Deadline: October 31, 2025
The British Council has launched the Innovation for African Universities (IAU) Enterprise and Innovation Challenge – Ecosystem Partner grant call to strengthen higher education and innovation ecosystems through a structured capacity-building programme.
They help to strengthen higher education and TVET in five core areas: Enabling research – supporting research, knowledge and innovation collaborations to address local and global challenges and promote inclusive growth; Internationalising higher education and TVET – supporting systems, institutions and individuals to benefit from internationalisation, including enabling transnational education and system alignment; Strengthening systems and institutions – improving the quality and efficiency of higher education and TVET institutions and systems; Enhancing learner outcomes – addressing the qualities of the global graduate, including soft skills, employability and community outcomes; Increasing equality, diversity and inclusion – making higher education and TVET more accessible, equitable and accountable
This call is seeking an experienced ecosystem partner in enterprise and innovation development to design and deliver a programme of mentoring and support for 16 student teams drawn from universities in Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, and South Africa. Each team, composed of five students, is developing ventures in digital enterprises, green enterprises, social enterprises, or combinations of these areas. The selected partner will be responsible for conducting baseline SWOT analyses, creating tailored support frameworks for each project, building student capacity, and enhancing the commercialisation potential of the ventures.
The maximum value of the grant is £60,000, and only one award will be made under this call. Applications must be jointly developed by one UK lead institution and one lead institution from Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, or South Africa. Eligible UK leads include higher education providers with degree-awarding powers, not-for-profit research institutions, or organisations active in the TVET/FE system, while eligible African leads include higher education providers, not-for-profit research organisations, and TVET/FE institutions. Associated partners from academia, civil society, industry, and government may be included, but for-profit non-education organisations cannot receive grant funds beyond travel costs.
The deadline for applications is 31 October 2025 at 17:00 GMT, with results expected by 15 November 2025. Contract signing will take place by 30 November 2025, and grant payments will run from November 2025 through June 2026.
For more information, visit British Council.
