About this opportunity
Access to basic energy has reversed for the first time in a decade, with 685 million people living without electricity, and the sharpest gap is here in Africa. Octopus Energy Generation has built an awards programme around one blunt reading of that problem: the missing piece is rarely the idea, it is the money and the support to turn the idea into infrastructure.
The 2026 edition is open to technology focused start-ups in power distribution, grids, energy storage and clean energy generation, no more than five years old and with no more than 20 full time employees. The Terms and Conditions name 49 African countries where entrants can be based, and Nigeria is one of them. Three winning businesses share a cash pot the awards page puts at USD 100,000 in non dilutive capital and the Terms and Conditions state as £75,000, with the panel deciding what each winner actually needs to scale.
The money is only half of it. Winners get structured mentorship from people who have built the sector, including the CEO of Octopus Energy Generation, Sandra Dozie of Salpha Energy, the founders and CEOs of Pele Energy Group, Energicity Corp and Husk Power, and a director from The Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet. They also get introductions for follow on funding across Octopus Energy's global network, which is the part that outlives the grant.
Last year tells you what is winnable from Nigeria. NIMSY Agro Solar Concept took the 2025 award for building the country's first solar irrigation reservoir in Giwa local government area of Kaduna State, using rainwater harvesting, boreholes and solar pumps so smallholder farmers can grow food all year. That project was subsequently nominated for the Earthshot Prize, and the founder credits the award with opening networks that positioned the business for scale. The 2025 cohort drew applications from Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi, Botswana, South Africa and Zimbabwe.
Two dates to hold. Entries close Friday 11 December 2026, the judges decide on or before 15 January 2027, and winners are announced on 1 February 2027. The entry form itself takes seven minutes or more, so write your answers on the five assessed areas, innovation, access, scalability, impact and expertise, before you open it. Questions go to smiacenergycompetition@octopusenergygeneration.com.
What you receive
- A share of a total cash pot of non dilutive grant funding, so you keep your equity
- Structured mentorship from experienced energy professionals who advise on scaling
- Exposure to global trends, technologies and the regulatory landscape shaping the African energy sector
- Visibility and introductions for follow on funding opportunities across Octopus Energy’s global network
- A place in a continent facing cohort of early stage energy innovators, with the 2025 winner and runners up as proof the network works
Who can apply
- Your start-up is based in one of the 49 African countries named in the Terms and Conditions, and Nigeria is on that list
- You are a technology focused start-up in the energy industry, meaning power distribution, grids, energy storage or clean energy
- Your company is no more than five years old
- You have no more than 20 full time employees, unless Octopus approves otherwise
- You can describe your business against the five assessed areas: innovation, access, scalability, impact and expertise
- Your company is not financed in any of the sectors the Terms and Conditions exclude, including weapons and munitions, forced or child labour, illegal wildlife trafficking and illegal logging
Who should not apply
- Companies older than five years
- Companies with more than 20 full time employees, without Octopus approval
- Businesses outside the 49 listed African countries
- Employees of Octopus or the Octopus Energy Group, and their family members
- Multiple submissions, since each completed form counts as one entry and an entrant can only win one prize
Documents to prepare
- Your company details and the country where your start-up is based
- Your business story, including the milestones you have already achieved
- An explanation of what sets your company apart
- Detailed responses covering innovation, access, scalability, impact and expertise
How to apply
- Read the entry criteria and the full Terms and Conditions on the awards page, https://www.octopusenergygeneration.com/african-entrepreneurship-awards-2026/.
- Open the entry form at https://octopus.typeform.com/to/Tl6zZzL7. Octopus marks it as a form that takes seven minutes or more, so draft your answers somewhere else first.
- Tell the story of your business: what you have built, the milestones you have reached and what sets your company apart.
- Answer each of the five assessed areas in as much detail as you can, because the awards page says detailed responses improve your chances of being selected.
- Submit once before Friday 11 December 2026, since each completed form counts as one entry and multiple submissions are not allowed.
- Email smiacenergycompetition@octopusenergygeneration.com with any question before the closing date.
Selection process
- Octopus reviews every entry first against the eligibility criteria in the Terms and Conditions to confirm it is valid
- Validated entries are judged across five areas: innovation, access, scalability, impact and expertise
- A panel of energy leaders, including the CEO of Octopus Energy Generation, chooses the three winners by mutual agreement
- The judges make their final decision on or before 15 January 2027, and that decision is final with no correspondence entered into
- Winners are announced on 1 February 2027 on the awards page and in the media, and notified directly by phone or email
- A winner who does not respond within five business days of notification loses the place and another winner is selected
Sources and verification
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- Jim Leech Mastercard Foundation Fellowship on Entrepreneurship 2027
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Questions applicants ask
Is the funding a loan or an equity investment?
Neither. The awards page describes the funding as non dilutive grant capital, so you keep ownership of your company.
What kind of energy businesses is Octopus looking for?
Start-ups transforming power distribution, grid management, energy storage and clean energy generation. The framing on the awards page is that the missing piece in African energy is rarely the idea, it is the funding and support to bring it to life.
How much does each winner receive?
Three winning businesses share the total cash pot, and the panel sets each amount based on what that business needs to scale it. Individual award values are not published in advance.
Did a Nigerian start-up win before?
Yes. NIMSY Agro Solar Concept won the 2025 edition for building Nigeria’s first solar irrigation reservoir project in Giwa local government area of Kaduna State, and was later nominated for the Earthshot Prize. The 2025 runners up were Kamim Technologies and PAM AI.
When do applications close and when are winners announced?
Submissions close Friday 11 December 2026. The judges decide on or before 15 January 2027 and winners are announced on 1 February 2027.
Important disclaimer
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