The InnovAction Challenge is a regional innovation competition and support program aimed at empowering young social and economic entrepreneurs to respond to the emerging needs of grassroots communities in Latin America and the Caribbean as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. See the categories here.
The InnovAction Challenge was created by the Young Americas Business Trust (YABT), in cooperation with the Inter-American Foundation (IAF) and Summits of the Americas Secretariat (SAS) of the Organization of American States (OAS), with the goal of empowering young entrepreneurs, especially those from marginalized communities, to respond to the emerging needs of grassroots communities as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The competition will be divided in three (3) rounds: 1-Eligibility Round, 2- Semi-Finals Round, 3-Finals Round. For more details on each round, please visit this link.
The InnovAction Challenge has a special focus on young entrepreneurs. Nevertheless, everyone who is interested in participating is encouraged to register, considering the target population.
Registered team members must be citizens or legal residents of Latin American and Caribbean countries that are active voting members of the OAS, and must be legally authorized to start and operate a business in their country.
Teams must have a minimum of one (1) member and a maximum of ten (10) members. More information here.
Click here to see all requirements and instructions to participate.
To register, you must click on this link, go to the “Create account” form, fill all required fields, choose the category you would like to participate in, and click “Create account”. You will receive an email with a link to validate your account creation and further instructions to complete your registration.
No, the team must select the category that they consider most accordingly fits their project, objective, and focus, then register for it. In the case that the YABT team realizes that the project belongs to another category, a representative of the organization will reach out to the registered team leader to inform them of the change.
The deadline for registration is February 28, 2021. Nonetheless, it is encouraged that teams register as soon as possible so that they can take full advantage of the BOOTCamp program.
Yes, you may consult guide formats for all the Competition Materials here.
No, Copyright for the project or project plan presented during the competition will remain exclusive property of the team that proposes it. More information here.
A steady communication channel will be open by way of email, through ticamericas@yabt.net. All information regarding your participation will be sent to the email address provided in the registration. Teams are responsible for ensuring that the email is functional and that the content is read on a regular basis.
Since much of the InnovAction Challenge occurs online, consistent access to the Internet during InnovAction is recommended to ensure full participation.
Upon registration, participants will have access to a wide network of entrepreneurship, training and support of international experts through the BOOTCamp platform, global visibility, market openings, investing opportunities, seed capital, among other things.
The BOOTCamp is a free center of resources for young entrepreneurs that offers tools to develop business plans, financial viability, marketing strategies, planning, administration, finances and much more.The sessions are conducted by international experts who will address these and other topics to support you in developing skills and strategies for your project. Get access to the BOOTCamp here.
Recordings of the BOOTCamp sessions will be available, though it is heavily encouraged that participants be present live so that they can ask questions and fully interact with the panelists.
YABT, IAF and SAS will have a designated group of judges called the Qualifying Jury Committee for the Semi-Final and Final phases of the competition who, based on the evaluation criteria established will rate the projects.
Consult the evaluation criteria for the Challenge here.
There is no restriction regarding age, nationality, experience, or education of the Mentors. Mentors may not participate in or contribute directly to InnovAction.
Mentoring a team is optional. Each team can identify and work directly with one or more mentors, without any age, experience, nationality, or education restrictions. We recommend that all teams that have a mentor should mention and include them in their project plans. More information here
The Finals of the InnovAction Challenge and the rest of the categories of the Talent and Innovation Competition of the Americas (TIC Americas) are planned to be held in virtual format, and therefore the participants are required to confirm their interest and availability to attend in the format presented.
Yes, there will be a testing of the online platform with the Finalist Teams, in order for all participants to be comfortable and knowledgeable with the tools used during the Virtual Finals.This session will provide additional guidance and preparation for learning and using the online platform environment.
The event will be livestreamed and open to the general public.
Of all registered teams, a total of 20 teams will advance to the Finals, 5 per category.
Two members of the team will be in charge of presenting the project before the Judges Panel of the Finals Round. However, all team members will be able to participate in the rest of the activities of the Finals: Plenary sessions, conferences, ceremonies, etc.
Only one (1) team member will be in charge of the Pitch during the TIC Americas 2021 Finals Demo Day.
All teams that reach the Finals Round of the InnovAction Challenge will be awarded a benefits package that includes: training sessions with tailored content in preparation for the Finals, feedback from the Semi-Finals Round jury to improve their project, as well as an international certificate issued by the YABT/OAS, IAF and the SAS, where teams will be recognized as finalists and Alumni of the TIC Americas program.
The winning teams will benefit from an award package valued at $15,000 dollars which includes a cash prize of $5,000 dollars in seed capital and other business services. As well as an international certificate special for winners, follow-up business services, and feedback from the Finals jury.
The cash prize of US $5,000 is destined to function as seed capital for the winning project, hence, it must be used to grow and develop the project.
For any additional information about the program, please contact: ticamericas@yabt.net
For any technical questions about the platform, please contact: sergio.camus@yabt.net