Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation 2026

The Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation is the continent's largest prize dedicated to engineering innovation, founded by the Royal Academy of Engineering in 2014. The 2026 cycle (Cycle 12) shortlists 16 innovators from 11 African countries (including first-time inclusions from Niger and Lesotho) for an 8-month training programme covering business plans, scaling, IP protection, and commercialisation. The final pitch event takes place in Johannesburg in October 2026, where four finalists compete for GBP 50,000 (winner), three runners-up at GBP 10,000 each, and an audience-voted GBP 5,000 One-to-Watch award. Since 2014, the Prize has supported 165 businesses across 22 countries that employ over 40,000 people.

GBP 50,000 prize for winner, GBP 10,000 each for three runners-up, GBP 5,000 One-to-Watch award. 8-month tailored training programme, two fully-funded training weeks (one UK, one African city), business and technical mentoring, communications support, lifetime alumni network access.

Citizen of and ordinarily based in a sub-Saharan African country, over 18 years old, fluent in English, with a scalable engineering innovation in early stages of commercialisation. Hardware: working prototype + customer interest. Software: functional MVP + traction. Individual or team applications. Not eligible: Africa Prize alumni, Academy Advance/LIF alumni post-June 2024.