By 
By Ross Moyo
AfriCircular Innovators Programme has launched Cohort 2 to accelerate Circular Economy businesses across four African countries.
Entrepreneurs in Zimbabwe, Angola, Benin and São Tomé and Príncipe are invited to apply by 13 September 2026.
Applications are now open for Cohort 2 of the AfriCircular Innovators Programme, a regional initiative supporting African entrepreneurs to build and scale commercially viable businesses that contribute to the transition towards a more circular, inclusive and sustainable economy.
The programme is funded by the African Development Bank’s Africa Circular Economy Facility (ACEF), in collaboration with the African Circular Economy Alliance (ACEA), and will support entrepreneurs in Zimbabwe, Angola, Benin and São Tomé & Príncipe.
AfriCircular Innovators Programme is seeking entrepreneurs whose businesses are turning waste into value, recovering and reusing resources, extending the useful life of products, improving resource efficiency, regenerating natural systems, or introducing more sustainable approaches to production and consumption.
AfriCircular is particularly aligned with SDG 12, Responsible Consumption and Production, which promotes more sustainable ways of producing and consuming goods and resources.
The programme also has strong links with:
● SDG 8 – Decent Work and Economic Growth, through the growth of viable enterprises, green jobs and income-generating opportunities;
● SDG 9 – Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure, through the development and scaling of innovative circular products, technologies and business models;
● SDG 11 – Sustainable Cities and Communities, through solutions addressing waste, resource use and more sustainable urban systems; and
● SDG 13 – Climate Action, through business models that can reduce waste, improve resource efficiency and contribute to lower environmental impacts.
Through this approach, AfriCircular contributes to ACEF’s broader objective of advancing the circular economy as an inclusive green-growth strategy, supporting African countries to pursue their development priorities while contributing towards the Sustainable Development Goals, the Paris Agreement and the African Union’s Agenda 2063.
Building on the First AfriCircular Cohort
Cohort 2 builds on the first AfriCircular Innovators Programme, implemented in 2024–2025, which supported 30 circular startups across three countries and generated important lessons on circular economy coaching, entrepreneurship support, ecosystem coordination and market linkages.
The second cohort expands AfriCircular into Zimbabwe, Angola, Benin and São Tomé & Príncipe, increasing the programme’s geographic reach while deepening the support available to circular economy entrepreneurs.
The programme will also strengthen entrepreneurship-support ecosystems by expanding access to circular economy knowledge, tools, coaching and market-linkage opportunities.
What Selected Entrepreneurs Will Receive
Selected entrepreneurs will receive practical support designed to strengthen both their commercial performance and circular impact, including:
● Business acceleration and capacity building
● Dedicated one-on-one coaching
● Circular economy expertise and technical support
● Investment-readiness support
● Peer-to-peer learning
● Regional networking and cross-border knowledge exchange
● Market linkage and strategic partnership opportunities
● Connections with investors, corporate partners and ecosystem stakeholders
● Support to strengthen financial management, operations and business models
● The opportunity to compete for a €10,000 mini-grant
Participants will strengthen their understanding of circular business models while developing the commercial, operational and financial capabilities required to build scalable enterprises.
The programme will cover areas including circular economy foundations, circular business model innovation, sustainable operations and supply chains, market access and customer development, financial management, investment readiness, digital tools and ESG considerations.
From 120 Ventures to 12 Mini-Grant Recipients
● AfriCircular Cohort 2 will initially select 120 ventures – 30 from each participating country.
● From this group, 40 ventures – 10 per country – will progress to the intensive capacity-building phase, where they will receive deeper business development, circular economy and coaching support.
● Following the intensive phase, 12 ventures – three from each country – will each receive a €10,000 mini-grant to accelerate their businesses and deepen their circular impact.
● A total of €120,000 in mini-grant funding will therefore be made available across the four participating countries.
Priority Circular Economy Sectors
AfriCircular will support businesses operating across key circular economy value chains, including:
● Circular Food Systems – including food loss and waste solutions, low-waste processing, composting, bio-inputs and productive use of organic resources;
● Plastics and Packaging – including reuse, recycling, refill models, alternative materials and waste recovery;
● Textiles and Fashion – including repair, reuse, upcycling, durable design and productive use of textile and leather waste;
● Electronics and E-Waste – including repair, refurbishment, reuse, parts recovery and safe collection; and
● The Built Environment – including reused and recycled building materials, resource-efficient construction and circular approaches to buildings and infrastructure.
These priority areas reflect the programme’s focus on practical solutions that keep resources in productive use, reduce waste and create economic value from materials that might otherwise be lost or discarded.
Who Can Apply?
The programme is seeking operating businesses with evidence of market activity, rather than idea-stage ventures.
Applicants should:
● Be operating in Zimbabwe, Angola, Benin or São Tomé & Príncipe
● Have an existing product or service that has been tested with customers
● Be generating revenue
● Demonstrate how circular economy principles are integrated into their product, service or business model
● Demonstrate potential environmental, social or economic impact
● Have the team capacity to participate meaningfully in the programme
● Demonstrate potential for business growth and sustainability
Applicants will also be asked to identify up to three United Nations Sustainable Development Goals to which their business contributes.
The programme particularly encourages applications from women-led, youth-led and informal-sector businesses, while also welcoming entrepreneurs with disabilities and businesses operating outside major urban centres.
Applications Now Open
Entrepreneurs building practical circular economy businesses are encouraged to apply.
Application Deadline: 13 September 2026
Apply here: bit.ly/AfriCircular2
There is no fee to apply and no fee to participate in the AfriCircular Innovators Programme.
Entrepreneurship support organisations, universities, business associations, circular economy networks, development organisations, private-sector partners and members of the public are encouraged to share the opportunity with eligible entrepreneurs across Zimbabwe, Angola, Benin and São Tomé & Príncipe.
About the AfriCircular Innovators Programme
The AfriCircular Innovators Programme supports African startups and SMEs to strengthen circular business models, improve investment readiness and develop scalable enterprises that contribute to more sustainable production and consumption.
The programme supports the role of the African private sector, particularly SMEs, in developing circular economy solutions and strengthening the pipeline of viable circular ventures across the continent.
Cohort 2 is implemented across Zimbabwe, Angola, Benin and São Tomé & Príncipe and is funded by the African Development Bank’s Africa Circular Economy Facility (ACEF), in collaboration with the African Circular Economy Alliance (ACEA).
Media Enquiries
Impact Hub Harare
Email: [email protected]
Tel: +263 776 672 526
Harare, Zimbabwe
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