The ongoing nationwide competition, which has reached its final stage, aims to foster innovation and entrepreneurship among Egyptian university students.

It encourages them to develop innovative ideas or community-based projects that meet market needs, tackle existing challenges, and deliver impactful solutions. 

The competition is a joint initiative by the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, the Innovators Support Fund (ISF), and United Media Services. It is designed to address the financial, technical, and logistical challenges faced by young innovators.

With EGP 100 million in funding, doubled through President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi's directives, the programme offers financial support, training, and mentorship to help students turn their ideas into viable startups. 

According to ISF, selected participants can receive up to EGP 2 million as an incubation prize for each qualifying team while also gaining exposure through the TV programme.

Connection with Startup Olympics
 

• The Gen-Z television programme and Startup Olympics are closely related. Both initiatives work together to support young Egyptian innovators by providing crucial resources, funding, and a national platform to showcase their projects.
• Startup Olympics, which concluded on 2 September 2024, targeted Egyptian university students and researchers with innovative ideas. It helped them turn their concepts into real business models and create startups.
• It also provided benefits such as EGP 500,000 in funding for winning teams and additional services valued at EGP 500,000. Participants received training and mentorship from experienced entrepreneurs and investors and gained access to a network of investors and business owners.
• Winning teams from the Startup Olympics also had the chance to participate in the Gen-Z television programme, where they could showcase their efforts to a national audience.
  
  

Tailored training programme and incubation funding
 

• Participants in the Gen-Z programme receive training with the Dolphin Tank, a preparatory programme organized by the ISF.
• They receive valuable guidance from experts and mentors, which helps them refine their ideas and presentation skills, preparing them for the final showcase and filming on the Gen-Z television programme.
• Once selected for the Gen-Z programme, participants gain access to significant financial support, with up to EGP 2 million in incubation funding available per team.

Eligibility and project requirements
 

• According to Gen-Z’s official website, the competition was open to all students officially enrolled in Egyptian universities and research institutes, including international students.
• Students had to create teams of 2-8 students, with the option to include members from different faculties within the same university.
• Each team must submit a project idea or initiative based on technological innovation that enables them to establish a startup centred on their innovative project or initiative proposal.
• Students also had to provide a proposed budget for the project and a business plan model, clearly explaining the project’s benefits and identifying the target beneficiaries and relevant entities.

Selection process and evaluation stages
 

• The programme initially included university-level rounds across Egypt, with participation from around 80 universities nationwide.
• Following the university rounds, regional qualifiers were held to ensure representation from all governorates. These qualifiers allowed the programme to focus on each region's specific needs and challenges, tailoring support to help participants develop solutions that could address local demands.
• The competition structure involves multiple stages, with expert panels from academia, industry, and entrepreneurship evaluating the participants’ projects.
• The teams are selected based on their ability to tackle regional challenges and meet industry needs, ensuring that their ideas are both practical and innovative for the Egyptian market.
• These structured rounds culminate in a final showcase, where the most promising teams, now finalized to be 55 teams comprising more than 300 students from 39 universities, prepare for their presentation for the upcoming Gen-Z television programme.