THE WINNERS OF THE AFRICAN INNOVATION PRIZE’S “ENTERPRISE RWANDA 2013” HAVE EACH BEEN AWARDED START UP FUNDING OF 2MILLION RWF FOR THEIR WINNING BUSINESS IDEAS FOLLOWING A HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL WEEK OF ENTREPRENEURIAL EVENTS AND WORKSHOPS. THE EVENT WAS SPONSORED BY DE LA RUE AND ORGANISED IN COLLABORATION WITH THE KIGALI INSTITUTE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY (KIST).
Kigali: 17 July 2013
The African Innovation Prize (AIP) is a charitable organisation aiming to inspire entrepreneurship and provide grass roots funding for potential new initiatives. Each year, AIP run a week long interactive training session and workshop themed for budding young entrepreneurs from universities across Rwanda.
The opening ceremony took place on Monday 8th July 2013 at KIST and was hosted by De La Rue. The opening address was given by Tony Mullen, Key Accounts Director of the De La Rue Solutions business unit. This was then followed by a busy week long schedule of training and workshops with local business leaders sharing their experiences and providing advice and frameworks for the students and entrepreneurs to consider when starting a business.
The three winners of Enterprise Rwanda 2013 were announced on Friday 12th July, with prize funds of 2million RWF awarded to each finalist as start funds for their innovative business ideas. The awards were presented by Rosemary Mbabazi, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Youth and ICT and Dr Christine Gasingirwa, the Rector of Kigali Institute of Science and Technology.
The winners and their new start up business names are Bosco Nyandwi: My Village Heat, Elie Nzayisenga: Data Ltd, and Dieudonné Dusengumukiza: Kigali Oil Company
Rwanda is long standing customer for De La Rue, providing the country’s passport, national ID solutions, driving licence, tax stamps and banknotes. Through their support of the African Innovation Prize and Enterprise Rwanda 2013, De La Rue appreciates the opportunity to support young entrepreneurial talent in a country where they have a long established relationship built over many years, and show their continued commitment and intention to create a lasting footprint for the future.
Tony Mullen commented “Rwanda is making great strides towards stability and through the encouragement of an entrepreneurial culture, private sector development and innovative thinking, we believe that schemes such as the African Innovation Prize can really start to make a tangible difference.”
ABOUT African Innovation Prize
The African Innovation Prize (AIP) is a UK based registered non-profit organization founded by Cambridge University Graduates in 2010 to spur student innovation and entrepreneurship in Africa, through university based business planning competitions. We aim to encourage students to DREAM, DESIGN, and DEDICATE themselves to their business ideas by providing a world-class business plan competition, supported by focused training tailored for students. We develop connections between students and the local enterprise community through seeding entrepreneurship clubs within universities, and brokering mentorship between students and local business leaders.
ABOUT Enterprise Rwanda
Every year, AIP organizes a weeklong interactive training and workshop themed “Enterprise Rwanda” for budding young entrepreneurs from universities across Rwanda. Since 2010, AIP trained through Enterprise Rwanda around 350 university students from KIST, NUR and SFB and involved around 40 local mentors and successful business owners in Kigali.
ABOUT De La Rue plc
As the world’s largest integrated commercial banknote printer, De La Rue is a trusted partner of governments, central banks, issuing authorities and commercial organisations around the world.
The Group has in recent years been involved in the design or production of over 150 national currencies. De La Rue also produces a wide range of security documents including passports, driving licences, authentication labels and tax stamps. In addition, the Group manufactures sophisticated, high speed cash sorting and inspection equipment.
De La Rue also offers a range of specialist services and software solutions including government identity schemes, product authentication systems and cash management processing solutions.
De La Rue employs approximately 4,000 people worldwide and is listed on the London Stock Exchange.
For further information:
Rob Hutchison
Group Director of Communications, De La Rue
Tel: +44 (0) 1256 605018
Email: rob.hutchison@uk.delarue.com
