Apply for Choova Njinga Innovation Challenge (Malawi and Zambia)

This initiative, supported by USAID’s IDEAS program, addresses critical mobility challenges by empowering communities with innovative approaches to transportation.

This Challenge invites applicants to submit groundbreaking ideas that leverage manual or electric bicycles to enhance access to goods, services, and economic opportunities.

The Choova Njinga Innovation Challenge builds on key findings from the Bicycles For Growth (BFG) research, focusing on bicycle market systems in Malawi, Zambia, Uganda, and other East African regions. Initial research into the use of bicycles in Malawi and Zambia found that the greatest use was for farmers, students and healthcare workers in predominantly rural and peri-urban areas.

In Malawi, bicycles are integral for students, traders, and healthcare workers. Students use family-owned bikes for school commutes, especially in rural areas. Traders prefer bicycles for their low cost and ability to cover extensive distances, enhancing their business reach and household income. However, challenges such as bicycle breakdowns and design flaws necessitate adaptations for better functionality.

In Zambia, safety concerns due to inadequate cycling infrastructure limit bicycle usage among students. Yet, bicycles remain crucial for short-distance urban mobility and income-generating activities among farmers and traders. Increased awareness and improved bike designs could boost adoption, providing significant economic and social benefits.

The insights from these regions highlight the multifaceted role of bicycles in enhancing mobility, economic activities, and healthcare access. By addressing specific regional challenges and leveraging innovation opportunities, Choova Njinga aims to foster widespread bicycle adoption, contributing to social and economic empowerment across East Africa.

The Program will test, prototype, and/or scale innovations to

• Improve availability and affordability of bicycles
• Enhance bicycle durability (e.g., maintenance and repair)
• Increase suitability (fit-for-purpose) of bicycles to boost adoption

Expected outcomes may include:

• Increased access to essential services (healthcare, education)
• Enhanced economic opportunities, especially for women
• Improved productivity

Ultimately, the program aims to improve livelihoods. It will also provide financial and non-financial support to innovators, enhancing their capacities and performance, promoting sustainability and the achievement of long-term impact.

Purpose

• The primary objective of this Challenge is to support the development or scaling of innovative bicycle solutions that address the transportation needs of rural communities. Solutions should specifically target low-income households and women, promoting gender equity and economic empowerment.

Challenge Statement

• Develop or scale a cost-effective bicycle solution for people in rural areas of Malawi and/or Zambia that enables the effective transportation of people or goods or the delivery of services in order to improve livelihoods, especially amongst low-income households and women.

Funding Streams

• The Challenge offers two streams of funding to cater to diverse stages of innovation:
  • Stream 1: Developing Innovations
    • This stream focuses on nurturing early-stage ideas with transformative potential. It is designed for applicants with innovative bicycle solutions—whether pedal-powered or electric—that could benefit from field testing and user feedback. These solutions should have been in development for at least six months and undergone preliminary testing. The goal is to support these concepts as they transition from idea to implementation, providing resources and guidance to refine and pilot their innovations. Applicants in this stream are encouraged to address the unique challenges faced by low-income households and women in rural areas.
  • Stream 2: Transition to Scale
    • This stream supports applicants with proven bicycle-based solutions that are operationally viable and ready for expansion. It targets scalable initiatives aiming to broaden their impact, whether through geographic expansion, increasing operational scope, or integrating complementary innovations such as electric bikes. Applicants must present a clear plan for scaling, backed by evidence of prior success in improving livelihoods. This stream provides the resources needed to accelerate the growth of impactful solutions and ensure their long-term sustainability.
    • Organizations are allowed to submit multiple applications to the challenge but will be awarded up to one per stream as a lead partner. The IDEAS team reserves the right to offer more than one per stream for exceptional applications which demonstrate the potential for significant impact.

