Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation

Each year, we support up to 16 shortlisted African innovators with a unique package of support over eight months to help them accelerate their businesses, including:
• Eight-month tailored training programme, including expert sessions, 1:1
financial modelling coaching and business support.
• In-person training weeks.
• 1:1 sector-specific engineering mentoring from the Academy’s network of
high-profile engineers in the UK and Africa.
• Bespoke press coverage and communications support.
• The opportunity to present your innovation at the Africa Prize showcase
event in a major African city.
• Prize pot of £85,000 available, with prizes ranging from £5,000 to
£50,000.

The Africa Prize is designed to support businesses and drive their growth. While one person will represent the programme publicly, our communications will showcase the entire company and team behind the innovation. Prize money is
awarded specifically to scale the applicant's innovation and expand their impactThe Africa Prize follows a two-stage application process. The first stage is open to all eligible applicants, while only longlisted innovations are invited to submit the second stage of their application. Register to attend an online information session using the links below.

Applicants can apply as an individual or on behalf of a team.
• The applicant must be a citizen of a country in sub-Saharan Africa*. For teams of two or more, the lead applicant (the person participating in training) must be a citizen of a country in sub-Saharan Africa*.
• Where a venture has one or more co‑founders based outside sub‑Saharan Africa, the Africa‑based lead applicant must hold at least 50 percent equity in the venture at the time of application.
• The applicant must be ordinarily based in sub-Saharan Africa*; if based overseas, this must be temporary for studies or otherwise.
• The applicant must be over the age of 18 when applications close on 8 September 2026. There is no upper age limit.
• The applicant must have a high level of English proficiency, which will allow them to fully participate in the entire programme. The application must be written in English. The programme does have francophone
experts to support applicants whose first language is not English.
• The applicant cannot be an alum of the Africa Prize or part of the same team, business or innovation that has been through the Prize.
• Industrial researchers and establishments are not eligible.
• Alumni of the Academy’s Advance programme or alumni of the Leaders in Innovation Fellowship (LIF) programme who participated after June 2024 are not eligible to apply to the Africa Prize. LIF alumni who participated in the LIF programme before June 2024 may be eligible if they can evidence through their application why participation in the Africa Prize
is necessary and/or will add value to them and their business.

Innovation requirements
• The innovation must be based in a country in sub-Saharan Africa*
• The innovation can be any innovative product, technology or service, based on any area of engineering defined in its broadest sense to encompass a wide range of fields. The lead applicant is not required to be an engineering graduate or student to apply.
o This includes but is not limited to: agri-tech, biotechnology, chemical engineering, civil engineering, computer science, design engineering, electrical and electronic engineering, ICT, materials science, mechanical engineering, and medical engineering. If you are in any doubt that the area your innovation operates in would be considered as engineering, then please contact the Academy to discuss your application.
• The innovation must be beyond the ideation stage and in the early stages of commercialisation. The innovation must:
o Bring social and/or environmental benefits to sub-Saharan Africa*.
o Have a strong potential to be replicated and scaled up.
o Be accompanied by an ambitious but realistic business plan that has strong commercial viability.