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This call for technological and non-technological innovations offers start-ups, nascent firms and other entities founded and managed by university students the opportunity to showcase the innovations and potentially get support from hundreds of technical expertise that are in the ECA’s Solvers Database. The selected entities will also have the chance to meet potential partners, seasoned innovators and entrepreneurs, investors, public funders and industrial research institutes.

To get the most out of this opportunity, it is important that your submission addresses or showcases the novelty of the product, process or business model, its current limitations and/or requirements to enable judges, potential supporter and partners fully appreciate your innovation.

Click here to apply

Are you the best entity at supporting and bringing innovative entrepreneurs to market? As of 2019. Africa was home to about 648 tech hubs, majority of which are run by universities. This call is designed for university-based entities that incubate, nurture and/or fast track the development and growth of businesses and/or support individuals and teams to bring innovative technologies to market. This is your opportunity to showcase your services, infrastructure and other support mechanisms that make you the come-to place and home for individuals, teams and firms that wish to commercialize their products or bring businesses to market.

To get the most out of this opportunity, it is important that your submission addresses or showcases the novelty of the product offerings (i.e., goods and services) offered to emerging and upcoming entrepreneurs and technology providers and the impact achieved, and/or business support practices of your entity with a focus on improvements in efficiency and productivity of your entity’s operations.

Click here to apply. 

Does your university offer an (or taking steps to improve its) environment that inspires, cultivates, and promotes entrepreneurial skills, mindset and culture among students, researchers, and the community? If so, this call is your opportunity to showcase how your university advances or is advancing entrepreneurship across disciplines in the institution, and its contribution to sustainable development. Cognizant of the fact that universities come in different shapes, sizes and interests, the call is tailored to focus only on a few of the attributes that underpin entrepreneurial universities.

The call is specifically designed to promote sharing of good practices in promoting entrepreneurship and commercialization of research through education. With about 1,225 universities that are ranked globally, African could benefit immensely even if only one (1) in ten universities (about 122) and actively brought to market five firms a year (a total of about 1,100 innovative firms entering the market) which in turn could in turn partners of universities and invest in R&D in future. This call is thus your opportunity to showcase your strategies, administrative processes and services that can help other universities interested in building their own entrepreneurship support environment in their own regions and countries.

Click here to apply online

Innovate Durban, through the Youth Innovation Challenge 2022 is asking innovators the following question; 

How can we use digital skills and innovation to avert and/or decrease direct economic loss, damage to critical infrastructure, and disruption to basic services caused by disasters, to ultimately build sustainable cities and communities in KZN?

Prizes

• Winners have an opportunity to join the Start-Up Support Programme 2023
• Winning solutions will receive prize money of R35 000, R25 000, and R15 000.
• Upskill the participants in innovation skills and concepts  
• Innovatively tackle social, system and structural issues   
• Arranging start-up and product development support with partners  
• Business development and job creation 

Click here to apply

Green Buildings Finance Programme provides up to 100% property finance ranging from R500 000 to R50 million to established entrepreneurs with a viable business who want to invest in green buildings and achieve green building certification. We finance the purchase, construction, and/or retrofit of buildings if their designs are certified under an eligible green building certification.

Click here to apply. 

Technology and Human Resource for Industry Programme (THRIP) is a cost-sharing grant of up to R8 million per annum for a period of 3 years for approved projects engaged in applied research and development (R&D) in science, engineering and technology.

Click here to submit an application. 

Click here to submit a claim.

The Export Marketing and Investment Assistance (EMIA) scheme develops export markets for South African products and services and recruits new foreign direct investment into the country.

Click here to submit an application. 

Click here to submit a claim. 

The programme support for the Clothing Textile Footwear Leather (CTFL) sectors through five policy levers of the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (the dtic):

• Clothing Textile Footwear Leather Growth Programme (CTFLGP) to boost customised financing and value chain competitiveness;
• Designation of Clothing Textile Footwear Leather under Preferential Procurement Policy Framework Act Regulation for 100% local contents;
• Retail – Clothing Textile Footwear Leather (R-CTFL) Masterplan 2030;
• Developing and implementing policies for improved growth, competitiveness, new decent jobs and sustainability of the Clothing Textile Footwear Leather industries; and
• Enabling innovation and technology demonstration, value chain strategies as well as the development of relevant skills for the sectors through the various clusters.

Youth Technology Innovation Programme (YTIP) exists to drive and increase the participation of young people in the economy by providing funding for the development of techno-enterprises. The Programme is targeted at funding and supporting youth, between the ages of 18-30, who have innovative ideas that have the potential to establish new businesses.

Purpose of the Programme 

• Fund development of innovative ideas to solve various social and technological problems
• Create and enable access to infrastructure and services, mentoring and incubation, to support development and commercialisation of youth-led technology-enterprises
• Accelerate the commercialisation and uptake of youth-led technology-enterprises

Click here to register and apply. 

