutions to the issues currently affecting the African energy and environmental sector, creating an unprecedented impact in terms of innovation, climate resilience and social change.

Award Thematic Focus

• Innovative and concrete ground-breaking ideas, on-going experiences and projects must address major environmental and social challenges, promoting access to energy for the development of African countries and sustainable social-economic growth.
• The proposed ideas and projects must come from young African entrepreneurs and professionals with a focus on Entrepreneurship and Renewable energy solutions such as but not limited to Productive Uses of Energy, Water-Energy-Food Nexus, Electric Mobility and Circular Economy (Reduce, Reuse and Recycle). In general, proposals that create innovation through start-ups and entrepreneurial initiatives in the renewable energy field will be preferred.
• In addition, the proposed initiatives must address one or more among the following cross-cutting themes:
  • Women empowerment: proposals that contribute to the empowerment of women and their involvement in the renewable energy sector.
  • Youth empowerment: proposals that promote and foster the involvement of young people in the renewable energy sector.
  • Climate change: proposals that contribute to create awareness and win the fight against climate change, with focus on reducing emissions, waste and deforestation in rural areas and promoting the development of climate resilient communities.
  • Advocacy: proposals that contribute to raise public interest and awareness on clean energy access and Renewable energy solutions production and discussion, ensuring and promoting a long-lasting impact.
  • Social impact: proposals that drive the social impact (health, education, economic development, etc) with the social distribution of costs and benefits among the community stakeholders at different levels (values, attitudes, revenues and behaviours) to generate additional social values.

Benefits

• On the basis of the presentations, the Selection Committee will identify up to 3 Young Talents who will be awarded 5.000 euro and will be provided with tailored mentoring support with expert from the renewable energy sector.

Eligibility Criteria

• To be selected and evaluated, the applicants must meet the following eligibility requirements:
  • Be an individual, a start-up or a group of people represented by a team leader;
  • Demonstrate to be the owner or representative of an innovative idea(s) or project(s) group in her/his community in the REs sector;
  • Have African nationality;
  • Be between 18 and 33 years old;
  • Have a Good knowledge of English language.
• RES4Africa Foundation promotes gender balance in the selection of participants, therefore women applicants are highly encouraged to participate.

For more information, visit RES4Africa.