Deadline Date: March 20, 2026
The Ashoka East Africa is launching Phase 2 to support social entrepreneurs in scaling distributed renewable energy solutions that enhance agricultural productivity and improve smallholder livelihoods.
The program emphasizes enhancing productivity, resilience, and incomes for smallholder farmers, building a robust ecosystem of collaboration and systems-level change, presenting research findings, providing actionable recommendations, raising awareness of key issues, informing stakeholders about trends, challenges, and opportunities, and facilitating decision-making for policies and initiatives.
Phase 2 of the program offers a comprehensive 6-month experience combining capacity building, strategic mentorship, ecosystem connections, and competitive seed funding. Expert-led workshops cover scaling strategies, market and financing approaches, and systems change, specifically tailored for distributed renewable energy solutions in agricultural value chains.
Participants receive one-on-one mentorship from leading experts, including Ashoka Fellows and senior thought leaders, who provide guidance drawn from successfully scaled social innovations in energy and agriculture. The program culminates in a competitive showcase where participants present their strategies, with top innovations potentially receiving seed funding to accelerate implementation.
In addition to skill-building, the program facilitates direct connections with investors, policymakers, technical partners, and off-takers, and provides support for attending key ecosystem events across East Africa. Participants work closely with experts to develop concrete systems change strategies aligned with the unique needs and growth stage of their innovations.
Visibility and storytelling are central to Phase 2, with selected innovations featured through strategic communications, social media, and ecosystem amplification to attract further support.
The program is designed for passionate innovators and social entrepreneurs based in or operating in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, or Rwanda, offering working distributed renewable energy solutions—such as solar, biogas, or mini-grids—applied within agricultural value chains to improve smallholder farmer productivity, resilience, or income. Applicants should have a working prototype, pilot, or early implementation with an operational structure, be founders or decision-makers in their ventures, and demonstrate a strong ethical and social impact commitment while fully engaging in the 6-month program.
For more information, visit Ashoka East Africa.
