Visa recently expanded its Everywhere Initiative, an innovation program designed to encourage the development of the “next big thing” in payments, into the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region for the first time. Entrants will have the opportunity to compete for a chance to win up to US$50,000 to support a development program with Visa, or through business partnership with Visa′s clients, and potentially have access to Visa APIs, executive mentors and technologists.

Visa invites eligible participants in the MENA region to submit their business solutions that apply to one of the following three briefs:

Challenge #1. Acceptance Challenge. How can start-ups leverage Visa APIs for either:

• Enabling smaller merchants to accept payments in-store digitally, OR
• Providing a safe and secure solution for online merchants to drive ecommerce and reduce cash on delivery?

Challenge #2. Airport Transit challenge. How can startups leverage Visa′s APIs, mobile technologies and connected devices to transform their transit experience at airports?

Challenge #3. Loyalty Challenge. How can startups make it easier for consumers to select the right Visa card for their purchases and be notified about the right Visa offers and benefits at the right time?

One winner per brief will be selected, and each will receive a US$25,000 cash prize. Winners of the prize will be invited to a working meeting with Visa, and may be presented with the opportunity to create a prototype. Visa will then select one overall winner to receive an additional US$25,000.

Click here for details on how to participate in Visa′s Everywhere Initiative. Participants have until 4 August 2017 to submit their ideas, after which judges from Visa will select three finalists per brief who will be invited to present their ideas to the judging panel in Visa′s Dubai office.