JICA launches NINJA Business Plan Competition for startups during pandemic

JICA launches NINJA Business Plan Competition for startups during pandemic

The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has announced the launch of the NINJA Business Plan Competition, aimed at startups emerging during the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.

The NINJA Business Plan Competition will target startups and organisations from 19 African countries, including Egypt, Angola, Burkina Faso, Botswana, Cameroon, Madagascar, Mauritius, Nigeria, and Zambia.

The competition aims to support startups in the targeted countries, to contribute towards helping them overcome the current and post-coronavirus economic difficulties.

Applications for the competition are open to startups and organisations in all sectors with a specific focus on emerging businesses in coronavirus-related fields. This includes, but is not limited to, health, disaster management, business services, education, food and agriculture, finance, logistics, and substituting imported goods with local innovative technology.

JICA noted that proposals from individuals will not be considered. It added that to take part in the competition, startups must have their head office or a branch in one of the target countries,  and be a non-profit organisation registered as an independent legal entity.

In addition, the startup must have a strong management team of at least two people, and either provide innovative product(s) or service(s) in response or adoptable to the pandemic and post-pandemic society, or have a