To know if your project qualifies for participation in Innovate for Refugees,please review the Eligibility Criteria and Terms and Conditions. Mainly, your project must be technology driven and addresses a problem faced by refugees.

You must apply through our website http://innovateforrefugees.mitefarab.org.

1- Create an account or log in if you already have one

2- Select the track that applies to your project

3- Select the language with which you wish to fill the application form

4- Fill out the application form

5- Submit the application before the deadline

Note that you may save your application answers without submitting.

Download the application process manual.

No, each team/entrepreneur is allowed one entry.

No, you may only apply through the track most relevant to you. The MITEF Pan Arab team reserves the right to place you in a different track than what you have selected if seemed more suitable.

If you wish to apply to the Startups Track, please note that you should be a registered startup, you have user traction and, you have a prototype and a proof of concept, and of course, you generate revenues. As for the Ideas Track, the above is a plus but not mandatory.

Not necessarily. We encourage all entrepreneurs who are developing tech-driven solutions to help refugees, regardless if they all refugees themselves. We do favor teams that employ refugees or have refugees on their founding teams. Innovate for Refugees, also highly encourages the participation of refugee entrepreneurs. However, note that being a refugee or having a refugee on the team does not qualify you for additional score points on your application.

Innovate For Refugees accepts submission from all over the globe. However, we do want to see impact created in the Pan Arab Region ideally through the creation of job opportunities.

The core product’s target beneficiaries will validate which competition to apply to. If the core product impacts society in general then apply to Arab Startup Competition. If the product targets refugees in particular, then apply to Innovate for Refugees.

No. Entrepreneurs from any age can apply.

MIT Enterprise Forum Pan Arab will cover the flight ticket and accommodation, lunch, coffee breaks, and on ground transportation for 1 team member in the event that they are not based out of the country hosting the finals. Visa fees are not covered by the MIT Enterprise Forum Pan Arab.

Other members attending the event may benefit from our special rates.

It is mandatory that 1 team member of the team attend the training and the Final Award Ceremony, with flight and accommodation expenses covered by the MIT Enterprise Forum Pan Arab. Additional members can attend at their own expense. The team should inform MIT Enterprise Forum Pan Arab of any additional member attending the event.

MIT Enterprise Forum Pan Arab will announce the names of the finalists on all of its social media channels and on the website. On announcement day, all teams (selected or not selected as finalists) will be notified by email regarding the status of their application.

The winners of the competition are granted an equity-free prize money, and hence the MIT Enterprise Forum Pan Arab does not have any ownership entitlements to the winning teams.

All of our judges are required to sign a confidentiality agreement before viewing any of the applications. All information shared by the teams with the MITEF Pan Arab regarding their business idea will not be shared with any third party without the consent and notification of the applying teams.

MIT Enterprise Forum Pan Arab does not claim any proprietary rights over the initiatives, technologies, and ideas submitted to the competition. All ideas and technologies are the sole property of the submitters.

To be eligible to apply to the competition, your idea/startups should consist of at least 2 team members, knowing that team member profiles are a crucial criteria in evaluating an application.