MTN mPulse Hackathon For Nigerian Primary & Secondary School Students

Published: 27 Nov 2020

As the world settles into a new normal due to the Covid-19 pandemic, MTN mPulse is looking to enable young students, passionate about making a difference to build innovative solutions that are relevant now & beyond in the MTN mPulse Hackathon. Promising solutions in the identified submission categories will be supported by MTN to achieve their full potential with expected widespread adoption and social impact. Before you submit your entry below, first go through the rules

The project aims at encouraging young innovators in primary and secondary schools who can navigate the barriers of remote engagement to create solutions that can mitigate various challenges imposed by COVID-19.

MTN mPulse Hackathon

Application Deadline	December 6, 2020
Country to study	Nigeria
Type	College School
Sponsor	MTN Foundation
Gender	Men and Women

Benefits of MTN mPulse Hackathon

First prize

1. N1m in Funding support
2. N100,000 Cash Vouchers
3. Latest Samsung Tablet worth over N120,000
4. mPulse Back-to-School items
5. 6 weeks MTN GAP Bootcamp

First  and second runner-up prize

1. N500,000 in Funding support
2. N50,000 Cash Vouchers
3. Latest Samsung Tablet worth over N120,000 
4. mPulse Back-to-School items 
5. 6 weeks MTN GAP Bootcamp

4th - 10th position

1. Latest Samsung Tablet worth over N120,000
2. mPulse Back-to-School items 
3. 6 weeks MTN GAP Bootcamp 

11th-20th position

1. N10,000 Cash Vouchers each
2. ack-2-School Goody Bags

Requirements for MTN mPulse Hackathon

1. Competition is open to primary & secondary school students
2. Applicants must be resident in Nigeria.
3. Solutions to be submitted should be either mobile apps or websites (web apps)
4. Participant must upload a completed Indemnity Form by Parent / Guardian covering the use of their solutions, data, photos etc (by MTN Legal Contracting). click here to download indemntiy form
5. Ideas must be original, innovative and solve an actual problem.
6. The solutions being developed & submitted should fulfil one or more of these categories:
   1. Support home-schooling, remote education and continued learning (e.g. home-schooling solutions)
   2. Enables delivery of group interactions remotely (Community engagement platforms).
   3. Ensures verified & accurate information reaches even the most remote locations.
   4. Aids efficient distribution of food, products & services
7. Top 10 participants would be rewarded with gifts and access to a 6-weeks online bootcamp with TechQuest STEM Academy and receive the needed support to refine their solutions and launch
8. Top 3 winners would have their impactful solutions funded for immediate deployment to flatten the curve as well as have access to our pool of volunteer Staff Mentors, who together with TechQuest, the STEM Academy, would provide mentorship via leveraging their functional, business & technical skills to further refine their innovative solutions for greater impact to the underserved youth segment.
9. Websites and web apps should be hosted on the internet. Consider hosting your project on free hosting platforms e.g. 000webhost, hostinger, 5GBFree, Freehostia, etc.
10. Judging Criteria are: Technical Ability: 45%, Usefulness: 25%, Creativity: 30%
11. Deadline for submission of entries is 6th December 2020.
12. Participants must have successfully linked with their parent(s) on the mPulse website

Selection Process

HACKATHON STAGE

1. Nov 18th – Call for Entries begins on Hackathon website
2. Dec 06th – Submission of projects suspended
3. Dec 17th – Top 10 Finalists chosen
4. Dec 19th – Top 10 finalists pitch their solution decks to the online Judges at the 1st virtual MTN mPulse Hackathon, winners to be announced same day.

BOOTCAMP STAGE

1. Jan 16th 2021 – Enrollment of finalists into the 6 weeks virtual MTN GAP Bootcamp
2. March – April 2021 – Deployment of finished solutions online on the mPulse site for access by the teeming teen segment

Application Deadline

December 6, 2020

How to Apply

Interested and qualified? Go to MTN Foundation on mpulse.mtnonline.com to apply