Registrations window are open for Mediterranean Youth Water Hackathon. The application deadline is Dec 1, 2024.
About Med-Youth Water
The Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) is an intergovernmental Euro-Mediterranean organisation that brings together all countries of the European Union and 16 countries of the Southern and Eastern Mediterranean. The UfM works proactively to achieve greater levels of integration and cooperation in the region through a specific methodology that has yielded positive results in terms of political dialogue and the implementation of region-wide initiatives in which young people play a key role. With more than 60 labelled projects and over 300 ministerial and expert fora gathering 25,000 stakeholders since 2012, UfM activities illustrate the strong belief that regional challenges call for regional solutions and that there is no security without development.
About Hackathon
Are you eager to explore social entrepreneurship?
- Join in-person hackathon in Fes, Morocco, a city rich in history and culture, and collaborate with young entrepreneurs to create sustainable solutions within the WEFE Nexus (Water, Energy, Food, Ecosystems) for the Mediterranean Region.
- The UfM invites team of 2-3 aspiring entrepreneurs aged 18 to 35, eager to become drivers of change together! They encourage women and multi-country teams to participate!
Don’t miss this opportunity to make a difference for your community!
Eligibility Criteria
- Applications are submitted by teams. Multicultural and women-led teams are encouraged to apply.
- Team members must be aged between 18 and 35.
- Have a business idea or be willing to work on specific business models to solve WEFE Nexus challenges.
- Be available for one or two online sessions ahead of the hackathon.
- Be available in February for the in-person hackathon in Fes. Please note that team members attending the in-person hackathon must be fluent in English.
- Regardless of your place of residence, please note that applicants must be nationals of UFM Member states: Albania, Algeria, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Egypt, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Jordan, Latvia, Lebanon, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Mauritania, Monaco, Montenegro, Morocco, The Netherlands, North Macedonia, Palestine, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Tunisia, and Turkey.
- There is no specific professional background required. You can be a graduate or student, with any type of education, such as water, sanitation, business development, programming, marketing, social studies, engineering, architecture, political science, and so on.
- The most important requisites for participation are motivation, interest in solving challenges within the WEFE Nexus and entrepreneurial spirit.
Hackathon Highlights
- Take part in a 3-day Hackathon in Fes, Morocco, and share your ideas, skills and experience with other young entrepreneurs from across the Mediterranean to drive positive change for our environment and communities!
- Develop entrepreneurial solutions addressing real-life WEFE Nexus challenges in the Mediterranean, ensuring they meet real needs and can benefit a target customer or beneficiary base.
- Winning teams will receive cash prizes between 1,000 and 3,000 EUR, along with support to help launch their businesses!
Important Dates
- Call For Application’s Launch: 8th November -1st December 2024
- Participants’ Selection: Dec 2024
- Online Kick-off Session: Jan 2025
- In-person Hackathon: 25-28, Feb 2025
- Online support and Coaching sessions for the winners: Mar-Apr 2025
Application Process
To apply for the hackathon, note that:
- The call for applications deadline is December 1st.
- Teams must be formed before submitting an application.
- In your submission, clearly identify the specific WEFE Nexus challenge your team will address and describe your business idea to tackle it. This will be key for selection.
- Additionally, share any prior experience in entrepreneurship or water-related projects that your team members have.
Please note that only one application per group is necessary.
Selection Process
The selection process will be overseen by a jury composed of members from the leading organisations of the Mediterranean Water Youth Hackathon.
The call for applications will last for one month, ending on December 1st. Within 10 to 15 days after the closure of the call for applications, we will announce the results of the selection process. Once selected candidates have been contacted, we will kick off the program.
Awards
The winning teams will receive between 1000 and 3000 EUR in prizes and will benefit from a tailored one-on-one coaching to help you take your idea to the next level. This support includes defining your customer profile and value proposition, as well as planning the implementation of your minimum viable product (MVP) in the field.
How to Apply?
Interested candidates can directly apply through this link.
Deadline
The application deadline is Dec 1, 2024.
FAQs
Is there any Registration Fee?
No, participation in the Hackathon is free of charge. For the in-person event in Fes, Morocco, we will cover travel and accommodation costs for two team members. Additional team members are welcome but will need to cover their own expenses.
Does Individual applications are accepted?
No, you cannot apply alone. When applying, your team must have at least 2 members (we accept teams with a maximum of 3 members). Make sure you know the email addresses of all your team members before you sign up. Only one application per team is required.
Do I have to speak English to participate?
The moderation, input sessions and team activities will be held in English. So, we require participants to be fluent in English. Keep in mind that we will have participants from all over the Mediterranean Region, so not all will understand your mother tongue. However, if there is another common language in your team, the teams can also work in another national language. Although some of our mentors speak Arabic, French and Spanish, we cannot guarantee that the experts and mentors will be able to support you in the chosen language.
Will the results of our group work be published online?
The Intellectual Property (IP) of your solution belongs to you and your team. As we are trying to propose solutions to water and climate change challenges in the Mediterranean Region through collective intelligence, we would encourage you to provide open-source information, so in case you don’t continue with the idea, some other entrepreneur in another geographic region can. On the other hand, having it online might be a great reference to find funding opportunities. In any case, in your solution board, you will let us know if we can publish it online, or not.
What happens with my results (idea, prototype, etc.) of the Hackathon?
Their aim is that the results will be practically used after the Hackathon to help overcome water and climate change challenges in the Mediterranean Region. To make sure that your prototypes become viable solutions after the hackathon, you could receive support from our start-up program. Just get in touch with us.
If my team is one of the winners, does it mean I directly win the money?
The financial support is aimed at the development of the idea and/or implementation of the prototype in the community. The funding is conditional upon the team’s committed participation in the coaching sessions and bootcamp, a proposed implementation plan that meets quality and feasibility expectations and genuinely seeks to improve the quality of life for families in vulnerable situations, the need for the funds, and the willingness to continue with the business idea.
