Call for African Urban Innovations

The Million Lives Collective (MLC) has launched a Call for African Urban Innovations to identify and spotlight impactful, scale‑ready solutions that are shaping smart, healthy, equitable and resilient cities across Sub‑Saharan Africa. The call targets innovators, entrepreneurs and changemakers whose solutions address pressing urban challenges for low‑income residents and have a credible pathway to reach one million or more urban Africans living on less than USD 5.50 per day. MLC, with support from the Judith Neilson Foundation, aims to build a pipeline of locally led innovations that already show strong place‑based impact, clear potential for broader systems change, and thoughtful strategies to scale.

As Africa’s urban population is projected to double from roughly 704 million in 2025 to about 1.4 billion by 2050, cities face mounting pressure on infrastructure, services, housing, livelihoods, food systems and public spaces, compounded by climate risks such as heat, flooding and water scarcity. In response, the call focuses on urban solutions in Sub‑Saharan Africa that improve mobility, expand access to essential services and resources, strengthen local economies, create safe and vibrant public spaces, and build resilience to climate and economic shocks. Selected solutions will join the Million Lives Collective, gaining visibility, access to a global ecosystem of development and innovation actors, and a pathway to apply for the African Cities Innovation Fund (ACIF) – a new grant programme offering collaboration grants of up to USD 75,000 to pairs of African innovators from spring 2026.

Eligible countries

The call is region‑wide within Africa:

• Geographic focus: Urban innovations in Sub‑Saharan Africa.​
• Eligibility: Solutions must be developed by, or implemented in close partnership with, nationals of Sub‑Saharan African countries, and must target urban African residents living on less than USD 5.50 per day.​

For the Innovation Bridge Portal, you can state:
Eligible countries: All Sub‑Saharan African countries (solutions must be developed by or closely co‑implemented with nationals from Sub‑Saharan Africa and benefit urban residents in the region).​

Thematic focus areas

Innovations should align with at least one of the following priority themes for thriving urban futures:

• Circular production
  • Innovations that promote economic development and sustainable livelihoods while replenishing natural resources and repurposing waste (e.g. circular manufacturing, recycling and upcycling, regenerative local production).
• Climate‑resilient services & infrastructure
  • Solutions that reduce emissions and help communities adapt to climate impacts such as heat stress, flooding, food insecurity and water scarcity, through resilient infrastructure, nature‑based solutions or climate‑smart urban services.
• Youth employment & mobility
  • Innovations that improve young people’s access to decent work, skills, transport and urban mobility, with particular attention to young people, women, girls, refugees, and persons with disabilities.
• Digital equity
  • Solutions that enable inclusive access to sustainable urban technologies, digital services, platforms, or global digital markets, closing digital divides in fast‑growing cities.
• Safe & healthy spaces
  • Innovations that create thriving, socially secure, healthy and joyful urban environments, supporting physical and mental wellbeing and strengthening community cohesion and belonging.

Solutions may be tech‑enabled or non‑tech, but should be locally led, context‑appropriate and demonstrably improving life for underserved urban communities.​

What selected innovators receive

Successful applicants will become part of the Million Lives Collective, gaining:​

• Increased visibility
  • Exposure among leading development agencies, funders and scaling partners, including those linked to the International Development Innovation Alliance (IDIA).
• Ecosystem access and networks
  • Access to IDIA’s global ecosystem of innovation actors, networks and Collaboration Labs, creating opportunities for knowledge exchange, partnerships and joint initiatives.
• Pathways to resources and partnerships
  • Opportunities to connect with resources and partners that can accelerate implementation and scale (e.g. funders, implementers, technical organisations).​
• Eligibility for the African Cities Innovation Fund (ACIF)
  • Once verified through the MLC platform, innovators will be eligible to apply to the African Cities Innovation Fund, a collaboration grant programme delivered with the Judith Neilson Foundation from spring 2026.
  • ACIF will invite pairs of African innovators to apply for flexible grants of up to USD 75,000 to co‑design and test integrated solutions to urban challenges in Sub‑Saharan Africa.
  • Awardees will also receive tailored technical assistance, including coaching, mentoring, partnership support, and exposure via IDIA’s “Collaborative Scaling for Exponential Impact” Collaboration Lab.

Eligibility criteria

To be considered for the Call for African Urban Innovations, solutions are expected to:​

• Impact potential
  • Demonstrate a credible pathway to impacting one million or more urban African residents currently living on less than USD 5.50 per day (this can be through direct reach, replication, or scale‑up in multiple cities).​
• Local leadership / partnership
  • Be developed by, or implemented in close partnership with, nationals of Sub‑Saharan African countries, ensuring locally led and context‑rooted innovation.​
• Thematic alignment
  • Align with one or more of the call’s five thematic areas: Circular Production; Climate‑Resilient Services & Infrastructure; Youth Employment & Mobility; Digital Equity; Safe & Healthy Spaces.

While the call text does not specify organisation type limitations, it is geared towards innovators, entrepreneurs, community organisations and other changemakers working on urban solutions in Sub‑Saharan Africa.​

Application process

• How to apply
  • Applicants should submit their innovation via the official online application portal on the Million Lives Collective awards platform.​
  • Application link: https://millionlivescollective.awardsplatform.com/ (or via the “Apply” button on the MLC call webpage).​
• Selection and verification
  • Submissions are assessed for impact, scalability, local leadership, thematic alignment and pathways to reach one million people, after which selected solutions are verified on the Million Lives Collective platform.
  • Verified innovators will then be eligible to apply for ACIF collaboration grants when that programme opens in early/spring 2026.

(If a specific application deadline is confirmed separately in the call communications or your own notes, you can include it in the Portal entry; otherwise, refer applicants to the call page for the latest date.)

Click HERE to visit the official website.