The Innovation for African Universities (IAU) programme is funding a partnership between entrepreneurship organisations in the UK and Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria or South Africa to support the sustainability phase of the IAU Enterprise and Innovation Challenge.
The selected partnership will support student-led innovations and enterprises currently participating in the IAU Enterprise and Innovation Challenge to grow them into sustainable projects.
About the IAU Enterprise and Innovation Challenge
Launched in 2025, the IAU Enterprise and Innovation Challenge directly supports student and graduate-led innovations and enterprises through SSA-UK partnerships. The Challenge has awarded grants to support 36 student-led innovations and enterprises from participating universities across Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa. It aims to support these projects to progress towards commercialisation, while strengthening university entrepreneurship ecosystems and fostering long-term SSA-UK partnerships to enhance graduate outcomes.
The sustainability phase of the Challenge will provide a final, targeted package of support to a competitively selected group of student-led innovations and enterprises from the 36 currently participating. This final phase will help selected projects to strengthen commercialisation, market engagement, access and exposure to UK and international opportunities, access to follow-on funding and longer-term sustainability beyond IAU support.
About the grant
One grant will be awarded to an SSA-UK partnership of entrepreneurship support organisations to deliver the sustainability phase IAU Enterprise and Innovation Challenge.
Each proposal must have:
- One Lead Entrepreneurship Support Organisation from Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria or South Africa
- One Lead Entrepreneurship Support Organisation from the UK.
The UK and overseas lead institutions must be one of the following:
- Entrepreneurship support organisations
- University affiliated innovation hubs, accelerators
- Other incubators and accelerators
- Innovation and commercialisation support organisations
- Comparable organisations with suitable expertise.
Key details
Maximum value of grant: £220,000
Project length: 8 months, starting November 2026
Application deadline: 28 October 2026, 11.00 UK time
Contact: Meekness.lunga@britishcouncil.org
How to apply
Download all application documentation below.
Submit your application via our online grant platform (registration required).