Octopus Energy African Energy Entrepreneurship Awards 2026
- Study in
- Sub-Saharan Africa (including Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, South Africa)
- Levels
- Start-up competition
- Funding
- £75,000 prize pot shared by three winners
- Covers
- Share of non-dilutive cash prize, mentoring from energy professionals, industry insight, investor introductions
- Who can apply
- Technology-focused energy start-ups resident in Sub-Saharan Africa, five years old or less, up to 20 full-time staff
- Run by
- Octopus Energy Generation
On this page
The African Energy Entrepreneurship Awards 2026 are a start-up competition run by Octopus Energy Generation, part of the Octopus Energy group, with Salpha as a sponsor. The awards back young clean energy companies in Sub-Saharan Africa with cash, mentoring and introductions to investors. Three winners share a cash pot. Founders in Nigeria, Ghana and Kenya can enter. This is not a scholarship, and it is not open to India or any country outside the listed African nations.
Status: Open, closes 11 December 2026 at 23:59 GMT. Entries opened on 5 October 2026. The terms say winners are chosen by 15 January 2027 and announced on 1 February 2027 (checked October 29, 2026).
What winners get
- Funding: the official terms say the three winning businesses will receive funding from a total cash pot of £75,000. The awards page describes this as a share of US$100,000 in non-dilutive capital, which means you do not give up shares.
- Mentoring: direct access to experienced energy professionals.
- Industry insight: exposure to global trends, technology and regulation in the energy sector.
- Visibility: follow-on funding opportunities and introductions across the Octopus Energy network.
The prize is not split equally. The judges decide how much each winner gets, based on what the business needs to scale. Winners must use the money only to scale the winning business.
Key details
| Run by | Octopus Energy Generation |
|---|---|
| Prize pot | £75,000 total for three winners (shown as US$100,000 on the awards page) |
| Sector | Energy: power distribution, grids, energy storage, clean energy |
| Company age | Five years old or less |
| Team size | No more than 20 full-time staff, unless Octopus approves |
| Where | Residents of listed Sub-Saharan African countries |
| Entry window | 5 October to 11 December 2026 |
| Winners announced | 1 February 2027 |
Who can apply
- You must be resident in one of the countries listed in the terms. These include Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, South Africa, Rwanda, Uganda, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Senegal, Cameroon, Zambia and most other Sub-Saharan countries.
- Your business must be a technology-focused start-up in the energy industry.
- It must be no more than five years old.
- It should have no more than 20 full-time employees.
- Your business concept must support clean electricity access and be able to scale.
- You cannot enter if you are financed by excluded sectors such as weapons, tobacco, upstream oil, coal mining or coal-fired power.
- Octopus staff and their families cannot enter.
How judges score you
Entries are assessed in five areas: innovation (what makes you unique), access (how you improve access to clean, reliable energy), scalability (can you grow to new towns or countries), impact (the social and economic benefit) and expertise (does your team have the skills to deliver).
How to apply
- Read the official terms and conditions in full.
- Prepare your contact details, your business location (country and city), a title and a description of your business concept.
- Gather the supporting documents the form asks you to upload.
- Submit one entry through the official entry form before 23:59 GMT on 11 December 2026.
- Send questions to sm********************@*********************on.com.
Tips before you apply
- Tell your story with milestones: customers, installations, revenue or pilots.
- Answer all five judging areas directly. Use them as headings in your description.
- Explain how much money you need to scale and what you would do with it. The judges set each prize based on need.
- You may enter only once, so make that one entry count.
- Look at the 2025 results on the awards page. Last year’s winner was NIMSY Agro Solar from Nigeria, which built a solar irrigation reservoir project in Kaduna State.
Related guides
- Youth Ecopreneur Programme (YECO) 2026-2027: $10,000 for Green Start-ups
- From Script to Screen with AI 2026: Free AI Filmmaking Academy for Africans
- Carnegie Challenge for Civic Leadership 2027: Awards for Ages 5 to 20
Details are taken from the official Octopus Energy Generation website, checked on October 29, 2026. Confirm the current rules there before you apply.
