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Tech Kaizen Africa

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Curated openings and calls for African builders, creators, founders, students, and technology professionals.

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grant Featured Remote

Interledger Local Impact Mini-Grants 2026

Interledger Foundation

Overview The Interledger Local Impact Mini-Grants support community-led work that expands digital financial access, open payments, financial inclusion, open-source innovation, and digital public infrastructure. The programme is designed for people and organisations with direct knowledge of the communities they serve. Funding available Selected projects may receive between USD 500 and USD 3,000. The funds are intended for direct project activities rather than routine organisational operating costs or capital expenditure. What projects can do Eligible activities include meetups, community conversations, workshops, demos, hackdays, participatory learning sessions, local ecosystem gatherings, research, storytelling, awareness campaigns, content, and community education linked to open payments and digital financial access. Priority communities Applications are global, but priority is given to projects serving the Global South, rural communities, peri-urban communities, and areas with limited access to formal financial services. Project duration and review Applications opened on 6 July 2026 and are reviewed on a rolling basis until 11 November 2026 at 11:59 p.m. ET/EDT. Projects must be completed within six months of accepting the grant, with priority review for projects completing before 31 December 2026. Application requirements Applicants submit through Submittable and should prepare the application form, a two-page concept note, a project budget, and an implementation timeline. Successful applicants may also be required to publish a project introduction blog and a final summary blog with results, metrics, photos, documentation, and lessons learned. How to apply Review the Interledger grant factsheet and resource folder, prepare a realistic project concept and budget, then submit through the official Submittable application link.

Location: Global / priority for Global South, rural and peri-urban communities

Deadline: Nov 12, 2026

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funding Featured Remote

DRK Foundation Funding for Early-Stage Social Enterprises

Draper Richards Kaplan Foundation (DRK)

Overview The Draper Richards Kaplan Foundation (DRK) provides long-term catalytic funding and hands-on support to early-stage social enterprises tackling urgent social and environmental challenges. DRK is a venture philanthropy foundation that backs exceptional leaders and organisations with scalable solutions that improve the lives of underserved communities. Funding and support offered Selected organisations can receive up to USD 300,000 in unrestricted grant funding or investment capital over a three-year period, usually in multiple tranches. DRK also provides intensive capacity support that can be worth up to USD 500,000 in in-kind value. This support may include strategic guidance, fundraising support, financial sustainability planning, hiring and talent support, governance support, impact measurement, scaling strategy, and access to DRK's global network. Board and advisory involvement A DRK senior team member typically serves on the organisation's board for three years and works closely with the leadership team. This is not only a funding opportunity; it is a deep partnership intended to help the organisation strengthen its systems, strategy, fundraising, and pathway to scale. Who it is for DRK funds nonprofits, mission-driven for-profit businesses, and fiscally sponsored projects. The strongest candidates are usually post-pilot and pre-scale, with a product, programme, or service already being used in the market or field and early evidence that the model works. DRK often looks for organisations around three to five years old, though decisions are made case by case. Geographic focus DRK primarily funds organisations operating in the United States, Africa, Europe, and India, with occasional investments in Latin America. Organisations outside these regions should check DRK's current guidance before applying. Application process Applications are accepted year-round. The online application normally takes about 30-60 minutes. Applicants should upload a written executive summary, pitch deck, or business plan and may optionally include supporting materials such as financials or impact reports. What DRK looks for DRK is interested in innovative models with direct impact on underserved populations, a strong founder or leadership team, evidence of demand or traction, a credible path to financial sustainability, and potential to reach significant scale over time.

Location: United States, Africa, Europe, India, and occasional Latin America investments

Deadline: Rolling / not specified

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job Featured Closed

Shine 2027 Swiss Re Foundation Urban Climate Innovation Accelerator

Swiss Re Foundation

Overview Shine 2027 is the Swiss Re Foundation's accelerator and grant programme for early-stage social entrepreneurs building climate solutions for cities. The 2027 edition, Shine for Cities, focuses on practical innovations that help urban communities reduce emissions, adapt to climate risks, and become more inclusive and resilient. Focus areas The programme targets urban climate solutions in energy transition, building efficiency and electrification, sustainable transport, waste and circular economy, urban nature and land use, and climate data, governance, and monitoring. Support offered Selected ventures receive grant funding, Swiss Re expertise, business and leadership coaching, support for developing scalable business models, climate innovation networks, and potential follow-on support. The programme can include an initial grant and a later pitch-linked funding pathway, with possible larger follow-on support for ventures that demonstrate scale. Who it is for Shine is for entrepreneurs who have moved beyond the idea stage. Applicants should have an MVP, pilot, or early commercial activity and should be operating in or serving one of the participating city chapters. How to apply Review the official Swiss Re Foundation Shine 2027 page and submit through the official awards portal before 15 September 2026.

