Royal Academy of Engineering Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation 2027 in Sub-Saharan Africa (Fully-Funded training in the UK plus £50,000 Prize)

Application Deadline: 8 September 2026 at 4.00pm UCT+1 

Applications at the moment are open for the 2027 Royal Academy of Engineering Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation, The Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation, based by the Royal Academy of Engineering, is Africa’s greatest prize devoted to engineering innovation. The Prize awards commercialisation assist to African innovators creating scalable engineering options to native challenges. These improvements present the significance of engineering in enhancing high quality of life and financial growth.

Applicant necessities 

• Applicants can apply as a person or on behalf of a group.
• The applicant have to be a citizen of a rustic in sub-Saharan Africa*. For groups of two or extra, the lead applicant (the individual taking part in training) have to be a citizen of a rustic in sub-Saharan Africa*.
• The  applicant have to be ordinarily primarily based in sub-Saharan Africa*; if primarily based abroad, this have to be momentary for research or in any other case.
• The applicant have to be over the age of 18 when functions shut. There isn’t any higher age restrict.
• The applicant will need to have a excessive degree of English proficiency, which is able to enable them to completely take part in the whole programme. The application have to be written in English.
• The applicant can’t be an alumni of the Africa Prize or part of the identical group, enterprise or innovation that has been by the Prize.
• Industrial researchers and institutions are usually not eligible.
• Alumni of the Academy’s Advance programme or alumni of the Leaders in Innovation Fellowship (LIF) programme who participated after June 2024 are usually not eligible to apply to the Africa Prize. LIF alumni who participated in the LIF programme earlier than June 2024 could also be eligible if they’ll proof by their application why participation in the Africa Prize is important and/or will add worth to them and their enterprise.  

Benefits

The Africa Prize gives a novel advantages bundle for as much as 16 shortlisted contributors to assist speed up their enterprise together with: 

• Eight month tailor-made training programme.
• Two fully-funded training weeks: one in the UK and one in a serious African metropolis.
• Access to enterprise and technical experience and sector-specific engineering mentoring.
• Bespoke press protection and communications assist.
• Access to the Academy’s community of high-profile engineers and enterprise consultants in the UK and Africa.
• The alternative for finalists to current their innovation to a judging panel at the Africa Prize showcase occasion.
• Prize cash of as much as £50,000.

How to Apply

The Africa Prize follows a two-stage application course of. The first stage is open to all eligible candidates, whereas solely longlisted improvements are invited to submit the second stage of their application.

Application Timeline

Stage 1 – Technical Assessment: Covers eligibility standards and technical innovation particulars, permitting technical reviewers to evaluate feasibility, innovation potential, and engineering advantage.

1. Stage 1 functions shut on Tuesday 8 September at 16:00 UTC+1
2. Applications checked for eligibility following submission deadline
3. Reviewed by technical consultants in September 2026
   Stage 2 – Business Assessment: Covers enterprise parts similar to monetary projections, market evaluation, and technique.
4. Long-listed candidates shall be invited to finish Stage 2 in October 2026
5. Shortlist chosen by judging panel by December 2026
6. All candidates notified of consequence by the January 2027

For More Information:

Visit the Official Webpage of the Royal Academy of Engineering Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation