Digital Energy Challenge Call for Projects 2026 – YOA

Deadline: June 17, 2026

Do you may have a slicing-edge digital services or products that may improve vitality entry, speed up the vitality transition, or enhance the operational effectivity of vitality utilities in Africa? Apply now for the Digital Energy Challenge Call for Projects 2026.

The 2026 Digital Energy Challenge Call for Projects invites progressive SMEs to apply in a single or each of the next classes:

• Tech Accelerator for progressive digital initiatives in one of many 51 specified international locations in Africa
• Partnership for a collaborative undertaking in Nigeria, developed with the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC)

Funding

A complete finances of €827K can be allotted to chose initiatives to develop, check and implement progressive digital and AI-enabled options. 

Winners profit from:

• Grants to contribute to prices for tools, software program, services or products and coaching, in addition to professional help for undertaking administration.
  • Up to €400K (Partnership) 
  • Up to €150K (Tech Accelerator) 
• Expert help and bootcamp for hand-on steerage, sector insights and collaboration alternatives between undertaking winners and African utilities
• Visibility and networking by way of communication campaigns piloted by AFD and entry to the Digital Energy Community

Eligibility

Open to progressive SMEs that:

• Employ fewer than 250 individuals and have a turnover of lower than €50M
• Are unbiased (possession standards apply)
• Have a robust R&D element
• Have no battle of curiosity with AEDC

While firms from around the globe are invited to apply, proposals from native African firms are strongly inspired and can obtain beneficial consideration. 

Projects should:

• Be digital by nature (software program, information, telecom, cloud-based mostly expertise and so forth.)
• Demonstrate innovation (new or tailored to native context)
• Include a transparent R&D dimension
• Address the 2026 thematic priorities
• Be past ideation stage (already piloted)
• Be implementable inside 12 months
• Not depend upon regulatory adjustments

Additional standards:

• Tech Accelerator: the undertaking should happen in an eligible African nation (see checklist beneath).
• Partnership: the undertaking should happen in Nigeria with AEDC

Eligible Countries

The Digital Energy Challenge Call for Projects 2026 helps initiatives within the following international locations:

Algeria, Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burundi, Cabo Verde, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Democratic Republic of Congo, Republic of Congo, Côte d’Ivoire, Djibouti, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Gabon, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritania, Mauritius, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe.

Application

If making use of to each classes, candidates should obtain, full and submit a separate application for every class.

For extra info, go to Digital Energy Challenge.