Innovating Justice Challenge: Last call for startups to win R174k in funding

Themba Mahleka | image supplied

Successful candidates will earn a place in the prestigious international HiiL Justice Accelerator programme, along with €10,000 (R173,753) in funding and a package of tailored local support. In addition to receiving a significant boost of non-equity seed funding, selected startups will have the opportunity to present to an international jury and compete for additional cash prizes of up to €20,000 (R347,506) at the HiiL Innovating Justice Forum.

The annual challenge attracts top innovations that have a proven solution led by a strong team with experienced founders, a scalable business model, and are on their way to financial sustainability.

Applications from both for-profit and non-profit organisations are welcomed. The programme will once again look for sustainable innovations that empower people by creating better:

• working conditions with their employer
• separation terms with their spouse
• protection against theft, fraud and violence
• arrangements about noise, damages and property access with their neighbour
• housing maintenance and rent conditions with their landlord
• agreements on ownership, registration and use of land
• ways to reduce corruption
• contracts, fraud protection and compliance for their small business

Themba Mahleka, co-head of the HiiL Innovation Hub Southern Africa, says tackling inequality and injustice in all its forms is more urgent than ever before given the enormous social and economic challenges of the past year.

“We are looking for the most promising social entrepreneurs from Southern Africa that aspire for everybody to have access to justice at work, at home, in the neighbourhood and in business,” says Mahleka.

HiiL Innovating Justice Challenge calls on startups with social impact

29 Mar 2021

Previous finalist, Nyasha Frank Mpahlo, executive director at Green Governance Zimbabwe says: “Being part of the HiiL Justice Innovation Challenge helped us transform our Legal4ASM Platform into a recognisable, viable, conducive and go-to legal service for artisanal and small-scale miners in Zimbabwe.”

Claire Keet-Pollack, co-founder of pop.law says being a finalist in the programme was an exceptional experience. “Being part of the HiiL Justice Accelerator has been challenging, educational, fun, door-opening and enormously inspiring! All the things you'd want from a startup accelerator programme.”

Interested applicants can enter here.