The 2026 ISF offers two awards, each providing a £5,000 grant:
Nsiona Social Impact Innovation Award
Sponsored by Nsonia Impact, an Africa-focused impact advisory firm advancing sustainable and inclusive growth. This award recognises initiatives that demonstrate grounded leadership: leadership that is context-aware, systems-oriented, and capable of translating ambition into measurable, durable social impact.
Oxford University Innovation (OUI) Africa Innovation Award
Sponsored by Oxford University Innovation, the University of Oxford's technology transfer and entrepreneurship company. OUI works at the forefront of translating research, ideas, and talent into real-world impact through venture creation, intellectual property commercialisation, and entrepreneurial support. This award seeks to identify and support early-stage, Africa-focused innovations that combine rigorous thinking with practical pathways to implementation.
Our goal is to foster innovative and scalable solutions that tackle Africa’s most pressing challenges adhering to at least one of the themes below.
🔹 Areas of Focus
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.
⚠️ Please Note: Successful applicants will receive ONE award.
🔹 Who Can Apply?
Individuals or teams (up to three members) may apply under the following criteria:
1️⃣ 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.
2️⃣ 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.
🔹 Application Process
📌 Important: Please download the required proposal, work plan, and budget templates here before submitting your application. Ensure all documents are completed. Only one submission per team is allowed, and it should be made by the team lead.
🔹 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.
🔹 Application Deadline
📅 Saturday, Feb 28th, 2026, at 23:59 GMT
Don’t miss this opportunity to bring your vision to life! Submit your proposal before the deadline.
We look forward to receiving your innovative ideas and supporting your journey to make a lasting impact in Africa.
| Application Deadline |
28/02/2026 23:59 |
| Application required? |
Book Here |
