CALL FOR Digital Health Innovation Challenge: Extending Ethiopia's Integrated eLicensing and Master Facility Registry (MFR)

About this role

Join Us in Innovating for Ethiopia's Digital Health Future! This is an opportunity for fresh graduates, young innovators, software developers, technology enthusiasts, and startups across Ethiopia who are interested to solve real-world problems, demonstrate their technical capabilities, and contribute to strengthening Ethiopia's national digital health infrastructure. Participants may apply individually or as a team. Interdisciplinary teams combining expertise in software development, information technology, health informatics, data science, artificial intelligence, public health and other relevant fields are particularly encouraged. Bring your ideas. Build a working solution. Demonstrate your innovation. Make an impact! Organizers: JSI Research & Training Institute, Inc., in collaboration with the Ministry of Health. Background JSI Research & Training Institute, Inc., in collaboration with the leadership of Ministry of Health and engagement of local partners, has developed an integrated Electronic Licensing (eLicensing) and Master Facility Registry (MFR) system to streamline the regulation, registration, and management of health facilities across Ethiopia. Currently implemented in four regional administrations, Sidama, Somali, Harari, and Dire Dawa, the system offers a fully functional, end-to-end digital solution ready for national rollout. The system is a microservice based solution that includes updated technologies and tools. Designed to support seamless, end-to-end regulatory workflows, the integrated Electronic Health Facility Licensing (eLicensing) and Master Facility Registry (MFR) system enables public, private, and NGO health facilities to submit and manage applications through a centralized digital licensing portal. The platform supports the full facility licensing lifecycle, including initial registration and licensing, license renewal, post-licensing inspections, and requests for amendments to existing licenses and facility information. Regulatory officers can review, process, approve, or reject applications electronically, with digital certificates generated upon approval. Upon successful licensing, the system automatically synchronizes the approved facility information with the MFR, which serves as the national authoritative source of health facility data. The MFR facilitates reliable data exchange across health information systems through modern interoperability standards and interfaces, including Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources (FHIR) and application programming interfaces (APIs). The platform offers a comprehensive range of functionalities, including license renewal, facility change requests, post-licensing inspections, work experience certificate issuance, MFR data access and API request management and approval, health facility service provision management, geolocation mapping of health facilities, and single sign-on (SSO) for secure and streamlined user authentication. Together, these capabilities strengthen regulatory oversight, improve the quality and consistency of health facility data, streamline service delivery, and enhance interoperability across Ethiopia's digital health ecosystem. Key Technical Integrations: FAYDA System: Ensures unique applicant identification. Trade System: Verifies institution names via TIN lookups. HRIS (Human Resource Information System): Fetches relevant employee information. EthSwitch: Enables secure digital payment processing for licensing fees. Automated Notifications: Sends instant updates via SMS and email to facility owners. QR code certificate verifications for online certificates Looking ahead, initial plans include engaging university students, young innovators, and startups to build advanced, smart features on top of the platform, including AI-driven solutions and SMART-on-applications to further enhance system capabilities. Purpose of the Innovation Challenge This initiative provides fresh graduates, young innovators, and young startups individually or as a group with an opportunity to apply their knowledge, technical skills, and creativity to address real-world challenges in Ethiopia's digital health ecosystem. The innovators are invited to identify opportunities for innovative solutions and develop practical, innovative solutions that can be integrated with or extend the existing MFR system. Who Can Participate? The challenge is ONLY open to fresh graduates, young innovators, software developers, technology enthusiasts, and startups across Ethiopia. Participants may apply individually or as a team. Interdisciplinary teams combining expertise in software development, information technology, health informatics, data science, artificial intelligence, public health and other relevant fields are particularly encouraged. Participants should demonstrate a strong interest in innovation and the ability to develop practical, scalable, and sustainable digital solutions that address real world MFR challenges and opportunities. Proposed solutions should complement, integrate with, or extend the existing MFR system. The challenge particularly welcomes innovative ideas and solutions that leverage emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence, data analytics, interoperability, geospatial technologies, and automation, to improve the MFR and add meaningful value. Development Period and Expected Deliverables Selected participants will have two months, between November, 2026 and January 30, 2027, to develop and demonstrate their proposed solutions.The expected deliverables are: Problem Statement and Proposed Solution: A clear description of the problem being addressed, the proposed innovation, and its expected value to the MFR. Functional Solution: A developed solution that demonstrates the proposed functionality. Integration or Compatibility: Demonstration that the solution can operate with the development version of the existing integrated eLicensing and MFR system, using approved integration methods and test data. Technical Documentation: A brief description of the solution's architecture, technologies, key features, and deployment requirements. Final Demonstration: A presentation and live demonstration of the working solution, including the problem addressed, functionality, and potential benefits. The emphasis will be on practical, working solutions rather than ideas or presentations alone . System Orientation and Demonstration Applicants will submit their applications in accordance with the instructions and requirements specified in the official advertisement. Following the application review, ONLY shortlisted candidates will be invited to an orientation session, during which the organizers will introduce the initiative and demonstrate the existing integrated eLicensing and Master Facility Registry (MFR) system, including its key features, workflows, and potential areas for innovation. Following the orientation and system demonstration, all participants will undergo a training phase to refine their ideas and present initial prototypes. Please note that while training is provided to all candidates, progression is competitive; not all prototypes will advance. If an initial prototype is accepted, the participant will then proceed to the next steps of developing their proposed solution. Successful applicants at the final stage will receive financial awards or other agreed remuneration, and their solutions will be considered for integration into or alongside the existing MFR system, pending technical review, security assessment, and relevant authority approval. Throughout the development period, participants will be provided with appropriate technical guidance and access to relevant system resources, including APIs, FHIR-based data access, system architecture documentation, and other necessary technical components. This support will enable them to understand the underlying system architecture, develop compatible solutions, and ensure effective integration with the existing MFR platform. Relevant technical documentation, development environment access, integration support, and implementation guidance will be provided in accordance with the arrangements, access policies, and security requirements established by the organizers. Evaluation Criteria Proposed and developed solutions will be assessed based on the following criteria: Evaluation criterion Weight Innovation and originality 10% Relevance to identified MFR challenges 10% Technical feasibility and integration with the existing system 40% Functionality and quality of the working solution 25% Potential impact, sustainability, and scalability 15% Total 100% The evaluation will prioritize solutions that demonstrate practical value, work reliably, address real system needs, and can be sustained or expanded within the Ethiopian digital health ecosystem. Awards and Recognition The top three candidates or teams with the best-performing solutions will receive monetary awards in recognition of their innovation, technical achievement, and contribution to strengthening Ethiopia's digital health systems. Award amounts, award arrangements, and any additional recognition will be communicated by the organizers. Important Dates Activity Date Development period begins November 23, 2026 System orientation and demonstration To be announced once the selected applicants are identified Solution development and testing, Hackathon based and self November 23 to January 30, 2027 Final solution demonstration and evaluation To be announced Recognition and awards To be announced