Location: Selected cities including Cape Town and other global city chapters

Closed: Sep 15, 2026

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Latest

Current and past opportunities

competition Remote

2027 Tools Competition for Education Technology and AI Innovation

Renaissance Philanthropy / The Learning Agency

The 2027 Tools Competition supports technology, data and learning-science solutions that improve education and workforce outcomes. Worldwide applicants can enter the Strengthening Teaching, Reimagining Assessment, and Building Better Datasets tracks. The Postsecondary Learning and Work track is limited to U.S.-based entrants serving U.S. learners. Prize levels are US$50,000 for Catalyst projects, US$150,000 for Growth projects, and US$300,000 for Transform projects. Building Better Datasets entries are eligible for a US$100,000 prize. Initial abstracts are due October 13, 2026.

Location: Worldwide for eligible tracks

Deadline: Oct 13, 2026

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hackathon

GreenCode Hackathon Zambia 2026

BongoHive and Garage48

GreenCode Hackathon is a 48-hour rapid-prototyping programme for people who want to turn green and technology ideas into practical ventures. BongoHive and Garage48 are bringing together 100 participants in Lusaka to build technology-driven responses to environmental and economic challenges. The programme is supported by ESTDEV – From the People of Estonia. What participants will do Participants will work through Garage48's rapid-prototyping process, including idea validation, product development and pitching. Applicants may arrive with an early-stage concept or join a team and build during the event, with guidance from local and international mentors. Support and awards Six winning teams will share a total award fund of €6,000 and receive follow-on support from Garage48 and BongoHive. Participants will also connect with the wider Twin Digital Foundry programme and its pre-seed ecosystem. Programme dates and location The hackathon runs from 30 October to 1 November 2026 in Lusaka, Zambia. Application deadline The live registration form says applications must be completed by 15 October 2026. BongoHive's official LinkedIn announcement gives 20 October 2026. To help applicants avoid missing the opportunity, Tech Kaizen uses 15 October 2026 as the safer deadline. Neither source states a closing time, so applicants should submit early. How to apply Complete the official GreenCode Hackathon Zambia registration form. The organiser estimates that the form takes about five minutes.

Location: Lusaka, Zambia

Deadline: Oct 15, 2026

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startup program

KijaniSpace Space-IoT Innovation Programme

KijaniSpace

The KijaniSpace Space-IoT Innovation Programme supports up to five East African SMEs and start-ups to improve an existing agriculture-related product, service or application using Copernicus Earth Observation data, Internet of Things tools and other Space-IoT Box resources. The programme focuses on climate-smart crop farming, fish farming and related applications in the Great Lake Victoria Basin. What selected teams receive • Up to €5,000 for eligible costs linked directly to the approved innovation experiment. • Access to Space-IoT Box resources, datasets, tools and documentation. • Technical training in Copernicus, Earth Observation and IoT resources. • Business development support, mentoring and pitch preparation. • Product and market validation with users and customers. • An in-person final showcase in Kenya. The grant is paid in two stages: 20% as pre-financing and the remaining eligible amount after the final report and deliverables are approved. Funding may cover approved testing, product improvements, new Copernicus or IoT-enabled features, data collection, user validation, technical documentation and participation in programme activities. Costs must follow the sub-grant agreement. Programme and selection process Applicants propose an experiment that explains the climate-smart agriculture challenge, how Copernicus and Space-IoT resources will improve the existing solution, the planned outputs, the value to users in the target countries and a realistic budget. Proposals first receive completeness and eligibility checks, then three evaluators score excellence, impact and implementation. Tied scores are resolved through a consensus meeting, and all applicants are informed of the outcome. Training and business development support are scheduled for January to February 2027, experiment implementation and validation continue into May 2027, and the final showcase and reporting close by June 2027. Deadline note KijaniSpace's LinkedIn announcement states 16 October 2026 at 16:00 East Africa Time, while the official programme webpage currently displays 16 November 2026 and also contains a January 2027 call timeline. Tech Kaizen lists 16 October 2026 at 16:00 EAT as the safer deadline. Applicants should submit by that earlier time and check the organiser's page for any correction. How to apply Use the official proposal template, prepare the proposal in English as a PDF and submit it through the online form linked from the KijaniSpace programme page. Email applications are not accepted.

