Morocco’s largest telecommunication company Maroc Telecom launched a contest for Moroccan tech-oriented startups, under the name “Startup Challenge,”.
All Moroccans with innovative ideas can enter the challenge until Sunday, January 26, 2020.
The program aims to fund projects that are able to take on the challenges of digitalization in the sectors of health, education, agriculture, and smart cities, says a press release from Maroc Telecom.
The initiative also aims to encourage and support entrepreneurship in Morocco.
The 10 startups with the most potential for development will benefit from tailored support and training. The three best startups will receive funding for their projects from Maroc Telecom’s national and other international partners.
The three winning projects will receive cash prizes totalling MAD 250,000, MAD 120,000 for the best project, MAD 80,000 for the second, and MAD 50,000 for the third.
The winners will also have access to an extra MAD 200,000 in grants and MAD 500,000 in interest-free loans.
After the end of the applications, Maroc Telecom will announce the ten finalists on Monday, February 10.
The finalists will undergo a 5-week-long acceleration program, between February 11 and March 15, before presenting their projects to the contest’s jury and sponsors in a “Demo Day” on Tuesday, March 24.