The DigMyIdea Māori Innovation Challenge – an exciting new competition designed to inspire Aotearoa’s top emerging entrepreneurs to turn their innovative ideas into reality – is now open for business, with great prizes on offer.

DigMyIdea calls on entrants to submit a digital business idea that has the potential to go global. Ideas could be anything from an app to a web initiative, or ways to enhance or add digital elements to a more traditional business, product or even a process.

The challenge is open to any citizen or permanent resident of Aotearoa. Entries will be accepted from teams of up to three people or individuals, and will be judged in two categories: 15-18 years (‘mauri oho’); and 19 years and over (‘mauri tū’).

All DigMyIdea entries should outline: 

• A digital business idea;

• Economic outcomes that may include opportunities for New Zealanders to earn incomes, create new business or export; and

• A focus on economic outcomes for Māori.

 

Ideas should be submitted through www.digmyidea.nz by 18 October 2015. Advice will be available through this website to help entrants become familiar with the requirements of DigMyIdea, and to develop their digital business idea and pitch before they enter.

Entries will be judged by a panel of experts, with the top five individuals or teams in each category taking part in DIGIwānanga, a weekend of workshops in Auckland in November to further develop and refine their ideas before overall winners in each category are selected.

The overall winning entry from each category will win business start-up assistance comprising products and services. For more details go to www.digmyidea.nz.