Location: Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania; final showcase in Kenya

Deadline: Oct 16, 2026

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fellowship Remote

PAIE Scholars Program 2026

Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL) / Project AI Evidence

The PAIE Scholars Program supports researchers in low- and middle-income countries in Africa and Asia to develop rigorous, policy-relevant evaluations of artificial intelligence applications for social good and poverty reduction. It is run through Project AI Evidence at the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL). Selected scholars will complete structured training in randomised evaluation and the evaluation of AI-enabled interventions. The programme includes selected J-PAL 102x modules, AI evaluation resources, live online workshops and a PAIE-administered proctored assessment. The initial training is expected to run from November 2026 to January 2027, with an estimated commitment of four to ten hours per week. Scholars who complete their assigned training, pass the assessment and submit an acceptable revised concept note will receive US$1,000. A competitive subset may then receive up to US$10,000 for proposal development and travel, alongside possible research mentorship. Eligible scholars who progress to the pilot stage may compete for up to US$75,000 in pilot funding. Applicants must submit a CV, one to three research examples, brief statements on their research and quantitative experience, and a working concept note for an AI-enabled intervention that could lead to a randomised evaluation. A fully developed project and implementing partner are not required at the initial application stage. Progression between stages is competitive. Selection for the first cohort does not guarantee proposal-development support, mentorship or pilot funding. The proposal-development grant cannot fund human-subject research or data collection from research participants. Applications close on 16 October 2026 at 12:00 ET (16:00 UTC).

Location: Eligible low- and middle-income countries in Africa and Asia; online training

Deadline: Oct 16, 2026

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grant

AGNES Intra-Africa Mobility Grants for Junior Researchers 2026

African-German Network of Excellence in Science (AGNES)

The African-German Network of Excellence in Science (AGNES) has opened its 2026 Intra-Africa Mobility Grants for Junior Researchers. Funded by Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, with support from the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, the grants strengthen research capacity and collaboration across Sub-Saharan Africa. The programme supports a one- or two-month research stay at a university or research institute in a Sub-Saharan African country other than the applicant’s home country. The proposed activity must form part of the applicant’s doctoral research and may include laboratory or bench work, library research, or thesis writing. Funding ranges from €2,300 to €3,000 depending on the length of the stay. It is intended to cover travel and subsistence, with a research allowance for the host institution available on request. The grant cannot fund a stay retroactively. There are two routes: a general grant open to eligible women and men, and a special grant for women only. Women may apply for either or both routes but can receive no more than one grant. Applications are welcome from all academic disciplines, and there is no country quota within Sub-Saharan Africa. Applicants must complete the official online application in English and upload all required documents. These include a research proposal and work schedule agreed by the host, the AGNES-format CV, proof of current doctoral registration, transcripts, publication evidence, two travel quotations, estimated living costs and health insurance, and an invitation letter from the scientific host. Incomplete applications or applications that do not follow the stated format will be rejected. Applications close at 23:59 GMT on 16 October 2026.

Location: Sub-Saharan Africa

Deadline: Oct 16, 2026

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hackathon Remote

SafeTech Africa HackLab 2026: Innovating for Safe Spaces

UNFPA and Spotlight Initiative Africa Regional Programme

SafeTech Africa HackLab 2026 is a pan-African youth social innovation challenge supporting practical digital and community solutions that make physical, informational and online spaces safer for women, girls and young people. It is led by UNFPA's Eastern and Southern Africa and Western and Central Africa regional offices with the Spotlight Initiative Africa Regional Programme, the Global Programme to End Child Marriage, the African Union Women, Gender and Youth Directorate, UNDP, UNICEF and UN Women. Applicants must submit under one of three themes: safer physical and community spaces addressing child marriage, female genital mutilation and technology-facilitated violence; safer informational spaces providing accurate, confidential sexual and reproductive health information; or safer digital spaces countering online abuse, anti-rights disinformation, censorship and other technology-facilitated harms. Shortlisted innovators and teams will receive virtual mentorship using the UNFPA Social Innovation Toolkit and pitch coaching before presenting at the YouthConnekt Africa Summit in November 2026. Four winners will receive seed grants of US$5,000 to US$10,000 each. The programme also offers investor and market exposure, connections with continental development partners and visibility through UNFPA, Spotlight Initiative and African Union media channels. Selection considers problem-solution fit, originality, feasibility, inclusion and disability accessibility, youth leadership, potential to scale, and safety, privacy and ethical practice. Applicants must provide team details, choose one theme, write a problem statement of up to 200 words and an innovation description of up to 700 words, and include a 12-month implementation roadmap plus a digital safety and inclusion note. Applications close on 18 October 2026 at 23:59 CAT. Use the official Spotlight Initiative page to review the full call and open the application form.

