Open Call: Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation

The Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation was launched in March 2014 to stimulate, celebrate and reward innovation and entrepreneurship across sub-Saharan Africa.

Since then it has provided invaluable training, mentoring and communications support to 149 businesses across 23 countries. It also has an established alumni programme with 71% of Africa Prize alumni currently generating revenue. The alumni have also raised $39 million in grants and equity.

Award Information

• The Africa Prize offers a unique benefits package for up to 16 shortlisted participants to help accelerate their business including:
  • Access to business and technical expertise and sector specific engineering mentoring.
  • Bespoke press coverage and communications support.
  • Eight month tailored training programme.
  • Access to the Academy’s network of high profile engineers and business experts in the UK and Africa.
  • The opportunity for finalists to present their innovation to a judging panel at the Africa Prize showcase event.
  • Prize money of up to £25,000.

Cost Covered

• The training and mentoring for the Africa Prize shortlist is mostly carried out remotely (online), to allow you to run your business so you do not need to spend a long time away from home.
• Usually, the Africa Prize includes a week of in-person training in the UK, as well as an in-person training week and final event on the African continent. Please note that if required to travel for a residential training week or event, the Academy will cover the related costs.

What kind of innovations does the Africa Prize accept?

• Entrepreneurs are invited to apply with innovations from any engineering discipline that can provide scalable solutions to local challenges.
• Applicants should be in the early stages of commercialising an engineering innovation that:
  • is accompanied by an ambitious but realistic business plan that has strong commercial viability
  • has strong potential to be replicated and scaled up
  • will bring social and/or environmental benefits to a country or countries in sub-Saharan Africa
  • is based in, and will benefit, a country in sub-Saharan Africa.
• The innovation can be any new product, technology or service, based on research in any field of engineering, including:
  • agricultural technology
  • biotechnology
  • chemical engineering
  • civil engineering
  • computer science
  • design engineering
  • electrical and electronic engineering
  • materials science
  • mechanical engineering
  • medical engineering.

Ineligible Innovations 

• They do not accept:
  • innovations that are still at idea stage
  • innovations that are designed for military purposes or purely for economic gain.

Eligibility Criteria 

• The application must be written in English.
• The applicant must have a high level of English language proficiency in order to participate fully in the programme as this is conducted entirely in English.
• The lead applicant must be over the age of 18 when applications close on 15 October 2024. There is no upper age limit.
• The applicant cannot be an alumni of the Africa Prize or part of the same team, business or innovation that has been through the Prize.
• Applicants can apply as an individual or as part of a team.
• The lead 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.
• The lead applicant must be ordinarily based in sub-Saharan Africa; if based overseas, this must be temporary for studies or otherwise.
• The innovation must be based in a country in sub-Saharan Africa.
• The lead applicant must have an engineering innovation, although they are not required to be an engineering graduate or student to apply.
• The lead applicant must provide a letter of support from a university, research institution, innovation hub or previous incubator programme. This can be as simple as stating that an individual studied at or was involved with that institution. If applicants are not affiliated with any organisation, another document proving the status of their organisation or innovation, such as a document of incorporation or patent certificate, may be used.
• Industrial researchers and establishments are not eligible.
• The innovation can be any new product, technology or service, based on research in engineering defined in its broadest sense to encompass a wide range of fields. This includes but is not limited to: agricultural technology, 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 your area of expertise would be considered as engineering, please contact the Academy to discuss your application.
• The lead applicant must provide a letter of consent from the originators/collaborators of the IP to this innovation, where relevant.
• The lead applicant must provide a technical diagram and photo that showcases the technical aspects of the innovation as part of their application.
• Applicants should have developed, and be in the early stages of commercialising, an engineering innovation that:
  • Will bring social and/or environmental benefits to a country/countries in sub-Saharan Africa
  • Has strong potential to be replicated and scaled-up
  • Is accompanied by an ambitious but realistic business plan that has strong commercial viability.
• If the business is mainly based on developing innovative hardware, then applicants should:
  • Have built one or more working prototypes that prove the technical concept and performance
  • Have evolved the design ready for initial commercial production
  • Have realistic cost and schedule estimates for manufacture
  • Have clear evidence that an early version of their innovation is generating traction with a sufficient number of prospective customers to underpin for initial revenues and profitability
• If the business is primarily software/app based, then applicants should:
  • Have developed a minimum viable product with demonstrable functionality
  • Have clear evidence that the minimum viable product is generating traction with a sufficient number of prospective customers to underpin forecasts for initial revenues and profitability.

For more information, visit Royal Academy of Engineering.