UNDP Accelerate Africa Entrepreneurship Challenge 2025

About

The UNDP Accelerate Africa Entrepreneurship Challenge 2025 offers grants of up to $250,000 to support innovative and scalable micro, small, and medium enterprises owned by African youth and women, aiming to address employment challenges and promote economic empowerment through business solutions that benefit underserved communities.

Benefits

• Grants ranging from $20,000 to $250,000
• Capacity building and technical support from UNDP during project execution
• Networking opportunities with other development actors and stakeholders
• Enhanced public credibility and visibility for the business

Eligibility Criteria

• Must be 100% African owned and managed
• All owners and executives must hold African national passports or government IDs
• Must be legally registered and operating in Africa
• Can be for-profit or non-profit but not government-owned
• Projects must benefit underserved, at-risk, low-income, rural or urban populations, especially youth and women
• Must be innovative and scalable, focusing on job creation and poverty alleviation
• Must demonstrate financial sustainability or a path to it
• Applications over $250,000 require co-financing or matching funds