Location: Africa

Deadline: Oct 18, 2026

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funding

Global Innovation Lab for Climate Finance 2027 Call for Ideas

The Global Innovation Lab for Climate Finance

The Global Innovation Lab for Climate Finance is accepting preliminary applications for its 2027 Call for Ideas. The Lab supports teams developing innovative financial vehicles that can mobilise private investment for climate mitigation and adaptation in emerging markets. Africa is one of the core regional tracks, with a specific focus on scalable mitigation solutions for low-carbon and climate-resilient growth. This call is for financial structures and mechanisms, rather than individual projects. Suitable ideas may include debt or equity funds, guarantee facilities, asset-financing structures, results-based finance, securitisation structures, insurance products and other investment vehicles that can unlock private capital. For the Africa track, the organiser highlights clean energy, sustainable agriculture, greener cities, and opportunities that benefit young people and women. Selected proponents receive technical assistance and advisory support valued at more than US$250,000. The package includes seven months of work with two dedicated analysts to refine the financial model, instrument design and impact framework; guidance from a working group of 10 to 15 investors, funders and technical specialists; investor engagement and market validation; and support with the pitch deck, investor mapping, fundraising strategy, targeted introductions and go-to-market implementation. Selected teams also join a network whose endorsed vehicles have mobilised more than US$5 billion for climate action. Applicants first submit a preliminary application. The Lab may interview applicants at this stage, then invite qualified teams to submit a full application in mid-November. Shortlisted teams proceed to interviews and regional selection panels, followed by the global selection meeting and cohort decision in early March 2027. Applications must be completed in English through Submittable, which requires an account. The organiser's application portal states that preliminary applications close on Sunday, 18 October 2026 at 11:59 pm PST. Its programme page also gives 18 October as the closing date.

Location: Africa and other eligible emerging markets

Deadline: Oct 18, 2026

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other Remote

Si Her DeFi Cohort 2026

SI<3>

Si Her DeFi is a free, 10-week virtual cohort for womxn and non-binary professionals who want to build practical knowledge of decentralised finance. The programme is organised by SI<3> and is open globally, including to participants and communities across Africa. The cohort runs from 8 October to 10 December 2026. Live weekly sessions are scheduled from 16:00 to 17:00 UTC, with replays available, and the organiser estimates a commitment of about two hours per week. The curriculum covers applied DeFi topics including collective capital, moving from traditional finance to DeFi, token fundamentals, stablecoins, infrastructure and the future of decentralised finance. Participants who complete the cohort can receive an on-chain certificate on Base. The programme also includes a US$25,000 grant fund for promising projects. The fund is competitive and should not be understood as a guaranteed award for every participant. Applicants complete the official form on the Si Her page with their contact information, professional role, organisation, DeFi experience, reason for joining and a LinkedIn or X profile. The cohort is free to join. It is separate from the Si Her DAO membership, which has its own application and fee. Applications remain open until 21 October 2026. The organiser does not state a closing time or timezone, so applicants should submit early.

Location: Global; virtual

Deadline: Oct 21, 2026

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startup program

Halcyon Africa Innovation in Agriculture and Food Security Accelerator 2027

Halcyon

Halcyon's Africa Innovation in Agriculture and Food Security Accelerator supports early-stage, impact-driven ventures strengthening agriculture and food systems across Sub-Saharan Africa. The programme is aimed at founders whose market-based solutions improve smallholder farmer livelihoods and resilience, strengthen food security, or help communities adapt to climate-related shocks. The accelerator is hybrid. Selected founders will complete virtual programming and two in-person residencies: Accra, Ghana, from 11 to 19 March 2027, and Nairobi, Kenya, from 28 May to 4 June 2027. Virtual sessions are scheduled for 9 February, 9 April, 23 April and 7 May 2027. Applicants must be able to participate in all residencies, activities and virtual sessions. Priority areas include climate-smart and regenerative agriculture; farm productivity, inputs and precision agriculture; irrigation and drought resilience; agricultural data and climate intelligence; market access and farmer platforms; agri-fintech and farmer financial resilience; supply chains, logistics and cold chains; post-harvest loss and value addition; food security and affordable nutrition; and traceability and resilient value chains. Selected ventures receive a US$10,000 equity-free stipend, US$10,000 in AWS credits, access to Halcyon's community of more than 650 founders, professional advisers, workshops on leadership, capital strategy and product-market fit, investor and stakeholder networking, and continuing alumni benefits. Applications begin with Halcyon's eligibility form. Ventures that meet the criteria and fit the programme will be invited to complete a second-round application. Pitch days are scheduled for 7 and 8 December 2026, and selected founders are due to be notified on 18 December 2026. The initial eligibility deadline is 23 October 2026. Halcyon does not state a closing time or timezone, so applicants should submit early. The 30 October 2026 date is an invitational deadline for applicants invited to the second round.

