🏆 Pilot 2026 · Ghana Only

#Where Ideas Become
Viable Solutions

SEN Innovation Challenge (SIC) 2026

A movement to empower, equip, and elevate emerging innovators ready to change their world using STEM. Open to tertiary students across Ghana.

Express Interest Read the Concept Note
About SIC

More Than a Competition — It's a Movement

At SEN, we don't just teach STEM — we challenge young innovators to use it. SIC invites tertiary students to tackle real-world problems with real solutions.

SIC participants

Why SIC Exists

Ghana and Africa face challenges that need locally-designed, STEM-powered solutions. Yet too often, our brightest young minds graduate with skills and no platform to apply them meaningfully.

SIC changes that. By creating a structured, mentored, multi-month program, we push tertiary students to think critically, collaborate fearlessly, and pioneer solutions that address pressing societal needs.

SIC isn't just a competition. It's a guided innovation journey.

🎓 Tertiary Students
🇬🇭 Ghana — 2026 Pilot
👥 Teams of 3–5
🌍 Africa-Relevant Solutions
Concept Note

The SIC 2026 Concept

Overview

The SEN Innovation Challenge (SIC) is the flagship competition of STEM Explorers Network. In its 2026 pilot edition, SIC invites teams of 1–4 tertiary students from universities, polytechnics, and technical institutions across Ghana to develop innovative, implementable solutions to real-world challenges facing African communities.

The Challenge

Teams will identify a problem relevant to their community or the broader African context — in areas such as health, agriculture, education, energy, water, or environment — and develop a STEM-based solution that is practical, scalable and rooted in local context. Solutions can be products, systems, applications, processes or service models.

Our Belief

We believe that Africa's most impactful solutions will come from Africans. SIC is designed to provide the platform, mentorship, and visibility that turns a student's idea into a viable solution — and that student into a confident innovator.

2026 Pilot Scope

The 2026 edition is a pilot restricted to participants in Ghana. Lessons learned will inform the expansion of SIC to a Pan-African competition in future years, in alignment with SEN's 2031 vision.

A full concept note document will be available for download shortly.

📄 Download Concept Note (Coming Soon)
The Process

From Idea to Impact — 4 Stages

01

Registration & Selection

Registrations open March 7 at the conference and run through end of March. Teams apply with a concept note. Selection is based on problem relevance, originality and feasibility.

02

Innovation Bootcamp

Selected teams attend a two-day in-person bootcamp in April — covering problem validation, human-centered design, solution development, business models and pitching.

03

Mentorship & Monthly Challenges

April through July: monthly mentor check-ins, internal pitch challenges, structured feedback and peer learning. Teams are assigned mentors from industry and innovation hubs.

04

Final Showcase & Pitch Day

Grand finale in August 2026. Teams pitch to judges, partners and sponsors. Awards, recognition and post-challenge support pathways announced.

Who Can Enter

Eligibility Criteria

  • ✓
    Currently enrolled at a tertiary institution in Ghana (university, polytechnic or technical institution)
  • ✓
    Teams of 1–4 students. Individuals may enter alone or form a team of up to 4.
  • ✓
    Any discipline welcome. You don't have to study STEM — great solutions come from diverse backgrounds. Engineers, business students, artists and more are all welcome.
  • ✓
    Africa-relevant problem. Your solution must address a real challenge facing African communities.
  • ✓
    Original work. Solutions must be your own. Existing projects may be submitted if they are significantly further developed for SIC.
  • ✓
    Ghana residents only for the 2026 pilot edition.
Rewards

What You Stand to Win

SIC winners receive more than just prizes — they gain visibility, mentorship, and a network that opens doors.

🥇
1st Place
Champion

Cash prize + Trophy + Mentorship package + Media feature + Opportunity to pitch to partners and investors

🥈
2nd Place
Runner-Up

Cash prize + Trophy + Certificate + Mentorship access + Media recognition

🥉
3rd Place
Second Runner-Up

Cash prize + Trophy + Certificate + Recognition across SEN platforms

🌟
Special Awards
Category Honours

Special recognition in categories such as Most Innovative, Best Community Impact, and Best Presentation

Full prize details will be announced at the conference on March 6, 2026.

Key Dates

SIC 2026 Timeline

March 6, 2026

Official Launch at STEM & AI Conference

SIC is officially announced and registrations open at the conference.

March–April 2026

Team Registration & Idea Submission

Teams register and submit their initial concept notes for review.

May 2026

Shortlisting & Mentor Assignment

Selected teams are notified and paired with mentors to guide their development.

June–July 2026

Development Phase

Teams develop and prototype their solutions with ongoing mentor support.

August 2026

SIC Finals

Finalists present to judges. Winners announced. Celebration of Africa's next innovators.

Join SIC 2026

Express Your Interest

The official registration form opens on March 7, 2026 following the conference. Fill this in now and we'll notify you the moment registration goes live.

This is not the official registration. You will receive an email with the full registration form once it opens on March 7.

The Next Generation of African Innovators Starts Here

Join us at the STEM & AI Conference on March 6 for the official SIC launch — and register your team from that day forward.

Attend the Conference Express Interest