COMPETITION RULES

These regulations define and govern the conditions for participation in the BLUE TECH CHALLENGE competition organised by Cameroon Telecommunications (CAMTEL).

Article 1 – Purpose of the competition

BLUE TECH CHALLENGE aims to detect, reward and support innovative project leaders in all areas of digital technology in Cameroon.

Article 2 – Organisers

This competition is organised by CAMTEL domiciled in YAOUNDE – P.O box: 1571 Yaounde – Phone: +237 222 23 40 65.

Eligibility of projects

Participation in BLUE TECH CHALLENGE is free. The challenge is open to anyone aged between 15 and 40 years old in accordance with the Call for Expression of Interest No. 04/2024/DG/CAMTEL of 21 May 2024. The innovative project is eligible for the competition if its main activity is located in Cameroon.

Article 4 – Application procedure

The candidate shall register using a form on the official challenge website (https://bluetechchallenge.camtel.cm ).

Article 5 – Deadlines

Applications are submitted from 21 May 2024 until 15 July 2024. The list of preselected 50 projects for the second phase will be announced on 31 July 2024 and the competitors selected for the final phase will be communicated during the month of August 2024. The pitch of the projects to the jury and the nomination of the winners shall take place during the closing ceremony in August 2024.

Article 6 – Confidentiality

CAMTEL undertakes to keep confidential, both during the duration of the “BLUE TECH CHALLENGE” and after its completion, all information of which it becomes aware on the activity mentioned in the application form. The intellectual, artistic and industrial property rights which could give rise to the creation, design or invention contained in the application form remain the exclusive and total property of the candidate.

Article 7 – Candidates

Registration is carried out either individually or by a team of maximum 3 (three) people with a team leader. Throughout the competition, each team has the right to change participants (replacement) only once for one person. However, this change must be made before the 2^nd (second) stage. Changing participants between teams is not permitted. All teams must inform the organizing committee of any changes to obtain the latter’s agreement.

ARTICLE 8 – Candidates’ obligations

• • • • Candidates are required, under penalty of disqualification, to respect these regulations and in particular the prohibition of giving a false identity or usurping that of a third party.
      • Each candidate undertakes, in addition to the rules of these regulations, not to:
      • reproduce and/or use the brand, company name, logo or any distinctive sign of a third party;
      • carry out a project contrary to the interests of the organizing company;
      • defame, attack, or violate the rights of third parties;
      • have been already associated with any person or company in more than one project at a time.

ARTICLE 9 – Different categories of participation in the competition

• • • • Prize for the best tech start-up: PRIX BLUE STAR

The prize will be awarded to the best start-up in the technological field established in Cameroon, led by a Cameroonian man or woman.

The start-up must be at least 5 (five) years old and not have received any distinction in the last two years preceding the challenge.

• • • • Prize for the best project carried out by a university or a major school: PRIX BLUE ACADEMIC INNOVATION

This prize will be awarded to the best project carried out by a university or a school of higher learning, by students, researchers or PhD candidates with strong potential for profitability or employability. Applications must be submitted by universities and institutions of higher learning in Cameroon and recognized by the Ministry of Higher Education (MINESUP).

These university institutions will therefore have to select the best projects and submit a maximum of 4 (four). High schools and technological colleges can also participate in the competition with their tech project.

• • • • Prize for the best tech start-up addressing women’s issues and/or led by a woman: BLUE TECH WOMEN PRIZE

The prize will be awarded to the start-up proposing a technological project to solve a problem faced by women. It may also be awarded to the best innovation project carried out by a female start-up. The Start-up must be at most 5 years old and must not have received any awards in the last 2 years preceding the challenge.

• • • • Technological innovation prize for the disabled and/or carried out by a disabled person: HANDI BLUE PRIZE.

This prize will be awarded to the best project carried out by a disabled person or in favour of disabled persons, through the concept, “Tech Is The Bridge”.
With this concept, CAMTEL promotes the use of technology as a bridge that enables disabled persons to overcome the obstacles of a built environment that does not take their situation into account.

