Yes, participants who complete all requirements of the Challenge will receive a Certification of Completion. There will also be a Certificate of Participation awarded to all participants. 

There are no eligibility requirements related to academic qualifications; the challenge is open to women from all backgrounds working in but not limited to Government, Civil society, Academia, Private Sector. We intend to provide technical training through the course of the Challenge via our Lectures and e-learning courses. There will also be mentors and technical experts to assist teams, so we encourage all women to apply! 

For mentees, the time commitment per week of the Challenge is attending a live Lecture session for 1.5 hours, optionally attending virtual office hours in case of questions and we estimate the course burden to be 2.5 hours per week for completing the assignments and group work. For mentors, we estimate 2 hours of work per week which includes them mentoring their teams via a self-organised team call by their mentees and answering questions from their mentees, mentors do not have to complete any assignments and are open to attend the live lecture sessions if their schedule allows. The lectures will also be recorded and uploaded on the e-learning portal where we will run this course and participants will have access to- Atingi. 

The eligibility criteria for Mentors and Mentees are separate. For Mentors, we encourage senior women professionals in GovTech to apply as they would be co-mentoring a group of mentees, young/ mid-career professionals. For Mentees, we invite applications from all women working in but not limited to Government, Civil society, Academia, Private Sector. 

We intend to conduct the 1.5-hour live virtual lecture sessions on Wednesday from 15 to 16:30 CET. This might be subject to change, but we will inform participants of the Challenge well in advance. All mentees will be required to complete individual assessments and as a group, submit weekly assignments on the e-learning course on Atingi. The group will also be required to present their work during pitch sessions.  Please note: The lectures are recorded in case a mentee cannot attend due to an emergency. Further, mentors are not obligated to attend lectures unless they wish to do so. 

Yes, the lecture sessions and office hours will be recorded and uploaded to the e-learning course of the Challenge on Atingi. 

All mentees are encouraged to attend at least 3 lecture sessions out of 6 lecture sessions.  

Yes, master’s students are welcome to apply as mentees or mentors if they meet the programme’s eligibility criteria. 

Women working in but not limited to Government, Civil society, Academia, Private Sector can apply if their work aligns with GovTech or public service innovation. 

• Individual mentees apply alone and will work on their learning journey in a group curated by the organisers based on answers in the form. 

• Group mentees (teams of 2-6 people) apply together, usually from the same organisation or project, and work collaboratively on assignments. Each group will have a total of six mentees. If your group has fewer than six members, additional participants will be assigned to complete it.

Both application types are equally considered, and the acceptance decision is based on eligibility, motivation, and alignment with programme goals. 

Mentors are selected based on expertise in GovTech, digital transformation, leadership, and public service innovation. Selection criteria include: 

• Relevant professional experience in GovTech, digital governance, or public digital infrastructure 

• Motivation and commitment to supporting mentees throughout the programme.

Yes, please feel free to make your application as both. The outcome of your selection as a mentor or mentee will not be affected by your double application. We will evaluate your application based on your suitabiity for the role.  

No, tech skills are not a requirement. The programme is designed to support women from various backgrounds, including but not limited to policy, governance, and service design, alongside technical fields. 

No, coding skills are not required. While some technical topics may be covered, the focus is on digital government transformation, leadership, and innovation, making it accessible to participants from both technical and non-technical backgrounds. 

During the course of the challenge, you will have the chance to select a use case and develop in your groups prototypes that will be presented. The organisation team will provide you with guidelines for the demo in advance of the demo week. Mentees and mentors will have opportunities to showcase their work and contributions during and after the programme.  

After the 6-week Challenge, you will have 1 week to prepare your pitch and there will be Alumni engagement opportunities, including

• Joining the GovStack Slack Channel which consists of a robust global network of, for example, experts, supporters and past participants from other trainings
  
• Joining the GovStack ALumni channels which consists of the alumni of the first two cohorts of the WiGTC and Ambassadors.

• Speaking opportunities in GovStack and partner-led events on the Challenge