Description
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This tender aims to foster collaboration between startups, researchers, and institutions through five key work packages, focusing on coordination, partnership development, and training. The goal is to drive innovation, support capacity building, and enhance cooperation in the African innovation ecosystem. The first work package ensures effective coordination within the project and aligns it with other SPARK activities, supporting a unified marketing strategy. Coordination with GIZ is crucial for complementarity and synergy across efforts. Regular meetings, alignment sessions, and an escalation mechanism will be established. The communication component focuses on spreading awareness of SPARK activities and marketing the program"s opportunities. The bidder will provide information to the communication agency and use their own channels for promotion. A communications plan tailored to the project and the overall SPARK initiative will be delivered. The second work package focuses on building partnerships with institutions like universities, research bodies, and venture capital funds. The bidder will assess current partnerships, expand the stakeholder map, and define a short-term strategy adapted from the existing one. Activities will be coordinated with GIZ and aligned with other SPARK efforts, delivering an updated stakeholder map and partnership engagement model. The third work package develops an online training series for researchers and students, improving collaboration readiness with startups. The bidder will compose 3-5 Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) to educate participants on how startups function, explore collaboration opportunities, and provide a cooperation readiness self-assessment. A draft and final concept for the training series, along with marketing strategies, will be delivered. The training aims to engage 500 participants from research institutions, with short evaluations following each session. The fourth work package offers specialized training for African startups to enhance their collaboration with researchers and graduate students. The bidder will design a 3-5 module series that helps startups integrate new technologies and research insights. Key topics include identifying cooperation opportunities and implementing best practices for collaborative projects. An innovation and technology cooperation self-assessment will be provided to startups. The goal is to involve 50 startups, supported by a communications plan to boost participation, and the training will be implemented multiple times. Documentation and evaluations will follow each session. The fifth work package, the Researcher in Residence program, aims to integrate new technologies, research, and expertise into startups through direct collaboration. It addresses impact measurement, feasibility assessment, and product development. Startups will be matched with researchers based on fit, with a kick-off conference to initiate the work. The program includes a job placement component where researchers or graduate students work in startups for 2-5 months to carry out short targeted projects implementing aspects of their previous research. The bidder will support project formulation, facilitate collaboration, and provide funding for these projects. The goal is to implement 20-25 research projects, with ongoing support for startups and researchers throughout the program. These work packages collectively aim to drive innovation and collaboration, enabling startups and researchers to work together effectively, contributing to growth in the African tech ecosystem.