Article 10: project evaluation

The selection of candidates shall be done in three stages:

• • • • Selection by an independent jury based on the following criteria:

. Clarity and coherence of the project.

. Project feasibility.

. The innovative nature of the project

• • • • The online vote of Internet users (30%) and the conclusions of the jury (70%)
      • The 25 finalists will have to make a “PITCH” of their respective projects before a jury on the basis of:
      • Respect of the time allowed for the PITCH (03 minutes);
      • Mastery of the innovative project;
      • Innovative aspect of the project
      • Internet users’ vote;
      • Video pitch of the project;
      • Use value, market ambition and economic potential;
      • Team credibility;
      • Presentation of the business model canvas.

Article 11: Composition of the jury

• • • • The BLUE TECH CHALLENGE jury shall be made up of a preselection committee and a grand jury.
      • The Preselection Committee shall be responsible for the preselection of projects to compete for the final pitch before the Grand Jury, following the eligibility criteria described in article 4.
      • The Grand Jury shall be responsible for evaluating the pre-selected candidates during the final pitch and publishing the results of the BLUE TECH CHALLENGE.
      • The Grand Jury shall be representative of the public and private sectors of the digital economy.
      • The Grand Jury shall deliberate unanimously.
      • The Jury shall reserve the right to reject any incomplete file or which does not meet the criteria of the BLUE TECH CHALLENGE for any reason whatsoever. They shall not be obliged to provide reasons for their decisions.

Article 12: Exclusions

The following shall not be eligible for the BLUE TECH CHALLENGE:

• • • • Cameroon Telecommunications staff;
      • The members of the Jury and their families (spouses, brothers, sisters, fathers, mothers and children);
      • The service providers responsible for implementing the Challenge as well as their family members (spouses, brothers, sisters, fathers, mothers and children);
      • Companies other than START-UPS;
      • Established, well-known start-ups whose products and/or services are marketed;

Any erroneous, incomplete or fraudulent declaration by the participant will result in the cancellation of their application.

Article 13: Prizes for winners

The jury shall distribute the Prizes among the 8 (eight) winners. These shall include:

• • • • A financial endowment:

BLUE STAR PRIZE:

BLUE TECH ACADEMIC INNOVATION PRIZES:

BLUE TECH WOMEN PRIZE

BLUE HANDI PRIZE:

• • • • Support for the 8 (eight) winners;
      • A media tour of the 8 (eight) winners through our media partners.

Article 14: Intellectual property – Image rights – Data protection

• • • • By taking part in the competition, each candidate authorises the organiser as well as the partners of the competition, to capture and reproduce their image, to preserve and use on all media the photos / videos in which they appear if they are selected to participate in the Grand Final, without this use being able to confer on the candidate a claim for image rights or any advantage, and this, without any time limit.
      • Each candidate expressly authorises the organiser, the competition partners, if selected to participate in the grand final, to report, communicate or publish on any media, all or part of their application file relating to their innovative project, including all names, logos or other distinctive signs, excluding information and/or documents that are strictly confidential and mentioned as such in the application file.
      • This authorisation is granted to the organizer, and to partners associated with the competition, from the date of selection of the candidate to participate in the grand final.
      • The rights thus granted, for use, dissemination and reproduction of the image of the candidate and their innovative project and related graphic elements may be freely published in the Cameroon Telecommunications networks.
      • Each candidate expressly acknowledges and accepts that this transfer of rights is made free of charge.
      • Each candidate refrains from any subsequent recourse aimed at asserting rights to remuneration, or prohibiting the use of the rights currently assigned as described above, for any reason whatsoever.

Article 15: Approval clause

Participation in the “BLUE TECH CHALLENGE” competition implies full and unreserved acceptance of these regulations.

Article 16: Dispute Settlement

1 The parties agree that in the event of disputes arising from the application or interpretation of these competition rules, they will endeavour to reach an amicable settlement.

1. 1. 1. 2. If an attempt at conciliation fails, the courts of the city of Yaounde shall have jurisdiction.