In a statement signed last Monday, the Minister of Youth Affairs and Civic Education, Mounouna Foutsou announced that he had officially launched the competition, notably calling on secondary schools in the Mfoundi Division of the Centre Region to submit innovative project ideas conceived by learners aged 15 to 25.
The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Civic Education, in collaboration with the Ministry of Secondary Education and its partners, has officially launched the Call for Applications for this year’s budget. The initiative per the statement aims to encourage the emergence of a greater number of start-ups and turn schools into real business incubators, in line with the education sector policy.
The competition is centered on project ideas in diverse fields including product manufacturing and assembly, digital marketing, the clothing industry, cosmetics, catering, renewable energies, computer graphics, and literary and artistic creation. The call is open to all public and private general or technical secondary schools located within the Mfoundi Division of the Centre Region.
To be eligible, schools must demonstrate a keen interest in promoting entrepreneurial awareness and submit a list of at least three project ideas led by students aged between 15 and 25 years. According to the organizers, schools wishing to apply must fill in a form available from the Centre Regional Delegation, the Mfoundi Divisional Delegation, its seven Subdivisional Delegations, or online via a dedicated link. The official statement notes that the closing date for submission of application files is Tuesday 05 November 2025.
The competition will unfold in four main phases, beginning with a pre selection phase where the organizing committee will screen applications. This will be followed by a maturation phase in schools, conducted jointly by the deconcentrated services of the Youth affairs ministry and school heads, explained the statement.
This phase involves accompanying projects as they mature, and compiling a list of projects eligible for the challenge for each competing school. The third phase will see a selection by subdivision through a caravan, where the three best candidates from each of the seven subdivisions will be chosen to proceed. The final phase is slated for December 2025 in Yaounde during the Youth Connekt Cameroon Convention.
The statement details that during this final, the best candidates will, for three days, receive personalized coaching will showcase their projects and be assessed by a panel of judges. At the end of this phase, the best seven projects will be selected and awarded prizes.
