Oxford Africa Conference 2026 Innovation Seed Fund for Student-led Solutions (Up to £5,000 Grant)

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Applications are open for Oxford Africa Conference 2026 Innovation Seed Fund Grant. Oxford Africa Conference Innovation Seed Fund (ISF), a competition supporting student-led solutions addressing major challenges across Africa. The programme includes the Oxford University Innovation Award, which provides a £5,000 grant to an early-stage project demonstrating practical implementation potential.

The Innovation Seed Fund (ISF) is a flagship Oxford Africa Conference competition supporting student-led solutions to Africa’s most pressing challenges. As part of the 2026 ISF, the Oxford University Innovation (OUI) Award offers a £5,000 grant, sponsored by Oxford University Innovation.

The OUI works at the forefront of translating research, ideas, and talent into impact through venture creation, intellectual property commercialisation, and entrepreneurial support. Through this award, OUI seeks to identify and support early-stage, Africa-focused innovations that combine rigorous thinking with practical pathways to implementation.

Oxford Africa Conference Innovation Seed Fund Focus Areas

We welcome proposals aligned with the conference themes:

Governance in Africa: Projects exploring how governance and security shape institutional effectiveness, accountability, and human capital development across Africa.
Founders in Focus: Initiatives supporting founders through enterprise creation and financing structures that drive scalable, sustainable growth across the continent.
Arts, Media and Culture: Projects examining how creative industries develop sustainable business models, access finance, and scale African cultural production to regional and global markets.
Sustainable Futures: Initiatives addressing electricity access, infrastructure scale-up, renewable energy deployment, climate innovation, and the role of green finance in inclusive development.
Economic Development: Projects advancing investment-led development strategies that strengthen domestic and regional economies beyond aid-dependent models.
AI, Innovation & Technology: Initiatives advancing digital inclusion, AI, and emerging technologies to build competitive, locally grounded African tech ecosystems.

Oxford Africa Conference Innovation Seed Fund Benefits:

£5,000 grant through the Oxford University Innovation Award
Exposure to researchers and innovation partners
Expert feedback and pitching opportunities

Eligibility Criteria

Individuals or teams (up to three members) may apply under the following criteria:

University of Oxford Students:
- Applicants must be either undergraduate or postgraduate students at the University of Oxford.
- For team applications, at least one member must be a University of Oxford student.
African University Students & Recent Graduates:
- Applicants must be current or recently graduated (within one year of graduation) undergraduate or postgraduate students of an African university based primarily on the continent.
- For team applications, all members must meet this criterion.

Shortlisted Candidates

Selected candidates/team leads from Africa will be required attend a pitch preparation webinar in April, date and time to be announced.
Students from African Universities should be willing to either present virtually or fund their trip to the 2026 Oxford Africa Conference, organized by the University of Oxford Africa Society on May 16th – 17th, 2025, in Oxford, UK.

How To Apply

Click Here To Apply

Application Deadline: Saturday, February 28th, 2026, at 23:59 GMT