EFFECTIVE 16 OCTOBER 2026
Competition terms and conditions
Organiser and entry
SportsOpenGroup Ltd, Edinburgh, Scotland, organises the ASIS Startup Competition at the African Sports Investment Summit 2027. Contact info@sportsopengroup.com. The summit is confirmed for 18 to 20 May 2027 at Kempinski Hotel Gold Coast City, Accra, Ghana. Applications are open through this website.
Who may apply
You must be a founder or cofounder aged 18 or over and authorised to apply for the business. The business must have a product, prototype or operating service with evidence of testing or customer demand, meaningful operations, customers or testing in at least one African country, and a clear connection to sport. No minimum revenue or fundraising history is required. Incorporation may be pending, but legal status and ownership must be disclosed and verified before finalist confirmation. Ideas without testing evidence and large stadium or property financing projects are outside scope. Organising staff and appointed judges may not enter businesses they own or control.
Free entry and receipt
Entry is free and does not require a summit ticket, paid training or giving up shares. Submit one application per business, with a PDF pitch deck up to 10 MB or an MP4, MOV or WebM pitch video up to 25 MB. A link alone does not satisfy this requirement. Verify your email before submitting and keep the reference shown after successful receipt. Saving a draft is not submission. Contact SOG with your reference to correct or withdraw an application. A repeat submission for the same email and business does not replace the original record.
Accuracy and verification
Provide accurate information, disclose conflicts and only share material you have permission to use. SOG may request proportionate evidence from shortlisted businesses to verify ownership, legal status, claims and founder authority. Applicants will have a reasonable opportunity to correct an administrative error. Material misrepresentation, prohibited conduct or unresolved ineligibility may lead to exclusion with reasons.
Selection
The process comprises application review, interviews, business preparation and a final presentation by three selected businesses. Reviewers consider the customer problem, demand evidence, business model, team, responsible growth and clarity. Judges declare conflicts and do not assess affected entries. Material differences in assessments receive further review. Sponsors cannot buy selection outcomes. There is no public vote or paid route to a place. Cohort places depend on eligible applications. Selection and participation arrangements will be communicated directly.
Programme and benefits
Selected founders take part in business preparation and provide reasonable progress updates. Three finalists present at ASIS 2027. Finalist access to the pitch does not require a ticket purchase or surrender of equity. Cash awards, travel, accommodation and wider summit access are not included unless confirmed separately in writing. Participation, introductions or selection do not guarantee investment, a contract or a bank account.
Intellectual property and publicity
You retain ownership of your intellectual property. Submission permits SOG and authorised reviewers to use and copy the material only as needed to administer, assess and verify the application. It does not grant a licence for unrelated commercial use. Public profiles, photographs, recorded pitches and promotional use require separate arrangements. Remove confidential information from public presentations. Entry creates no investment or intellectual property transfer.
Conduct, complaints and changes
Participants and reviewers must avoid harassment, bribery, plagiarism and interference with assessment. A process complaint may be submitted within seven calendar days of notification for review by an uninvolved person; it is not a new commercial assessment. If material arrangements change, SOG will notify affected applicants and explain their options. Postponement or cancellation will be communicated promptly. Nothing in these terms excludes liability that cannot lawfully be excluded or removes applicable statutory rights.
What participation means
The ASIS Startup Competition is a Sports Open Group programme within ASIS 2027. Applying records an entry for assessment. A receipt is not an acceptance into the cohort, a ticket, an investment commitment or a prize award.
Awards and costs
There is no confirmed cash prize, travel payment or accommodation allowance in the current offer. Do not incur costs on the expectation of an award or an invitation. Confirm any attendance and funding arrangements with SOG in writing.
Introductions and business decisions
Introductions to investors, banks or other organisations do not guarantee investment, banking approval, sponsorship or a contract. Each organisation applies its own assessment and terms. Programme material is general business information; participants remain responsible for their decisions and any professional advice they need.
Information and independence
Keep bank details, identity documents, health records, source code and trade secrets out of your application. Review and public pitching are different activities. External links do not imply endorsement. ASIS is not affiliated with or endorsed by Africa’s Business Heroes. Partnership and contributor participation must be confirmed separately.