The African Development Bank (AfDB), through its Innovation and Entrepreneurship Lab and in partnership with EyeCity Africa, has opened applications for Phase II of its Higher Education Institutions (HEI) Innovation and Entrepreneurship Programme.
The initiative provides free support to African universities and research centres seeking to establish or improve structures that promote innovation and entrepreneurship.
The programme is designed to bridge the gap between academic research and business development by helping institutions turn research findings and entrepreneurial ideas into viable businesses. Participating institutions will receive practical resources, training, networking opportunities and strategic assistance to develop their innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystems.
The programme is open to institutions at different stages of development, with two participation tracks available.
The Start Group targets institutions that intend to establish entrepreneurship support structures for the first time. It is particularly suited to universities and research centres that do not currently operate an incubator, innovation hub or technology transfer office.
The Scale Group, on the other hand, is designed for institutions with existing incubators, accelerators, innovation hubs or technology transfer offices that want to improve their operations and expand their activities.
Programme Benefits
Selected institutions will have access to several capacity-building opportunities aimed at strengthening their ability to support entrepreneurs and commercialise research.
These include online training modules covering institutional governance, operations, funding, partnerships and sustainability. Participants will also receive ready-to-use frameworks, toolkits and practical resources to help establish or improve their entrepreneurship support structures.
The programme will further provide access to a pan-African network of higher education institutions, creating opportunities for peer learning and collaboration.
Participating institutions will also be onboarded onto the African Development Bank’s ENNOVA platform and may receive tailored, hands-on assistance in developing institutional innovation and entrepreneurship strategies.
Additional support will focus on building the capacity of incubators, innovation hubs, accelerators and technology transfer offices.
Participation in the programme is entirely free of charge.
Eligibility and Application Requirements
The opportunity is available to higher education institutions across Africa, including universities interested in developing entrepreneurship support systems and research centres seeking to strengthen innovation and commercialisation.
Institutions that already operate incubators, accelerators or innovation hubs are also eligible, as are those looking to establish or improve technology transfer offices.
To qualify, applicants must demonstrate commitment from their institutional leadership through a formal letter confirming support for the programme and future entrepreneurship development initiatives.
Participating institutions must also be able to allocate approximately 12–16 hours over a three-week period to the programme.
Another requirement is a commitment to encouraging the involvement of women and young people in entrepreneurship support activities.
Applicants are expected to provide relevant institutional information and details about the current development stage of their entrepreneurship support units.
How to Apply
Interested and eligible universities and research centres can apply through the following steps:
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Visit the official programme application portal: https://www.eyecity.africa/hei-call-for-applications.
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Review the eligibility criteria and programme requirements.
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Select the appropriate participation track: Start or Scale.
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Prepare the institution’s details and information about its existing or proposed entrepreneurship support structures.
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Obtain a commitment letter from the institution’s leadership.
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Complete and submit the application form in either English or French.
Application link: https://www.eyecity.africa/hei-call-for-applications
Through the second phase of the initiative, the African Development Bank and EyeCity Africa are providing African higher education institutions and research centres with an opportunity to strengthen their institutional capacity for innovation, entrepreneurship development and research commercialisation.
Source: EyeCity Africa
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