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Submissions wanted for DigMyIdea Māori Innovation Challenge
Fri, 9th Oct 2015
FYI, this story is more than a year old

A new competition is calling on New Zealand's top emerging entrepreneurs to submit their ideas for the DigMyIdea Māori Innovation Challenge.

The new competition is designed to inspire entrants to turn their innovative ideas into reality. Organisers are urging entrants to submit a digital business idea that has the potential to go global.

The initiative has been co-designed by ATEED, Auckland's economic growth agency, and Ngā Pū Waea, the National Māori Broadband Working Group, and is supported by Poutama Trust, an independent charitable trust which provides business development services to Maori, and Callaghan Innovation, a government agency supporting hi-tech businesses in New Zealand.

Ideas could be anything from an app to a web initiative, or ways to enhance or add digital elements to a more traditional business, organisers explain.

All DigMyIdea entries should outline:

  • A digital business idea
  • A focus on economic outcomes for Māori
  • Economic outcomes that may include opportunities for New Zealanders to earn incomes, create new business or export

Ideas should be submitted through the DigMyIdea website, which also has resources to help entrants familiarise themselves with the requirements of DigMyIdea and develop their digital business idea before they enter.

Entries close at midnight on 18 October 2015.

There are a range of prizes to be won, including tailored business start-up services packages to the value of $10,000, technology packages and spot prizes from Dick Smith and  2Degrees.

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