Start here in five minutes
If you only need the essentials, this page gives you the shortest path: understand the competition, confirm eligibility, prepare the two required files, and avoid the most common mistakes.
What the competition is
The Moroccan National Youth Innovation Competition invites students in Morocco to pitch a new invention, business idea, or concept that can improve people’s lives. Social impact matters, and ideas are encouraged to be realistic in the Moroccan context. Entry is free.
Fast action plan
Open the next sections in this order if you want the shortest efficient route.
Read Competition
Confirm who can participate, what to submit, and the exact format requirements.
Use Starter Kit
Choose a sharper problem, structure your idea, and improve the logic of your pitch.
Open Templates
Copy the ready-made script and one-page structure instead of starting from zero.
Check Evaluation and Rules
Make sure your submission matches the scoring system and does not break technical or integrity rules.
Inside this hub
Official competition info, a practical starter kit, ready-to-use templates, sharper tools, the scoring system, and the main rules.
Local use note
Open this HTML file directly on computer, Android, or iPhone. No install is needed.
Official announcements, submission links, and resource updates are shared through the competition channels.
Official information, without the noise
This section keeps the participant guide simple. Read it once, then use the Starter Kit and Templates sections to prepare your actual submission.
Overview
The competition invites students in Morocco to pitch a new invention, business idea, or concept that can improve lives. Strong projects do not need to be huge. They need to be clear, useful, and believable.
Tracks
Idea Track
Pitch a concept or solution. A working prototype is not required. This track fits students who have a strong idea and can explain why it matters and how it could work.
Prototype Track
Pitch a concept supported by a prototype or demonstration if available. The prototype can strengthen feasibility, but the core logic of the project still matters.
What you must submit
4 to 7 minutes long. Recommended format: a YouTube Unlisted link with link-only access, not public.
Maximum 1 page, including a short summary, sources, track, and team or solo details.
Submission method and deadline
Submissions are made through the official submission form shared in the announcement. Participants paste the video link and provide the one-page PDF.
Timeline window
Announcement to deadline: around 4 weeks. Judging and results: around 2 weeks after the deadline.
Deadline
All submissions should be in before 23:59 Casablanca time on March 30, 2026.
Technical risk
If the video or PDF is inaccessible to reviewers, the submission may be disqualified. Late submissions are not accepted.
Awards and recognition
| Ranking | Recognition |
|---|---|
| 1st place | Trophy and Diamond Certificate. |
| 2nd place | Diamond Finalist Certificate. |
| 3rd place | Diamond Finalist Certificate. |
| Top 10 | Diamond Certificate, exclusive places in a guidance program, and early access to the Morocco Youth Impact Summer Program application. |
| Top 25 | Gold Certificate. |
| Top 50 | Silver Certificate. |
Certificates are delivered online. The trophy for 1st place is delivered physically after the winner provides a shipping address.
Competition Q&A
Only the most useful questions are included here.
Who can participate?
Students currently in grades 9 to 12 in Morocco can participate.
Can I apply alone or only with a team?
Both are allowed. You can participate solo or as part of a team of up to 5 students.
Mixed-school teams are allowed too.
What languages can I use?
You may submit in English, French, Arabic, or Darija.
Do I need a prototype?
No. A prototype is optional unless you choose the Prototype Track. For the Idea Track, a working prototype is not required.
What exactly do I need to send?
Two items only: a 4 to 7-minute video pitch and a one-page PDF with the key details of your project and your sources.
What happens if my video link stops working?
If reviewers cannot access your video or PDF, your submission may be disqualified. Check your links before submitting and again before the deadline.
Are late submissions accepted?
No. Late submissions are not accepted.
When are results expected?
The judging period and results are expected around 2 weeks after the deadline.
How to make your project stronger
This section does not replace your idea. It sharpens it. The goal is to help you avoid vague, weak, or overloaded submissions.
Start from a real problem
Strong entries usually begin with a problem that is visible, specific, and painful enough that people would actually care if it were solved.
- Look at school, transport, health, access, environment, inclusion, safety, or daily inefficiencies.
- Avoid problems that are so huge that your solution becomes vague.
