Opportunities And Events

Opportunity Type: Research Funding / Seed Grant Funding Organisations: South Africa–Sweden University Forum (SASUF) & National Research Foundation (NRF) Application Deadline: 10 June 2026 Project Duration: Up to 2 years (Starting 1 August 2026) Number of Projects Funded: Up to 20 projects Overview

Regenerative Emerging Agriculture Challenge Advancing Climate-Smart, Off-Grid and Regenerative Farming Systems for Limpopo’s Emerging Agricultural Sector Limpopo is one of South Africa’s most important agricultural provinces, contributing over 40% of the country’s citrus production. Yet its semi

The Clean Port Logistics Challenge forms part of the National Cleantech Innovation Challenge and is focused on accelerating sustainable logistics, distributed clean energy, and circular manufacturing solutions across KwaZulu-Natal’s maritime economy. KwaZulu-Natal is home to the Durban and Richards

The National Cleantech Innovation Challenge (NCIC) Free State: Regenerative Agriculture in Large-Scale Commercial Farming Challenge is a strategic provincial initiative designed to accelerate the transition from conventional high-input agriculture to scalable, climate-resilient regenerative farming

The 2026 Zayed Sustainability Prize has officially opened its global call for applications, inviting innovators, entrepreneurs, NGOs, academic institutions, and impact-driven enterprises to apply for one of the world’s most prestigious sustainability awards. The Prize recognises and funds scalable

The National Cleantech Innovation Challenge (NCIC) – Eastern Cape Waste-to-Value Challenge seeks innovative, technically viable solutions that convert low-value waste streams into high-value products with proven market demand and job creation potential. This challenge addresses the Eastern Cape’s

The Draper Richards Kaplan Foundation (DRK Foundation) provides early-stage capital and intensive capacity-building support to bold social enterprises tackling the world’s most pressing social and environmental challenges. DRK funds mission-driven organisations that serve vulnerable, marginalized

The National Cleantech Innovation Challenge (NCIC) Gauteng – Smart Mobility Cleantech Challenge 2026 is a flagship initiative under South Africa’s Just Transition to the Future programme. Hosted by the Tshimologong Digital Innovation Precinct, this challenge seeks scalable, post-proof-of-concept

The SASUF–NRF Seed Grants fund 2‑year collaborative research projects that link academia, industry and society in South Africa and Sweden, with a strong focus on real‑world impact and researcher mobility. The SASUF–NRF Seed Grants are part of the SASUF+ (2025–2028) phase and are implemented jointly

The Local AIMday Grants support the organisation of Academic Industry Meeting Days (AIMdays) within the South Africa–Sweden University Forum (SASUF) network. AIMday is a structured dialogue format where researchers meet with industry, government and civil society to discuss concrete, real‑world

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

The Spaza Shop Support Fund, supported by the Department of Small Business Development (DSBD) and the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (the dtic) and administered through the National Empowerment Fund (NEF) and partners, is designed to support township and rural community convenience