On 14 October 2020, the European Union in partnership with Innovation SL, held a special pitch night to hear three entrepreneurs explain how their business ideas offered sustainable commercial solutions to Sierra Leone’s single-use plastic problem.
The winner – John Sawo Koroma was given an expenses paid trip to Rwanda, where he was hosted by Dokmai Rwanda for an internship on quality production and design development.
Watch the short film to find out what happened next. Click here
The Entrepreneurship World Cup is open for 2021 and is accepting applications – aiming to expand past the 175,000 contestants from 200+ countries in its first year. The program offers a chance to pitch on a global stage for a share of US$1 million in cash prizes plus additional investment opportunities and another US$750,000 in in-kind support.
Innovation SL/GEN SL is the official national organizer for Sierra Leone, helping entrepreneurs across the country start and scale.
“Enabling Sierra Leone’s Entrepreneurial Ecosystem”
But EWC is more than just a global pitch competition with a shot at life-changing prizes. It elevates entrepreneurs from all stages—idea-stage, early-stage, growth-stage or beyond— by providing them with tools and resources to grow their venture.
EWC Accelerates is a virtual training and mentorship program that helps entrepreneurs hone their skills and increase their chances of winning their national competitions – as well as those who advance to the Global Finals.
The EWC online platform also offers all contestants who complete an application, access to more than $25,000 in perks from partners such as Google Cloud, Hubspot, Stripe and more.
National Finals competitions are held through June 2021. In November 2021, 100 startups will be flown to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia to participate in the EWC Accelerates program for an intensive startup bootcamp and to compete in the EWC Global Finals.