- Say who is affected and why current options are not enough.
Make the solution believable
Reviewers do not only ask whether your idea sounds smart. They ask whether it could work in practice.
- Explain what your solution actually does.
- Show why it is different or better.
- Mention cost, access, adoption, or implementation constraints when relevant.
Use evidence, not just confidence
If you claim a problem is large or urgent, support that claim. Good research makes the pitch more credible.
- Use trusted sources for data or facts.
- Prefer specific evidence over generic statements.
- Include key sources in the one-page PDF.
A practical project structure
What is happening, to whom, and why it matters.
Why current solutions are missing, weak, expensive, slow, or inaccessible.
What your idea is, how it works, and what makes it useful.
Why the idea could realistically be built or used.
What changes if your solution succeeds.
Data, examples, logic, or sources that support the case.
Video pitch guide
Hook
Start with the problem in a way that is concrete and easy to care about.
Explain the pain
Show who is affected and what is broken or inefficient today.
Present your solution
Describe the idea simply before adding details.
Prove it can work
Use logic, evidence, and, if relevant, a prototype or demo.
Close clearly
End with the impact and the reason your project deserves to be remembered.
One-page PDF guide
Common mistakes to avoid
- Choosing a problem that is too broad and then giving a generic solution.
- Using big claims with no sources or evidence.
- Making the pitch hard to follow because the structure is messy.
- Assuming a prototype automatically means a high score.
- Relying too much on AI-generated wording that sounds smooth but not original.
- Submitting links that reviewers cannot open.
Final checklist before submitting
Ready-made structures you can copy
These are practical templates, not decorative filler. You can copy the text, adapt it, and turn it into your own final submission.
One-page PDF template
Use this as the skeleton for the official one-page PDF.
Video pitch script template
Use this to script your 4 to 7-minute video before recording.
Problem framing worksheet
Use this before you build slides. It forces you to think clearly.
Simple slide flow for planning
Even though the official submission is a video and a PDF, a slide flow can help you plan the pitch better.
8-bit visual pack
This is a style option, not a requirement. Use it only if it supports your idea. If the project is serious and technical, clarity matters more than theme.
PROJECT NAME
Solving [problem] for [group]
LEVEL 01: THE PROBLEM
What is broken right now?
LEVEL 02: OUR SOLUTION
How the idea works in practice
LEVEL 03: IMPACT
What improves if this is adopted
A sharper stack for building a serious submission
Pick a lean stack that helps you think better, validate faster, and present more clearly. The goal is not to use more tools. The goal is to build a stronger case.
Perplexity
Fast for exploring a topic, spotting patterns, and finding cited starting points before you verify them properly.
NotebookLM
Very useful when you already have sources. Drop them in, compare ideas, pull out insights, and keep your notes grounded in actual material.
Google Scholar
Best for finding studies, papers, and stronger evidence when your project touches education, health, sustainability, or behavior.
HCP and Moroccan public data
Use Moroccan statistics and public sources when your idea depends on local needs, demographics, access, income, or regional realities.
World Bank Data
Helpful for broader development indicators, benchmarks, and comparisons that make your problem framing more credible.
Source rule
Do not stack random numbers. Use fewer sources, but make them credible, relevant, and easy to explain inside your pitch.
Gamma
Excellent for turning rough structure into a clean deck fast, especially when you need a polished first version without wasting time on formatting.
Figma Slides / Figma Make
Strong when you want more modern slides, sharper visuals, or a more product-style presentation than a standard school deck.
Canva
Still useful for fast social-style visuals, one-pagers, thumbnails, posters, and lightweight polishing when you need something presentable quickly.
Descript
Very good for script-based editing, captions, trimming, and cleaning a recorded pitch without fighting a complicated timeline.
CapCut
Useful for mobile-first editing, subtitles, quick cuts, and making a pitch feel cleaner without overproducing it.
Clean phone recording setup
A stable phone, decent light, and clear audio will often outperform flashy editing. Substance still matters more than effects.
Figma
Best for app screens, user flows, service journeys, interfaces, and concept mockups that help reviewers visualize the solution.
