Budding Māori digital entrepreneurs are being urged to get in quick and submit their entries to the DIGMYIDEA Māori Innovation Challenge which closes this Friday, 31 March.
Individuals or teams of up to five people can enter DIGMYIDEA, with $10,000 worth of business start-up assistance going to the overall winning entries in two categories:
- Mauri oho: youth category (15-25 year olds)
- Mauri tū: open category (26 year olds and above)
DIGMYIDEA judge Robett Hollis, a lifestylte entrepreneur and founder of Aranui Ventures, is urging people to put their idea forward regardless of whether they think it’s any good or not.
“Innovation is really the commercialisation of a creative idea, and DIGMYIDEA provides the platform for young Māori to share their idea and get the mentoring and support they need to execute it,” he says.
“Even if the idea doesn’t fly, being involved in an innovation challenge like this could be the perfect platform to an even bigger and better idea,” says Robett Hollis.
DIGMYIDEA, which was first held in 2015, aims to inspire more Māori to engage in the digital economy by helping emerging Māori innovators turn their creative ideas into reality.
Auckland Tourism Events and Economic Development (ATEED) General Manager Business, Innovation and Skills, Patrick McVeigh says a diverse range of high-calibre entries had been received so far – from digital applications that help to revitalise Te Reo Māori in schools, to interactive online games which teach users about Māori history.
“DIGMYIDEA aims to stimulate the interest and involvement of Māori within New Zealand’s innovation ecosystem, which is an important part of building the technology sector, and a unique point of difference both at home and on the world stage,” he says.
DIGMYIDEA entries must be exciting, innovative, digital and entrepreneurial. They can be anything from an app to a web programme, or even a digital extension of a more traditional business.
Ideas should have the potential to create economic opportunities for Māori and other New Zealanders, as well as be considered for the export market.
DIGMYIDEA entries should be submitted via www.digmyidea.nz by midnight on Friday, 31 March.
Five finalists from two categories will take part in a mentoring workshop known as DIGIwānanga on 13-14 of MayTwo overall DIGMYIDEA category winners will be announced at Techweek’17 on 14 May 2017.
NOTES TO EDITOR
- DIGMYIDEA is designed and delivered by ATEED with support from He Kai Kei Aku Ringa (HKKAR); a Crown-Māori Economic Growth Partnership, Callaghan Innovation; the government’s business innovation agency; Te Wānanga o Aotearoa; a wānanga (an indigenous tertiary education provider) in New Zealand, New Zealand Trade and Enterprise (NZTE), the government’s international business development agency; and Poutama Trust; an independent charitable trust
- DIGMYIDEA is open to all Māori residing in Aotearoa/New Zealand.
- The challenge can be entered by individuals, or as a team of up to five people. All entrants must reside in in Aotearoa/New Zealand.
- Teams are required to enter the age category based on the age of the oldest team member at the time of the competition launch date (20.02.2017). Teams with non-Māori can participate as long as the team lead is of Māori descent and resides in Aotearoa/New Zealand.
- ATEED is responsible for delivering the Whai Rawa – Māori economic wellbeing work stream of Auckland Council’s Te Toa Takitini initiative, which is a top-down approach to significantly lift Māori economic, social and cultural well-being across the region.
- Entries will be judged by a panel of experts, with the top five entries for each age category announced on 24 April. Finalist entrants will take part in DIGIwānanga, a mentoring weekend of workshops in Auckland on 13-14 May.
- Techweek’17 is a nationwide programme of events spanning next generation technology, designs and innovations. DIGMYDIEA forms part of the Techweek’17 programme with the two overall category winners announced on 14 May.
- For more details on Twechweek’17 visit www.techweek.co.nz.
- A short video of Māori entrepreneurs and mentors can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j1ZmgvuYef4
- A series of DIGMYIDEA animated videos have been developed. You can access this footage via the links below:
- Full animation video - https://youtu.be/ZUkzEiERwxQ
- Teaser 1 (Innovation) - https://youtu.be/3npHdfPZRmU
- Teaser 2 (Nurturing Ideas) - https://youtu.be/9jZcfyPu6H0
- Teaser 3 (Prizes) - https://youtu.be/DnORDq_WtAk