Funding Information

• Financial Support
  • The total grant value is up to $2.2 million to be awarded with the following grants available:
    • Stream 1 – $25,000 – $100,000 each
    • Stream 2 – $200,000 – $400,000 each
  • Additional funding may be provided to those grantees that are demonstrating considerable success towards the program’s objectives.

Benefits

• Non-Financial Support
  • Successful applicants will also receive non-financial support, both virtually and in-person to support the development of their solutions. This is likely to include:
    • Training: Group training session covering key themes
    • Mentoring: Tailored sessions between successful applicants and a mentor
    • Engagement events: Events with key stakeholders to support networking and peer learning
  • The full non-financial support package available will be developed based on needs identified through the concept note phase.

Eligibility Criteria

• The applicants must meet the following requirements.
  • Legal registration: Be officially registered as a legal entity and working in compliance with all applicable local laws. Alternatively, an applicant can show willingness to become registered and/or provide proof of effort to secure registration.
    • If a special need arises and if it is appropriate to meet program objectives, grants can be issued to informal/non-registered organizations if approved by COP or their designee. This must be justified in Neg memo as follows:
    • Why the entity is not or cannot be registered.
    • Why the entity is recommended for a grant.
    • How past performance has been adequately assessed.
    • What special conditions will be proposed in the grant terms/conditions to mitigate risk.
  • Conflict of interest: The grantee’s relationships, associations, activities, and interests should not create a real or perceived conflict of interest that could prevent full impartiality in implementation of the award activities. Applicants must follow their own Code of Conduct related to Conflict of Interest. Applicants must have a code of conduct to receive funding. If an organization does not have a Code of Conduct, they will be asked to sign the EnCompass Code of Conduct, which may be provided via email request.
  • Prohibition against transactions with ineligible or excluded individuals and organizations: In accordance with USAID requirements, EnCompass prohibits transactions with ineligible or excluded individuals and organizations.
• Type of eligible grantees
  • The IDEAS grants program, in line with its overall objective, may issue grants to the following organizations, all applicants must have a registered office in either Zambia or Malawi or willing to become registered in Malawi or Zambia for STREAM 1 all applicants must have their headquarters in either Malawi or Zambia.
    • U.S. Non-Governmental Organizations (U.S. NGOs) if you have a registered office in Zambia and Malawi – Stream 2 only. These organizations are not eligible for stream 1.
    • Non-U.S. Non-Governmental Organizations (Non-U.S. NGOs) if you have a registered office in Zambia and Malawi – Stream 2 only. These organizations are not eligible for stream 1.
    • International Non-Governmental Organizations (INGO’s) if you have a registered office in Zambia and Malawi – Stream 2 only. These organizations are not eligible for stream 1.
    • Non-Governmental Organisations headquartered in Zambia, or Malawi
    • Civil Society Organizations (CSOs)
    • Community-Based Organizations (CBOs)
    • Private Enterprise Associations
    • Professional Associations
    • Universities
    • Media, Tech Entities, inventors (for profit or not for profit)

Ineligibility Criteria

• Ineligible organizations
  • IDEAS will not work with organizations deemed ineligible unless prior written consent from the USAID Contracting Officer is received. IDEAS will not award a grant to:
    • Any entity whose name appears on the “List of Parties Excluded from Federal Procurement and Non-Procurement Programs”.
    • Any entity whose name (1) appears on the master list of Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons, which is maintained by the U.S. Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) and is available online at OFAC’s website or (2) is included in any supplementary information concerning prohibited individuals or entities that may be provided by USAID to the IDEAS project.
    • Any entity whose name appears in the SAM with an active exclusion.
    • Any entity not able to register in SAM at the time of award and obtain a UEI.
    • Host government entities.
    • Any third country foreign government.
    • Any entity affiliated with the Contractor or any of its directors, officers, or employees.
    • Any political party organization.
    • Law enforcement
    • Any entity that refuses to sign all required certifications and assurances found.

For more information, visit Challenge.gov.