Ignyte and du are inviting innovators to solve key challenges for UAE retail and F&B SMEs in the Smart Retail Challenge. This is your chance to develop an AI-powered solution to improve demand forecasting, optimize inventory, and reduce waste for small businesses.
At a Glance
- Opportunity Type: Competition
- For: Startups and innovators with AI/ML solutions
- Key Benefits: $10,000 cash prize
- Application Deadline: November 3, 2025
Competition Overview
Small and medium-sized businesses in the UAE’s retail and F&B sectors often struggle with inaccurate demand forecasting and hidden inventory losses. These issues, driven by a dynamic market influenced by tourism, events, and seasonality, lead to lost sales and reduced profits. This challenge calls for an AI-powered solution to help these SMEs predict demand and manage inventory using simple tools that can integrate with their existing fragmented data sources like PoS systems, Excel sheets, or even WhatsApp orders.
Prizes and Awards
The winning solution will be awarded a cash prize of $10,000.
Evaluation Criteria
Submissions will be judged based on the following criteria:
- Relevance to UAE SME Environment (20%): Addresses unique local factors like seasonality, tourism, and bilingual operations.
- AI/ML Innovation (25%): Demonstrates innovative use of forecasting, anomaly detection, or dynamic inventory recommendations.
- Integration Simplicity (20%): Easily works with common SME tools like PoS systems, Excel, or WhatsApp.
- Commercial Impact (25%): Shows a clear ROI through improved margins and waste reduction.
- Scalability (10%): Can be adapted for various SMEs, including groceries, cafes, and salons.
How to Apply
To participate, submit your solution through the official challenge page before the deadline. The deadline for entries is Monday, November 3, 2025.
About Ignyte
Ignyte is an innovation platform that connects startups, entrepreneurs, and innovators with challenges and opportunities from leading corporations and government entities to foster collaboration and drive technological advancement.
Learn More: Smart Retail Challenge
