Youth-led climate solutions to win cash in climate innovation challenge 2026
UCIC 2026 is targeting young innovators, entrepreneurs, startups, researchers, creatives, and solution developers with ideas that can contribute to a more resilient, sustainable, and low-carbon Uganda.
Young climate innovators and stakeholders during the launch of the Uganda Climate Innovation Challenge 2026 at Kampala Marriott Hotel recently. [Photo by Aloysious Kasoma]
___________________
Young Ugandans with innovative solutions to climate and environmental challenges have been invited to compete for sh37m in cash prizes under the 2026 Uganda Climate Innovation Challenge (UCIC).
Launched on Tuesday during the 3rd Annual Africa Climate Finance Conference (3ACFC26) at the Kampala Marriott Hotel, the challenge seeks to identify and support youth-led innovations that address climate challenges while creating economic opportunities.
UCIC 2026 is targeting young innovators, entrepreneurs, startups, researchers, creatives, and solution developers with ideas that can contribute to a more resilient, sustainable, and low-carbon Uganda.
Unlike initiatives that focus mainly on identifying innovative ideas, the challenge aims to help participants take their solutions further by connecting them to finance, markets, mentorship, investors, incubation and strategic partnerships.
Isaac Ndyamuhaki, National Director of the Green Africa Youth Organization (GAYO) Uganda. (Credit: Aloysious Kasoma)
Isaac Ndyamuhaki, National Director of the Green Africa Youth Organisation (GAYO) Uganda, said the real value of the challenge would be measured by its ability to help young innovators turn ideas into viable solutions.
“Our role should not end at identifying young innovators. We must connect them to the finance, markets, mentorship and partnerships they need to turn their ideas into scalable solutions,” Ndyamuhaki said.
The competition is open to innovations in areas including circular economy, e-mobility, circular regenerative agriculture, clean energy innovation, and climate art and storytelling.
“Climate innovation is not only about technology. It is also about new business models, community knowledge, creativity and solutions that respond to the realities Ugandans face every day,” he said.
The organisers say the sh37m prize pool will provide winning innovators with an opportunity to strengthen and scale their solutions, while the wider programme will increase their visibility and links to Uganda’s climate finance and innovation ecosystem.
The 2025 Africa Climate Innovation Challenge awarded six young innovators from across Africa a combined sh181m ($50,000) in seed funding.
The competition brought together policymakers, climate experts, researchers, private-sector players and young entrepreneurs from more than 20 African countries.
With climate risks expected to intensify across Africa, organisers say supporting locally developed and scalable solutions will be critical to strengthening community resilience and creating a generation of young climate entrepreneurs.