GIZ’s MOVE-ComCashew project invites young and emerging cashew entrepreneurs to turn a business idea into an investment-ready, climate-smart plan and submit it for a kickstart prize. Winners receive either €2,000 in direct funding or a laptop, tablet or software. The page doesn’t say how many prizes there are. Applicants must be at least 18, based in a member state of the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS), and have an idea anywhere in the cashew value chain. The deadline is 30 October 2026. Cashew Business Idea Competition
business/enterprise
GIZ Agri-Business Facility for Africa — Business Growth Awards for Young Agripreneurs
GIZ’s Agri-Business Facility for Africa invites young and emerging agripreneurs to turn a business idea into a funded plan through its Agribusiness Growth Challenge. Ideas must fall in maize, livestock (cattle, sheep or goats), cashew or cocoa. The Business Growth Awards are listed as €6,000 in funding, a Dell Pro 14 Essential laptop and a place in a six-month agribusiness mentoring programme. Applicants must be at least 18 and based in a member state of the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS). Submissions close on 30 October 2026. Business Growth Awards for Young Agripreneurs
Journalism Fund — Investigation Grants for Environmental Journalism
The Investigation Grants for Environmental Journalism supports cross-border teams of professional journalists or news outlets to conduct investigations into environmental affairs related to Europe. The grant covers working time and expenses such as logistics, travel, insurance, access to legal support, translations, and access to technology and data sets. The total available amount to be distributed among all supported investigations will be around €400 thousand. The grant is open to professional freelance journalists or news outlets (cross-border teams of at least two journalists). The next application deadline is 07 January 2027. Click here
Partnership for Battery Action — Assessing Air Quality Harm from Lead-Acid Battery Recycling
Pb Action invites researchers and teams to develop the most accurate and cost-effective methodology for assessing and monitoring air quality impacts from lead-acid battery recycling facilities in low-resource settings. Funding available: up to $100,000, with cost effectiveness as a key evaluation criterion. Applications are open to individuals, informal teams, universities, nonprofits, public agencies, and companies in any country. Selected applicants must be able to receive funds directly or through an acceptable host or fiscal sponsor. The deadline is 06 October 2026. Know more
Halcyon — Africa Innovation in Agriculture and Food Security Accelerator
Halcyon invites early-stage, revenue-generating ventures across Sub-Saharan Africa working on climate-resilient agriculture, food security, and smallholder farmer livelihoods to apply for its accelerator program. Selected founders receive a $10,000 equity-free stipend, $10,000 in AWS credits, professional advisors, and access to Halcyon’s global founder network. The initial eligibility deadline is 23 October 2026. Link to Halcyon
Hatch Blue — Women in Ocean Food
Hatch Blue invites women-led blue economy startups to apply for an equity-free business support programme focused on Latin America and the Caribbean. Topics include sustainable and regenerative aquaculture, marine biotech, seafood value chains, seafood waste reuse and blue carbon. The programme pays all travel, accommodation and food for two participants per team, but gives no cash or equity investment. Teams must be led or founded by women, or have women as real decision-makers, and have at least one participant, ideally two co-founders. Applications close on 07 November 2026. Women in Ocean Food
Imagine H2O — Water Startup Accelerator
Imagine H2O invites early-stage water startups from anywhere in the world to apply for its 2027 accelerator programs. It offers mentorship, training, introductions to a network of technology adopters and investors, and showcase opportunities at industry events. It takes no equity, and no cash award is stated. Startups must be under 10 years old, with revenue under US$5 million and equity investment under US$10 million. Meetings run on Pacific time mornings, which means evenings for African applicants. Applications close 20 November 2026. Water Startup Accelerator
MassChallenge — Sustainable Food Solutions Challenge
MassChallenge seeks startups and corporations with proven solutions or technologies in the areas of Sustainable Food & Feed Solutions, AgTech, and others. The Challenge allows participants to work together, create a joint pitch, and scale up innovative solutions. Selected corporate partners will be invited to the MassChallenge Sustainable Food Solutions Challenge Day. Selected startups will receive CHF1,000 to contribute towards travel to the event. Applicants can be from any geography. However, partners are headquartered in Europe, so physical collaboration would be mostly in Europe. The application deadline is 25 November 2026. Sustainable Food Solutions Challenge
UAE Water Aid — Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Water Award
UAE Water Aid Foundation (Suqia) invites nominations for the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Water Award. The award supports research and development of new and innovative technologies that produce, distribute, and purify water using renewable energy to support poverty- and disaster-stricken communities worldwide. Prizes vary according to category from US$20 thousand to US$150 thousand. Suqia invites corporations, research centers, institutions, innovators and youth from around the world, whose novel technologies provide solutions to the challenges of water scarcity, to participate in the awards. The deadline for nominations is 30 September 2026. Visit Suqia
International Fund for Agricultural Development — Rural Sector Performance Assessment for Policy and Investment
The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) invites non-profit organizations, private companies, universities, think tanks, or research institutes to submit proposals for a grant of up to US$1.2 million to implement an initiative strengthening country-level rural development policy and investment environments, through enhanced policy assessment. Selected recipients must provide a counterpart contribution of at least 20% of the grant amount (25% for private sector applicants). This call has been re-opened, with a new deadline of 07 October 2026. Find details here