Location: Sub-Saharan Africa (hybrid, with residencies in Accra and Nairobi)

Deadline: Oct 23, 2026

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grant Remote

Atlassian Foundation Open Call 2026 for Education in the AI Era

Atlassian Foundation

The Atlassian Foundation Open Call 2026 will support collective action initiatives that help disadvantaged learners thrive as education adapts to the AI era. The Foundation is deploying US$8 million over two years and is looking for coordinated partnerships that can ensure emerging technology closes educational gaps instead of widening them. Selected partnerships may receive up to US$1 million over two years. The award is capped at 25% of the lead organisation's operating budget for the same two-year period. Partners will also join a peer-learning cohort and may receive optional access to Atlassian teamwork tools, resources and tailored non-financial support. Eligible initiatives must combine three elements: direct relief of poverty or disadvantage for a clearly identified group of learners; genuine collective action by multiple organisations with shared goals, governance, delivery and measurement; and an equity-focused response to how education should evolve in the AI era. The response may be technical, human or systemic and does not need to deploy AI. Applications are submitted through the Goodstack Causes Portal. The lead organisation first completes the eligibility questions. Eligible applicants then receive an email invitation to start the full application. Atlassian recommends preparing the published application questions and budget template with all partners before one nominated person enters the final responses on a single device. Shortlisted applicants may be invited to virtual discussions between December 2026 and January 2027. Decisions are expected by 31 March 2027, and funded work begins in May or June 2027. Applications close on 30 October 2026 at 23:59 AEDT. The partnership budget should include travel for at least one person to attend cohort activities in the United States or Australia during 2027 or 2028.

Location: Global

Deadline: Oct 30, 2026

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startup program Remote

METI UniPods AI Innovation Programme Cohort 2

timbuktoo Africa / UNDP / UniPods

About the programme The METI UniPods AI Innovation Programme is accepting applications for its second cohort from innovators building early-stage AI and AI-enabled solutions. Applications may come from individuals or teams, but applicants must already have a working product that can be demonstrated with a real input and output. A design, mock-up, Figma file, Canva file or slide deck is not treated as a working prototype. What selected innovators receive Selected participants will have access to an AI course from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, AI technical training, structured product-development support and Wadhwani Foundation's 14-week entrepreneurship programme. The entrepreneurship programme covers customer discovery, business modelling, go-to-market planning and investment readiness. Participants will also gain access to technical mentors and the wider timbuktoo network, with the possibility of joining an in-person bootcamp in Addis Ababa. The organiser has not announced a cash grant or guaranteed investment as part of this call. Application requirements Applicants must explain the problem they are solving and show their product running in a 60 to 120-second screen recording. The demonstration must use a real input and show the product's output. The recording must be shared through YouTube, Google Drive or Loom and must open for reviewers. The form also asks applicants to explain what the AI does and identify the model, tool or API used; state monthly hosting or AI API costs; provide evidence of users, revenue and registration where applicable; describe any university, research institution or incubator connection; identify their role on the team; and answer a short product-quality question. A code repository or notebook link is optional. The programme states that innovators at different stages may be selected. Having no users, revenue, legal registration or institutional backing does not automatically disqualify an applicant, but all claims must be honest and verifiable. False or unverifiable information can lead to disqualification. Deadline Apply by 30 October 2026. The organiser's announcement does not state a closing time or timezone, so applicants should submit early. How to apply Complete the official UniPods Cohort 2 application form. No pitch deck is requested.

Location: Eligible African countries; potential in-person bootcamp in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Deadline: Oct 30, 2026

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scholarship

University of Cape Town Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program 2027

University of Cape Town / Mastercard Foundation

A comprehensive scholarship and leadership-development programme for academically talented young Africans who face significant social and economic barriers to higher education. Support covers tuition, accommodation, living expenses, medical aid, a laptop, visa support and annual travel where applicable. Scholars also receive academic and peer support, mentorship, leadership development, career preparation, entrepreneurship training and access to a lifelong alumni network. Undergraduate scholarship applications close 30 September 2026. Eligible postgraduate diploma, honours and coursework master’s applications close 31 October 2026.

Location: Cape Town, South Africa

Deadline: Oct 31, 2026

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