Nigeria’s Bank of Industry (BOI) has issued a Request for Expression of Interest (RFEOI) inviting Enterprise Support Organisations (ESOs) to deliver startup competitions, hackathons and mentorship under the Islamic Development Bank-funded component of its iDICE programme.
The RFEOI covers two geographic regions, South and North Nigeria, and is part of the wider Investment in Digital and Creative Enterprises (iDICE) initiative. According to the announcement, ESOs must have at least five years’ relevant experience in the tech or creative sector and proven track records in competitions, hackathons, mentorship and training delivery.
Key details of the RFEOI:
- Financing agreement reference: 2000200005160; Project ID: P-NG-K00-009.
- Submission deadline: 24 November 2025, via email ( idice-proposals@boi.ng ) to BOI’s Abuja address.
- Required services include a one-year assignment to design and implement competitions and hackathons, followed by mentorship support aligned to global best practice and regulatory standards.
The iDICE programme, aimed at youth aged 15–35 in Nigeria’s digital technology and creative sectors, has three broad components: skills and enterprise development, access to finance, and enabling environment reforms.
Implications:
- By engaging ESOs in delivering competitions and hackathons at scale, iDICE is positioning itself to bolster the pipeline of tech-enabled startups and creative enterprises, particularly in underserved regions.
- The regional split (South/North) suggests a strategic effort to distribute startup ecosystem support across Nigeria’s diverse zones rather than concentrating in the traditional hubs alone.
- For ESOs, incubators, accelerators and tech consultancies, the RFEOI presents a commercial opportunity: successful service providers may gain a multi-region contract with significant exposure and funding.
- For startup ecosystem stakeholders (entrepreneurs, investors, and innovation consultants), the RFEOI signals impending active programmes in competitions and mentorship, meaning readiness and alignment may be advantageous ahead of implementation.
What to watch:
- Which ESOs are selected and whether they include local/regional capacity versus national players.
- The design and scale of the competitions and hackathons: number of participating startups, geographic coverage, themes and follow-on support.
- The mentorship component: duration, intensity, metrics of success and eventual startup outcomes (e.g., investment, growth, job creation).
- The downstream impact on Nigeria’s technology and creative sectors, particularly whether increased competition support translates into more viable startups, job creation and innovation spill-overs.
The BOI is encouraging interested organisations to review the full Terms of Reference posted on its website and ensure eligibility and experience, noting that the procurement method will follow a Quality & Cost Based Selection (QCBS) process under IsDB guidelines.
Submission deadline: 24 November 2025, via email ( idice-proposals@boi.ng ) to BOI’s Abuja address.
To apply or for more information, visit the website.
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