Spline
Useful when a concept needs a more visual product feel, especially for interactive objects, environments, or 3D-style demonstrations.
Paper sketch + clean scan
Still valid. If the logic is strong, a sharp hand-drawn prototype can communicate the idea clearly without fake sophistication.
ChatGPT or Claude
Best used for brainstorming, outlining, stress-testing your logic, and tightening explanations. Weak choice for writing your whole project voice for you.
Grammarly or LanguageTool
Good for final cleanup when your script or one-pager is already written and you want fewer grammar mistakes or awkward sentences.
Best practice with AI
Use AI to sharpen your work, not replace your thinking. Reviewers can usually feel when an idea sounds polished but hollow.
How projects are judged
The scoring system matters because it tells you what to prioritize. The best submissions are usually the ones that match the rubric directly instead of guessing what reviewers want.
Scoring overview
Projects are scored out of 100 points. The table and bars below show the official categories and their weight.
| Category | Points | What reviewers look for |
|---|---|---|
| Impact, clarity, and degree | 25 | How strongly the idea improves lives, and how clearly the impact is explained. |
| Originality and innovation | 25 | Novelty of the concept and creativity of the approach. |
| Feasibility, sustainability, and business viability | 25 | Realistic execution, sustainability, and whether it can work in practice. |
| Evidence and research | 10 | Quality of research, reasoning, and sources supporting key claims. |
| Presentation, storytelling, and pitch quality | 15 | Clarity, structure, persuasion, and overall communication. |
What these criteria mean in plain language
Tie-break rule and fairness note
If two projects get the same total score, the higher Feasibility score wins. If they are still tied, the higher Pitch Quality score wins.
First tie-break
Higher score in Feasibility, sustainability, and business viability.
Second tie-break
If still tied, the higher score in Presentation, storytelling, and pitch quality wins.
Fairness principle
A judge does not score a submission if they personally know the participant or participants.
What usually increases scores
- A clearly defined problem with a visible target group.
- A solution that sounds original but still realistic.
- Concrete evidence, not vague claims.
- A clean explanation of how the idea would work.
- A pitch that feels structured and intentional.
What usually lowers scores
- An interesting idea explained in a confusing way.
- No proof, no data, or no sources behind important claims.
- An idea that sounds impressive but not feasible.
- Copy-paste language that sounds generic or over-automated.
- A weak closing that leaves the reviewer unsure what the project actually achieved.
Integrity, technical rules, and appeal limits
This section matters because strong projects can still be harmed by technical or integrity mistakes. Read it before you record or upload anything.
Original work only
Plagiarism is not allowed. Your submission should reflect your own thinking, structure, and work.
No prohibited content
Illegal, hateful, or dangerous content is not allowed.
AI use
AI may be used for research, but heavy use is risky. Large language models often produce lower-creativity wording and can be detectable when they shape too much of the final work.
Consent for minors
Parents’ consent is required for minors, with documents legalized online or through the local Moqaddem.
Accessible files
Your video and PDF must remain accessible until results are announced. Broken access can put the submission at risk.
Late submissions
Late submissions are not accepted, even if the project itself is strong.
Technical safety checklist
Appeals
Appeals are limited. A short appeal window of 1 to 2 days opens after results are posted, and appeals are accepted only for technical or administrative errors.
This means an appeal is not for disagreeing with a score just because you wanted a higher ranking.
Rules Q&A
These answers focus on practical interpretation of the official brief.
Is AI completely forbidden?
No. AI is allowed for research.
Still, heavy dependence on AI can hurt originality and make the submission feel generic. Use AI as support, not as the main author of the project.
Can I submit a purely theoretical idea?
Yes. The Idea Track explicitly allows concept-based submissions without a working prototype.
Can my project still be disqualified if it is good?
Yes. Technical inaccessibility, prohibited content, plagiarism, or missing required conditions can still damage eligibility.
What kind of appeal is accepted?
Only technical or administrative errors during the short appeal window after results.
Do I need parent consent if I am a minor?
Yes. The brief states that parents’ consent is required for minors.
What is the safest submission habit?
Finish early, test the links on another device, keep a backup copy of the PDF, and do not wait until the final hour.