UNECA Continental Call for African AI Innovations 2026

The UNECA Continental Call for African AI Innovations 2026 is a call for submissions by African innovators to showcase AI-driven solutions addressing development challenges across sectors like health, agriculture, education, financial inclusion, and climate action. Hosted by the Africa Internet Governance Forum (AfIGF 2026) in Accra, Ghana (2–5 November 2026), this initiative aims to bridge innovation, policy, and implementation by connecting innovators with policymakers, investors, and researchers. The event highlights existing solutions, their impacts, and the support needed for responsible deployment and scalability. The call is open to startups, universities, research institutions, tech hubs, private/public organizations, and individual innovators with a working prototype or deployed solution demonstrating development impact or potential.

What it offers

• Exhibition and engagement platform at AfIGF 2026 to showcase AI innovations addressing SDGs and African Union’s Agenda 2063.
• Innovation-to-Policy Exchange for selected innovators to present solutions and engage with stakeholders.
• Networking opportunities with policymakers, investors, researchers, and private-sector actors.
• Focus on responsible AI deployment, adoption, and sustainable scaling of African-led solutions.

Who can apply

The call is open to:

• African startups and technology companies
• Universities and research institutions
• Innovation hubs and laboratories
• Private-sector organizations
• Public institutions and public-sector innovation teams
• Social enterprises
• Individual innovators and innovation teams

Applicants must demonstrate a functioning prototype, pilot, or deployed solution with evidence of development impact or credible potential to generate meaningful impact.

How to apply

• Submit an application via the provided link (exact steps not detailed in the source).
• Contact sorene@un.org for inquiries.

Good to know

• Event date: 2–5 November 2026 (Accra, Ghana).
• Focus areas: Health, agriculture, education, financial inclusion, climate action, public-service delivery, trade, and small-business development.
• No explicit funding or stipend mentioned—this is a call for submissions, not a funding opportunity.
• No explicit eligibility criteria beyond nationality (African) and innovation type (AI-enabled solutions).