Opportunities

The Africa Enterprise Challenge Fund (AECF) offers the Digital Innovation Fund for Energy & Climate (DIFEC), a regional three-year programme designed to accelerate clean energy access and strengthen climate resilience across Sub-Saharan Africa through digital innovation.

The programme provides

BIOECONOMY GIANTS invites collaborative consortia to apply for funding to pilot and scale up high-added-value bio-based products derived from secondary or underutilised biomass from the agricultural, agri-food and forestry sectors.

The call aims to strengthen circular bio-based value chains by

Scaling Agriculture Innovations through Start-ups (SAIS) invites applications from African technology-driven start-ups developing innovative solutions for the dairy and aquaculture value chains.

The one-year SAIS Investment Readiness Programme provides tailored business support to help start-ups

The Mining Qualifications Authority (MQA), a Sector Education and Training Authority for South Africa’s mining and minerals sector, invites eligible organisations to apply for Discretionary Grant funding under its Special Projects and Partnerships programme for the 2026/27 financial year.

The

Call reference: HORIZON-MISS-2027-05-SOIL-05-two-stage

Horizon Europe has announced a forthcoming funding opportunity under the Soil Deal for Europe Mission to develop and validate innovative biotechnologies that restore soil health, remediate contaminated soils and improve agricultural productivity

The Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS) has launched the Global Fund 2026 call to finance civil society initiatives that complement the work of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.

The call supports initiatives that strengthen health systems, improve access to

The Industrial Biotechnology Innovation Catalyst (IBIC), hosted by The University of Manchester, provides funding to help translate industrial biotechnology research into practical applications, strengthen collaboration between academia and industry, and advance innovation towards commercialisation

Forward Fooding invites applications from AgriFoodTech start-ups and scale-ups worldwide for the eighth edition of the FoodTech 500, an annual global ranking recognising innovative companies operating at the intersection of food, technology and sustainability.

The initiative showcases businesses

The African Economic Research Consortium (AERC) invites proposals from early-career African and Africa-focused economists for commissioned research studies under its Industrial Policy and Growth in Africa Project.

The project aims to generate rigorous, policy-relevant evidence on the factors

The National Research Foundation (NRF), South Africa's Department of Science, Technology and Innovation (DSTI), and Italy's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MAECI) invite joint research proposals under the Italy–South Africa Joint Research Programme (ISARP) for the 2027

The Climate Intervention Environmental Impact Fund (CIEIF) invites applications from innovative investigators and organisations worldwide developing climate intervention technologies that are approaching small-scale field testing.

The Fund provides grants to support independent environmental impact

Call reference: HORIZON-CL4-2027-01-MAT-PROD-49

Overview

Horizon Europe invites applications from small consortia, including spin-offs, start-ups and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), to explore the commercial potential of research and innovation results generated through ongoing or completed