The Critical Infrastructure Programme (CIP) aims to leverage investment by supporting infrastructure that is deemed to be critical, thus lowering the cost of doing business. The CIP is a cost-sharing incentive that is available to the approved applicant/s or infrastructure project/s upon the completion of verifiable milestones or as may be approved by the Adjudication Committee.  Infrastructure is deemed “critical” to the investment if such investment would not take place without the said infrastructure or the said investment would not operate optimally.

Click here to submit an application.

Click here to submit a claim.

The Automotive Investment Scheme (AIS) is an incentive designed to grow and develop the automotive sector through investment in new and/ or replacement models and components that will increase plant production volumes, sustain employment and/ or strengthen the automotive value chain.

The AIS provides for a non-taxable cash grant of twenty percent (20%) of the value of qualifying investment in productive assets and twenty five percent (25%) of the value of qualifying investment in productive assets by component manufactures and tooling companies as approved by the dtic.

Click here to submit an application. 

Click here to submit a claim.

The Capital Projects Feasibility Programme (CPFP) is a cost-sharing grant that contributes to the cost of feasibility studies likely to lead to projects that will increase local exports and stimulate the market for South African capital goods and services. 

The grant is capped at R8 million to a maximum of 50% of the total costs of the feasibility study for projects outside Africa and 55% of the total costs of the feasibility study for projects in Africa.

Click here to submit an application form. 

Click here to submit a claim. 

The Agro-Processing Support Scheme (APSS) aims to stimulate investment by the South African agro-processing / beneficiation (agri-business) enterprises. The investment should demonstrate that it will achieve some of the following: Increased capacity, employment creation, modernised machinery and equipment, competitiveness and productivity improvement and broadening participation.

Click here to submit an application.

Click here to submit a claim.  

The Aquaculture Development and Enhancement Programme (ADEP) is an incentive programme available to South African registered entities engaged in primary, secondary and ancillary aquaculture activities in both marine and freshwater classified under SIC 132 (fish hatcheries and fish farms) and SIC 301 and 3012 (production, processing and preserving of aquaculture fish). The grant is provided directly to approved applications for new, upgrading or expansion projects.

The programme offers a reimbursable cost-sharing grant of up to a maximum of R20 million qualifying costs in machinery and equipment; bulk infrastructure; owned land and/or buildings; leasehold improvements; and competitiveness improvement activities as outlined in section 8 of the ADEP guidelines.

Click here to submit the application form. 

Click here to submit a claim.

The Technology Development Fund supports the development of technologies from proof concept leading to product prototype and ultimately demonstration thereof in an operating environment.

Click here to register and apply. 

The main purpose of the Fund is to enable innovators to evaluate, demonstrate and advance the value proposition and commercial potential of their research outputs. The Fund therefore contributes towards de-risking research outputs in order to increase the pipeline for Technology Innovation Agency and other funders. The fund assists High Education Institutions and Small Micro Medium Enterprises in bridging financing requirements to translate research outputs into fundable ideas for commercialisation.

Application

A close call issued by Offices of Technology Transfer (OTT) or Regional Development Agencies (RDA). 

The Pre-Commercialisation Support Fund assists existing or potential individual entrepreneurs and Small Micro Medium Enterprises to obtain funding to support pre-commercialisation activities including the development of production/service capacity to levels that will support operational sustainability. This further include, market testing and validation of the technology in the potential customer environment, as well as bridging finance in preparation for commercialisation.

Click here to register and submit application. 

The Township and Rural Empowerment Programmes (TREP) supports informal, micro and small enterprises and cooperatives in the rural and township economies. TREP provides blended finance and business development support to various sectors with a view of promoting their participation in the mainstream economy.

The Scheme is aimed at supporting small enterprises to:

• participate in the rebuilding and restructuring of the economy in townships and rural areas;

• necessitated by the emergence of the new world order;

• improve the quality and competitiveness of small enterprises for both domestic supply and export market; and

• seize opportunities in various sectors availed by the Covid-19 pandemic through the value chains and beyond.

Click here to submit application.

The Township Economy Partnership Fund (TEPF) is a partnership between the Gauteng Department of Economic Development (GDED), the Gauteng Enterprise Propeller (GEP) and the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC). The fund supports SMMEs in the township economy of Gauteng in sectors that include (but not limited to) Manufacturing, The Taxi Economy, ICT, Backyard Real Estate upgrading and retail.

The TEP is a fund aimed at supporting vulnerable township small businesses that are unable to access funding from private funding institutions, government, and other business support programmes.

Click here to apply 

ClimateLaunchPad (CLP) is a global green business ideas competition that supports promising cleantech entrepreneurs by providing them with training, coaching, and networking opportunities.

It welcomes innovation and solutions that tackle the challenges of climate change.