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IncentivesEvent 2 Prize

Event 2 Prize — Fast Prototyping Winner

Purpose: Prize for the best rapid prototype demonstrated at The Builders’ Assembly (Dec 06).

🏆 Prize Description

Award for: Best rapid prototype that shows user testing, evidence, and a plausible next step.

Prize includes:

  • 💰 ₦25,000 cash OR ₦30,000 voucher (winner’s choice)
  • 🎓 2-hour mentor session with technical expert
  • 🛠️ Equipment grant (₦10,000) for continued development
  • 🎤 Demo slot at The Refinery to showcase progress

Announced: Dec 06, 2025 at The Builders’ Assembly

📊 Judging Criteria

Prototypes are evaluated on four key criteria:

1. Clarity of Problem (25%)

What judges look for:

  • Is the problem clearly defined?
  • Do you know who it affects and how?
  • Is it backed by field research evidence?
  • Can you articulate the root cause?

Good example:

“200+ Sabon Gari vendors lose 30-40% revenue during rains due to blocked drains from plastic waste. Individual collection costs ₦200/day (too expensive). Previous collective system failed due to payment coordination.”

Poor example:

“Waste is a problem in markets.”

2. Prototype Relevance (30%)

What judges look for:

  • Does the prototype address the root cause?
  • Is it appropriate for the context (tech level, cost, maintenance)?
  • Does it build on existing practices?
  • Is it locally maintainable?

Good example:

“Shared collection drum with SMS payment (vendors already use mobile money). Simple mechanical design (local metal workers can repair). Builds on existing recycling cooperative relationship.”

Poor example:

“Complex IoT sensor system requiring cloud infrastructure and smartphone app (vendors have basic phones).“

3. Evidence of Testing (30%)

What judges look for:

  • Have you tested with real users?
  • Do you have quotes/feedback from testing?
  • Photos/video of people using the prototype?
  • What did you learn from testing?

Good example:

“Tested payment willingness with 15 vendors: 13/15 (87%) said yes at ₦50/day. Tested drum placement with market manager + 5 vendors. Manager approved location; vendors confirmed it’s on their daily path.”

Poor example:

“We plan to test it next week” or “Our friends said it’s a good idea.”

4. Potential to Scale (15%)

What judges look for:

  • Clear next steps for expansion
  • Realistic resource requirements
  • Path to sustainability
  • Evidence of demand

Good example:

“Pilot with 1 drum in Block A (200 vendors). If successful after 2 weeks, expand to Blocks B-D (600 more vendors). Market manager committed to official support if pilot works. Recycling cooperative confirmed they’ll buy sorted plastic.”

Poor example:

“We’ll scale to all markets in Nigeria” (with no evidence or plan).

✅ Submission Requirements

To be eligible, your prototype must include:

Technical Demonstration

  • Working prototype (can be low-fidelity, but must function)
  • 5-minute demo showing how it works
  • Photos/video of the prototype in use

Evidence of Testing

  • Minimum 3 user tests with real people (not team members)
  • Quotes from testers about what works/doesn’t work
  • Photos of people using the prototype
  • Documented learnings from testing

Documentation

  • Problem statement (who, what, where, why)
  • How it works (simple explanation)
  • Testing results (numbers, observations, quotes)
  • Next steps (what you’ll do next)
  • Resource needs (what you need to continue)

💡 What “Rapid Prototype” Means

Acceptable Prototypes

✅ Low-fidelity but functional:

  • Paper prototype tested with users
  • Physical mockup (cardboard, tape, markers)
  • Simple SMS system (manual backend)
  • Wizard-of-Oz prototype (you manually do what tech would do)
  • Basic working code (doesn’t need to be polished)

✅ Focus on learning, not perfection:

  • Does it test your key assumption?
  • Can users interact with it?
  • Did you learn something from testing?

Not Acceptable

❌ Just ideas or plans:

  • PowerPoint slides with no prototype
  • Wireframes with no user testing
  • “We’re planning to build…”

❌ No user testing:

  • Built but never shown to users
  • Only tested with team members
  • No evidence of feedback

🎯 Tips for Winning

Build Fast, Test Faster

✅ Day 1 (Dec 06 morning):

  • Build simplest possible version
  • Focus on one core feature
  • Use whatever materials you have

✅ Day 1 (Dec 06 afternoon):

  • Test with 3-5 real users
  • Document their feedback (quotes, photos)
  • Iterate based on what you learned

✅ Day 1 (Dec 06 evening):

  • Prepare 5-minute demo
  • Document testing results
  • Submit before deadline

What Judges Want to See

They care about:

  • 🎯 Did you test with real users?
  • 📊 What did you learn?
  • 🔄 How did you iterate based on feedback?
  • 🚀 What’s your realistic next step?

They don’t care about:

  • ❌ Polished UI/design
  • ❌ Perfect code
  • ❌ Fancy features
  • ❌ Big promises without evidence

📅 Timeline

  • Dec 06, 9:00 AM: Builders’ Assembly starts
  • Dec 06, 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM: Build and test your prototype
  • Dec 06, 4:00 PM: Submission deadline
  • Dec 06, 4:30 PM - 6:00 PM: Demos and judging
  • Dec 06, 6:00 PM: Winner announced

🔗 Related Resources

Ready to build? Review the Team Discovery Template to document your work.

Need help? Request a mentor before or during the event.

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OverviewEvent 3 Judging & Awards