Call for Applications: wAtt-boost – Youth Powered Start-Up in Africa 2nd Edition (€10,000 Monetary Prize awarded)

Ednah Carrick June 6, 2026

0 479 6 minutes read

Closing Date: 21 June 2026

Call for Applications: wAtt-boost – Youth Powered Start-Up in Africa 2nd Edition (€10,000 Monetary Prize awarded)

Applications are open for the second edition of wAtt-boost – Youth Powered Start-Up in Africa, the program promoted by Enel Foundation, in partnership with RES4Africa Foundation and Strathmore University, and with contribution of International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA).

This new edition of the wAtt-boost – Youth Powered Start-Up in Africa is looking for young entrepreneurs and startups developing renewable energy and electrification solutions for African markets: from AI and smart grids to clean cooking, electric mobility, climate adaptation, agrivoltaics and beyond.Selected participants will join a tailored training and capacity-building journey, gaining access to technical and business sessions, mentoring and coaching, networking opportunities, visibility, and the chance to compete for two €10,000 awards to support the growth of their startups.

Introduction

Africa’s path to a sustainable and prosperous future hinges on the innovative ideas of its youth.By empowering young talents, innovators, entrepreneurs, and start-ups, we can turn the deployment of renewables, universal access to energy and the energy transition at large into a reality.

To achieve this vision, with the in-kind contribution of RES4Africa Foundation (R4A), and Strathmore University, Enel Foundation is launching the Open Call for the second edition of wAtt-boost: Youth Powered Start Up in Africa. This initiative offers a tailored training program for startups and entrepreneurs in the renewable energy sector in Africa.wAtt-boost aims to nurture and expand renewable energy-focused businesses within Africa’s startup ecosystem.

Thematic Focus and Programme

wAtt-boost – Youth Powered Start-Up in Africa encourages applications from young entrepreneurs in Africa, with a focus on entrepreneurship and renewable energy solutions. The proposed concepts and projects should foster innovation through the lens of start-ups and entrepreneurial ventures in the dynamic field of renewable energy and electrification.

Applicants are invited to submit their business proposals, whether they are new ideas or ongoing projects aimed at fostering and expanding renewable energy-focused businesses within Africa’s startup ecosystem. The challenge seeks innovative solutions in the realm of renewable energy and electrification that can drive sustainable development and address critical energy needs across the continent.

Potential solution may include but are not limited to, (i) artificial intelligence (AI) leveraging AI to optimize energy production, distribution, and consumption, AI-driven predictive maintenance for renewable energy systems, smart grid management using AI algorithms, other innovative AI applications in the renewable energy sector, (ii) grids and infrastructure such as development of resilient and efficient energy grids infrastructure projects that enhance energy access in remote areas, integration of renewable energy sources into existing grids and other infrastructure solutions that support renewable energy, (iii) climate adaptation and mitigation such as solutions that help communities adapt to climate change impacts, technologies that reduce greenhouse gas emissions, projects focused on carbon capture and storage, and other climate-related innovations that support sustainability, (iv) clean cooking such as innovations in clean cooking technologies to reduce reliance on traditional biomass, development of affordable and efficient cookstoves, initiatives that promote the adoption of clean cooking solutions, and other clean cooking advancements that improve health and environment, (v) electric mobility such as electric vehicle (EV) solutions tailored for African markets, infrastructure for EV charging stations, projects that promote sustainable transportation options, and other electric mobility initiatives that enhance transportation efficiency, (vi) agrivoltaics such as combining agriculture and solar energy production, solutions that enhance land use efficiency and food security, innovations in solar-powered irrigation systems, and other agrivoltaic technologies that support agricultural sustainability.

Within the wAtt-boost initiative selected startups/entrepreneurs will be invited to join a tailor-made training program.The Training for the selected Participants will cover both technical and business aspects of boosting a startup in the renewable energy and power sector, offering a comprehensive package of services such as Training, Mentoring & Coaching, Networking, Visibility, and more (all activities and services will be conducted in English).The Training is composed of two modules:

specific lectures from the NewGen Renewable Energy Accelerator,a program owned and carried out by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) with the support of EF, scheduled between June and July 2026;
an ad-hoc training module run by RES4Africa addressing the peculiarities of the evolving African electricity markets.

