Implementation of the Smart Cities Innovation Programme

On behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), the Make-IT in Africa Initiative and the Special Initiative on Training and Job Creation in Rwanda are planning to conduct the Smart City Innovation Programme (SCIP) for Rwandan and African start-ups. The aim is to strengthen local innovation in smart cities and communities and to network these innovations with international business partners. A particular focus concerns the development of solutions for the areas of smart housing, smart mobility and fintech for affordability of smart cities. The project has a pan-African orientation, with a strong base in Rwanda. This increases the probability of receiving high-quality start-ups, whilst strengthening Rwanda as a hub and home for businesses. Therefore — adopting a long-term perspective — the core objective of this measure is to foster local, scalable innovations that will ultimately generate jobs in Rwanda and beyond. The SCIP will be modelled on FONERWAs Green City Kigali Project and will primarily select tech start-ups which offer solutions in the following three challenge areas: 1) Smart mobility Goal: build on existing mobility patterns, whilst prioritising smart, sustainable and affordable options. Challenge: build smart solutions for shared economy (ride hailing/sharing, car sharing, etc.), road safety for existing mobility patterns (data driven), efficient parking, eCharging, etc. 2) Smart Housing Goal: create housing options that are smart, sustainable and affordable. Challenge: build tools for smart utility infrastructure (e.g. smart grid), smart water and energy management (e.g. for saving), smart waste management (e.g. for waste collection, waste transformation, recycling), etc. 3) Fintech for Affordability Goal: living and moving in and around GCK is affordable to everyone. Challenge: create solutions for accessing loans (e.g. credit scoring through data), innovative loans (mortgages, micro loans) for housing upgrades or transport, payment systems for rent, utility and transport, etc.