Leaders International for economic development announced on Thursday the launch of a national hackathon for its crowd-solving ‘Idea Bank’ project to foster innovation and economic growth in Jordan.
With funding from the United States – Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI), the project will give Jordanian youth the opportunity to suggest innovative solutions to tackle issues and challenges faced by Jordanian governmental institutions.
In a statement, Leaders International said that young entrepreneurs and those with creative ideas can now submit their ideas on the project’s website: www.ideabankjo.com as individuals or teams responding to the specific challenges outlined by the ministries of: Agriculture – which faces insufficient demand for agricultural extension (education and development support) services; Digital Economy and Entrepreneurship – which faces a challenge in connecting ICT graduates with private sector companies; and the Jordan Investment Commission – which faces a challenge in providing continuous and periodically updated data on potential investors in Jordan and reaching out to them accordingly.
Jordanian youth aged 18 – 35 can participate in the hackathon by filling a registration form that introduces the idea, which is available on the project website’s challenges page. Proposed ideas must be clear, feasible, innovative, and sustainable.
As for the selection criteria, Leaders International will use a number of measures, including the idea’s distinction and feasibility, innovation and creativity, ease of implementation, and sustainability and development potential. Eligible teams will be chosen by a qualified judging panel of experts and representatives of participating governmental institutions and the incubator IPARK, the statement added.
The hackathon will close with the selection of three winning teams, where each will receive a financial award of 5,000 USDollars; in addition to 4-month incubation services at IPARK, which will offer guidance and training to turn ideas into reality.
Cultural Attache at the American Embassy and Representative of the U.S. – Middle East Partnership Initiative, McKenzie Louw, expressed her excitement and pride in contributing to Jordan’s strides to promote innovation and entrepreneurship, adding “we look forward to seeing the hackathon foster an environment for innovative ideas to flourish while solving Jordan’s governmental challenges in the process. Idea Bank’s goals align greatly with ours, aiming to collectively support Jordan’s youth and foster digital transformation to achieve impactful sustainable development.”
Country Manager at Leaders International, Hamzeh Shamaileh, stated: “The project and its hackathon’s efforts to facilitate youth participation are setting the stage for more public-private partnerships to come”.
Shamaileh stressed the importance of such collaborations, emphasizing their role in “cultivating innovation and entrepreneurship and advancing more inclusive, participatory growth and development in Jordan”. “We continually endeavour to invest in our youth, give them a voice, and provide them with a platform to engage and participate in tackling issues for the betterment of Jordan and Jordanians at large,” he pointed out.
Idea Bank’s 3-day hackathon will commence on the 19th of August, and those interested in participating should register on the project’s website. To be eligible to apply, participants must attend the entire 3-day hackathon to reach the final evaluation stage where they will present their ideas to a judging panel.
Source: Jordan News Gazette