A maximum of two members from the selected startup’s team (if any) may participate in the training.

Monetary Prize

As a key component of the wAtt-boost program, participants will have the possibility to compete for two awards of 10.000,00 euros each. This dedicated fund is designed to provide crucial financial support to the most promising entrepreneurs and startups that demonstrate significant potential and growth prospects by the conclusion of the program.

Eligibility Criteria

Applicants must meet the following eligibility criteria:

Entrepreneurs must be between 18 and 35 years old
The solution should address the African market
Ownership: either the entrepreneur must possess African citizenship or the startup must be registered in Africa
The startup must be registered for at least 1 year and operate in the renewable energy and electrification realm (among the others, potential domains may include, but are not limited to, artificial intelligence (AI), grids and infrastructure, climate adaptation and mitigation, clean cooking, electric mobility, agrivoltaics, …)
The entrepreneur must have proficiency in English, demonstrated by either being a native speaker, holding a CAE (Certificate in Advanced English), or having a degree completely taught in English

Application Process

The application process starts with the completion of the Online Standard Application form by the Applicants exclusively through the Beez Buro platform available at the following link: https://buro.beezsocialerp.com/auth/sign-up

Use the BeeZ-In Code when applying: WATB9570
For optimal stability and reliability, wAtt-boost strongly recommend:
Starting and completing your application using the latest version of Google Chrome.Completing your application on a desktop computer.
To initiate your application:
Click on the provided application link.
Copy and paste the BeeZ-In Code (WATB9570) into the platform to start the application process.

For any technical issues encountered on the platform, please email technical support at [email protected] for assistance.

The evaluation of applicants will only be completed for those who complete the Online Standard Application form, ensuring all sections are properly filled out (mandatory).

All documents must be provided in English.Each Applicant cannot submit more than 1 application.

Enel Foundation, along with its Partners promote gender balance in the selection of participants, therefore women applicants are highly encouraged to participate and also consider eligible a team application within the start-up. In such case, the composition of the team should be clearly indicated, including the names and contact details of all members. At least one member of the team must be between 18 and 35 years old.

Selection Process

By participating to this challenge, applicants acknowledge and agree that the evaluation and selection process will be based on the criteria specified below. No detailed evaluation of individual submissions will be provided to applicants.

Participants also acknowledge that Enel Foundation reserves the rightto withdraw the Call for Application and may modify this challenge at any time at its sole discretion. This includes changes to deadlines, events, locations, or specifications of the program, which will be posted on the Enel Foundation website.Participants should regularly visit the Enel Foundation website to check for any updates of the challenge.

An administrative check of the applications will be carried out by Enel Foundation and the other organisation supporting this challenge. If the examination reveals that it does not meet the requirement stated in the eligibility criteria under section 5, the application will be excluded automatically.

A Selection Committee composed by a representative of each of the Partners will select fourteen candidates (“Participants”) to participate to the training and capacity building program (“Training”) based on the following criteria:

Relevance of the problem/need identified and ability to impact the renewable energy sector while fostering access to energy, job creation, poverty alleviation, gender equality, and economic growth
Innovation of the enterprise’s solution
Financial feasibility and solidity of the business model
Market size, scalability, and replicability of the solution
Ability to demonstrate the business case, value proposition, and competitive advantage of the enterprise

Training and Semi-Final Event

Following the selection process, the selected Participants will be invited to join the Training program.

The Training is open for maximum 2 participants for each start-ups. Such Training will cover both technical and business aspects of boosting a startup in the renewable energy and power sector.At the end of the Training, a semifinal will be held online through platforms like Teams or Zoom, inviting the fourteen participants to present their business idea to the Selection Committee.

The final award of up to 20.0000,00 €, with 10.000,00 € for each of the two Winners, is contingent upon the full completion of the wAtt-boost program and acceptance of the provisions set forth in this document, as well as the Application Form, which forms an integral part of it. The award represents a complete payment, net of any transfer feesand local taxes that may be required to withhold, if requested by applicable legislation. This dedicated fund is designed to provide crucial financial support to the most promising entrepreneurs and startups that demonstrate significant potential and growth prospects by the conclusion of the program.