Africa Business Accelerator 2026: 8-Week Growth Programme for Ambitious African SMEs and Founders

Applications are now open for the Africa Business Accelerator (ABA) 2026, the flagship growth programme of the Africa SME Assembly designed to help African founders build stronger, more scalable, and investment-ready businesses.

The Africa Business Accelerator was established to address one of the

Presidential African Youth in Artificial Intelligence and Robotics Competition 2026

Applications are now open for the Third Edition of the Presidential African Youth in Artificial Intelligence and Robotics Competition 2026, a flagship continental initiative designed to advance Africa’s leadership in Artificial Intelligence (AI), Robotics, and emerging technologies.

Co-convened by

Digital Energy Challenge 2026: Up to €400,000 for Digital and AI-Powered Energy Solutions in Africa

Applications are now open for the Digital Energy Challenge 2026, an international innovation programme supporting SMEs developing digital and AI-enabled solutions that improve energy access, accelerate the energy transition, and enhance the operational efficiency of energy utilities across Africa.

Th

Merck Research Grants 2026: Up to €500,000 per Year for Innovative Scientific Research

Applications are now open for the Merck Research Grants 2026 programme, a global research funding initiative designed to support innovative scientific research with strong potential for future impact and industry collaboration.

Since 2018, Merck has awarded research grants to scientists and research

NJ BASE 2026: U.S. Market Expansion and Business Immersion Program for International Technology Companies

The New Jersey Business Acceleration and Soft-Landing Ecosystem (NJ BASE) is now accepting applications for its inaugural 2026 cohort, offering international technology companies a fully supported pathway to establish and scale operations in the United States.

Powered by the New Jersey Economic

SASI Due Diligence Fund (DDF) – Round 5 | €50,000 – €250,000 for Human Rights & Environmental Due Diligence in Agricultural Supply Chains

About the Due Diligence Fund

The Due Diligence Fund (DDF) is implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), as part of the Sustainable Agricultural Supply Chains Initiative

FCI4Africa Open Call 1 (OC1) | Up to €50,000 for Research & Technology Stakeholders Advancing Fair Food and Trade Systems in Africa

FCI4Africa — Fair food and trade systems for Africa through food convergence innovation is a Horizon Europe-funded project responding to the growing demand for sustainable, fair, and just food trade between Africa and Europe. Funded by the European Commission under Grant Agreement Number 101182485