Funding Available

The call will award up to 10 medium-size grants of up to USD 500,000 each.

Maximum project duration: 24 months.

Funder / Initiative

Global EbA Fund

The Fund is supported through the International Climate Initiative (IKI) and works to create an enabling environment for Ecosystem-based Adaptation. The programme has been operational since 2020 and, as of June 2026, had supported 75 projects across 41 countries.

Overview

The Innovate Africa Challenge (3rd Edition) is a continental initiative jointly organised by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the Smart Africa Secretariat. The 2026 edition is themed “From Ideation to Deployment” and focuses on moving proven AI innovations beyond pilot stage into practical deployment within African agricultural systems.

The Challenge seeks to identify, support and deploy one proven AI-driven solution for Climate-Smart Agriculture within a Smart Africa Member State. The selected solution will be implemented in partnership with:

Opportunity Type: Awards / Competition / Startup Development / Acceleration
Geographic Scope: ECOWAS Member States
Application Deadline: 31 August 2026

Opportunity Overview

The 2nd ECOWAS Startup Awards is a regional initiative of the ECOWAS Commission designed to identify, recognise and support high-impact startups contributing to digital transformation, regional economic integration and sustainable value-chain development across West Africa.

The Agence Française de Développement (AFD) has opened its 2026 Call for Expressions of Project Intentions (AMI) under the CSO Initiatives (CSO-I) mechanism, inviting civil society organisations (CSOs) to submit project intentions for initiatives to be co-financed in 2027.

The Technology Innovation Agency (TIA), in partnership with the Department of Science, Technology and Innovation (DSTI), Space Infrastructure Hub (SIH) and South African National Space Agency (SANSA), is inviting applications for the Space Innovation Initiative Call for Proposals.

The call aims to strengthen South Africa's capabilities in Space Science and Technology by supporting the development and commercialisation of locally developed, sovereign space innovations.

C3 EmpowerHer Climate 2026 is a six-month programme supporting women-led and women-benefitting climate resilience ventures across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA).

Funded by the Resilient Futures Fund (RFF) and delivered by C3 – Companies Creating Change, the programme combines business support, technical expertise, mentorship, market access and catalytic funding to help early-stage climate resilience ventures strengthen their solutions and become investment-ready.

Applications are now open for the Milken-Motsepe Prize in Circular Economy, a global innovation prize that seeks to identify and support high-growth, technology-enabled companies transforming circular economy practices across Africa.

With US$2 million in total prize funding, the competition recognises commercially viable businesses that reduce waste, extend the lifecycle of materials, and create measurable environmental, economic and social impact through circular business models.