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IncentivesEvent 4 Recognition

Event 4 Recognition — Grand Finale

Purpose: Final recognition for teams with the best complete submissions and real-world impact.

Event Date: [TBD]

🎯 Finale Overview

The Grand Finale is the culminating event where teams present their complete work, demonstrate impact, and compete for top prizes.

This is where you show:

  • 🌍 Real-world impact from your solution
  • 📊 Complete documentation of your journey
  • 🚀 Path to sustainability beyond the hackathon
  • 🏆 Readiness for scale or next phase

🏆 Grand Prizes

1st Place: Grand Champion

Winner receives:

  • 💰 ₦100,000 cash prize
  • 🎓 10-hour mentorship package with industry leaders
  • 🌐 Recognition at global evaluation (if applicable)
  • 🛠️ Equipment/development grant (₦50,000)
  • 📢 Media feature and publicity
  • 🤝 Partnership opportunities with sponsors

2nd Place: Runner-Up

Winner receives:

  • 💰 ₦60,000 cash prize
  • 🎓 5-hour mentorship package
  • 🛠️ Development grant (₦25,000)
  • 📢 Media feature

3rd Place: Third Place

Winner receives:

  • 💰 ₦40,000 cash prize
  • 🎓 3-hour mentorship package
  • 🛠️ Development grant (₦15,000)

Category Awards (₦20,000 each)

  • Best Documentation — Most complete and clear submission
  • Best Impact Evidence — Strongest proof of real-world change
  • Best Regenerative Design — Most aligned with regenerative principles
  • Most Innovative — Most creative approach to the problem
  • Community Choice — Voted by community members

📋 Complete Submission Requirements

To be eligible for finale judging, you must submit:

1. Core Documentation

  • submission.md — Complete submission using template
  • README.md — Team info and project summary
  • Team discovery log — Full research documentation

2. Evidence Package

  • Minimum 10 photos showing:

    • Field research
    • Prototype development
    • User testing
    • Stakeholder engagement
    • Real-world deployment (if applicable)

  • Video evidence (3-5 minutes) showing:

    • Problem context
    • Solution demonstration
    • User testimonials
    • Impact evidence

  • assets-index.md — Complete file inventory

3. Impact Evidence

  • Quantitative data:

    • Number of users/beneficiaries
    • Measurable improvements
    • Cost savings or revenue impact
    • Time saved or efficiency gains

  • Qualitative evidence:

    • User testimonials (minimum 5)
    • Stakeholder feedback
    • Before/after stories
    • Documented behavior change

4. Sustainability Plan

  • Next steps (3-6 months)
  • Resource requirements
  • Partnership commitments
  • Maintenance plan
  • Revenue model (if applicable)

📊 Judging Criteria

1. Completeness of Submission (15%)

What judges look for:

  • All required files present
  • Proper file naming and organization
  • Clear, well-written documentation
  • Professional presentation

Scoring:

  • 100%: Everything present, well-organized, professional
  • 75%: Minor items missing or poorly organized
  • 50%: Significant gaps in documentation
  • 25%: Minimal documentation, hard to understand

2. Quality of Documentation (15%)

What judges look for:

  • Clear problem statement
  • Detailed research process
  • Evidence of iteration
  • Honest reflection on failures
  • Well-captioned photos and videos

Good example: \u003e Complete journey documented from initial research through multiple iterations. Clear before/after comparisons. Honest about what didn’t work. Evidence shows evolution of thinking.

Poor example: \u003e Sparse documentation. Only shows final version. No evidence of process or iteration.

3. Evidence of Real-World Impact (25%)

What judges look for:

  • Deployed solution (not just prototype)
  • Real users actively using it
  • Measurable improvements
  • Testimonials from beneficiaries
  • Documented behavior change

Strong evidence:

  • “50 vendors now using the system daily. Average waste collection increased from 0 to 30kg/day. Vendors report 20% reduction in cleanup time. Market manager confirmed drain blockages reduced by 60%.”

Weak evidence:

  • “People said they liked it” or “We think it will help”

4. Clarity of Problem (10%)

What judges look for:

  • Clear articulation of who, what, where, why
  • Root cause identified
  • Evidence-backed claims
  • Specific numbers and details

5. Prototype Relevance (10%)

What judges look for:

  • Addresses root cause
  • Appropriate for context
  • Builds on existing practices
  • Locally maintainable
  • Evidence of user acceptance

6. Evidence of Testing (10%)

What judges look for:

  • Multiple test iterations
  • Real user feedback incorporated
  • Documented learnings
  • Honest about failures
  • Clear improvement over time

7. Potential to Scale (15%)

What judges look for:

  • Clear path to expansion
  • Realistic resource requirements
  • Partnership commitments
  • Revenue/sustainability model
  • Evidence of demand beyond pilot

Strong plan: \u003e “Pilot with 200 vendors successful. Market manager committed to official support. 3 other markets requested same system. Recycling cooperative confirmed capacity to handle 5x current volume. Need \u20a6200,000 for 5 additional drums and SMS system expansion.”

Weak plan: \u003e “We’ll expand to all of Nigeria” (no evidence or realistic plan)

🎤 Final Presentation (10 minutes)

Presentation Structure

1. Problem \u0026 Journey (2 min)

  • Who you’re helping and why it matters
  • How you discovered the root cause
  • Key moments of learning

2. Solution Demonstration (3 min)

  • Live demo or video of solution in action
  • Real users using it (not team members)
  • How it works in practice

3. Impact Evidence (3 min)

  • Quantitative results (numbers, data)
  • Qualitative stories (testimonials, quotes)
  • Before/after comparison

4. Sustainability \u0026 Scale (2 min)

  • Next steps and timeline
  • Partnership commitments
  • Resource needs
  • Long-term vision

Followed by: 5-minute Q\u0026A with judges

✅ Pre-Finale Checklist

Two Weeks Before

  • Complete all documentation
  • Gather all evidence (photos, videos, testimonials)
  • Upload everything to Drive
  • Submit via final submission form
  • Request final mentor session if needed

One Week Before

  • Prepare presentation slides
  • Practice presentation (time it!)
  • Prepare demo (test it multiple times)
  • Get feedback from mentors
  • Revise based on feedback

Day Before

  • Final presentation practice
  • Test all tech (projector, demo, videos)
  • Prepare backup plans
  • Print any needed materials
  • Get good sleep!

Day Of

  • Arrive 30 minutes early
  • Test presentation setup
  • Brief all team members on their parts
  • Stay calm and confident

💡 Tips for Winning

What Judges Want to See

✅ Real impact:

  • Not just a working prototype
  • Evidence of actual use and benefit
  • Measurable improvements

✅ Honest journey:

  • What you learned
  • What failed and why
  • How you iterated

✅ Sustainability:

  • Clear plan beyond hackathon
  • Partnership commitments
  • Realistic resource needs

✅ Regenerative approach:

  • Builds on existing practices
  • Empowers local people
  • Creates lasting capacity

Common Mistakes

❌ Don’t:

  • Show only the final version (no process)
  • Make claims without evidence
  • Overpromise on scale without realistic plan
  • Ignore the regenerative principles
  • Present without practicing

📅 Finale Timeline

DateMilestone
[TBD -14 days]Final submission deadline
[TBD -7 days]Presentation materials due
[TBD -3 days]Final mentor sessions
[TBD]Grand Finale event
[TBD +7 days]Prize distribution

🔗 Related Resources

\u003e Ready for the finale? Complete your final submission and prepare your presentation!

\u003e Need final help? Request a mentor session before the deadline.

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