AUDA-NEPAD Opens Applications for 2026 Accelerator, Expanding Beyond Health Into Climate
The African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD) has opened applications for the 2026 cohort of its Home Grown Solutions Accelerator, with a significant change to its mandate: for the first time, the programme will support climate-focused ventures alongside healthcare companies.
The expansion marks a deliberate shift in how the accelerator defines impact. What began in 2021 as a direct response to the gaps exposed by the COVID-19 pandemic — specifically the shortage of local private sector support in African health systems — has matured into a broader platform for African-led solutions in two of the continent’s most pressing sectors.
Five Years of Measurable Output
Since its pilot phase and a pan-African rollout in 2022, the accelerator has worked with 46 healthcare ventures operating across 36 African countries. Collectively, those companies have raised $82 million in additional capital, added $24 million in annualised manufacturing value, and reached approximately 48 million patients. The programme is backed by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and operates within the framework of the African Union’s Energize Africa Initiative and Agenda 2063.
These figures give the 2026 expansion a foundation of credibility. The programme is not a new idea testing an unproven model — it is an existing structure scaling into adjacent territory.
What the 2026 Cohort Covers
On the healthcare side, eligible ventures can span diagnostics and medical devices, digital health, pharmaceuticals, maternal and child health, disease prevention, health workforce development, and supply chain management. The criteria require ventures to be African-led, employ predominantly local staff, and demonstrate either growth-stage traction or mature market presence.
The climate track introduces four sub-sectors: energy and power (with a focus on decentralised and clean solutions), sustainable mobility and transport, waste management and circular economy, and nature-based solutions. Climate applicants at an earlier stage of development are also eligible, a departure from the stricter maturity requirements on the health side.
Both tracks share a common threshold: ventures must be for-profit, registered entities with genuine ambitions to scale, and must demonstrate African leadership and operations.
A Four-Month Customised Programme
Selected companies will go through a four-month acceleration process running between June and September 2026. The programme is described as tailored to each venture’s specific growth needs, rather than a standardised curriculum. Participants also gain access to the accelerator’s network of advisors, investors, and peer companies — a resource that continues beyond the formal programme period.
Deadline and Process
Applications close on 19 May 2026. Shortlisted applicants will be asked to provide investor and customer references, along with financial information through early 2026. Final selections are expected by the end of May.
Healthcare ventures can apply here, and climate ventures here. Further details are available in the Guide to Prospective Applicants published by AUDA-NEPAD, and enquiries can be directed to [email protected].
