African Cities Innovation Fund launched to accelerate locally led urban innovation across Africa 

In Nairobi this week, the Million Lives Collective and the Judith Neilson Foundation launched the African Cities Innovation Fund, a new partnership that will provide flexible grants of up to US $75,000 to pairs of African innovators working on solutions for rapidly growing cities. Applications for the fund will open in early 2026. 

Across Africa, innovators and community groups are experimenting with new ways to improve mobility, strengthen services and build more resilient local economies. Jite Phido, Senior Program Manager at the Million Lives Collective, says the call for proposals will

identify and amplify this work, while surfacing new pathways for impact.”  

The fund will seek collaborations in areas such as circular production, climate resilient infrastructure, digital equity, youth employment and safer urban spaces. Successful applicants will also join the Million Lives Collective network, gaining visibility and support to scale their ideas. 

At the International Development Innovation Alliance Global Summit in Nairobi, the Million Lives Collective and the Judith Neilson Foundation introduced the fund jointly. Abi Taylor, the Foundation’s Innovation Director, said the partnership would “give innovators room to test new partnerships, experiment with scaling pathways and find new ways of creating impact in African cities.” Ensuring that cities remain places where people can thrive, she said, “calls for imagination, ambition, innovation and collaboration.” 

Learn more and express your interest: https://www.millionlives.co/african-cities-innovation-fund