AUDA-NEPAD Land Accelerator Africa Program 2025 (USD $5,000 Innovation Grants)

Application Deadline: October 30, 2025

The African Union Development Agency – New Partnership for Africa’s Development (AUDA-NEPAD) has opened applications for the 2025 Land Accelerator Africa Program, a flagship initiative that supports entrepreneurs across the continent working to restore degraded forests and farmland. The program is a collaborative effort between AUDA-NEPAD, the World Resources Institute (WRI), and Fledge, under the broader African Forest Landscape Restoration Initiative (AFR100).

The Land Accelerator Africa was established to empower innovative entrepreneurs who are tackling land degradation while creating sustainable livelihoods. The program provides mentorship, technical guidance, and investor networking opportunities that help participants refine their business models and attract investment for scale-up.

Program Structure

The accelerator runs in two main phases:

Phase One:
A three-month virtual training program where participants take part in weekly sessions focused on business strategy, marketing, financial management, and environmental impact measurement. Participants receive individualized mentorship and complete deliverables designed to strengthen their business operations and readiness for investment.

Phase Two:
This phase concludes with an intensive week-long in-person workshop, where participants meet industry experts, investors, and fellow restoration entrepreneurs. The highlight of this phase is Impact Day, an event where participants pitch their ventures to investors, potential partners, and restoration leaders from across the continent.

Benefits

The Top 100 Land Restoration Entrepreneurs selected for the 2025 cohort will each receive USD $5,000 Innovation Grants, funded by SIDA and AUDA-NEPAD. These grants are aimed at empowering women and youth-led enterprises that focus on land restoration, sustainable agriculture, and ecosystem recovery.

Participants will also gain:

Access to a vast network of mentors and investors in the environmental innovation space.
Business development support tailored to restoration-focused enterprises.
Visibility and recognition within Africa’s green growth ecosystem.
Opportunities to collaborate with key players in the AFR100 initiative and beyond.

Impact

Since its inception, the Land Accelerator Africa has attracted nearly 3,000 applicants from across Africa. To date, its 196 alumni from 34 countries have reported remarkable achievements — collectively creating 9,048 jobs, working with over 249,000 farmers, and restoring more than 201,000 hectares of degraded land.

These outcomes highlight the growing importance of private-sector participation in achieving the Bonn Challenge, the African Union’s Agenda 2063, and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). By nurturing restoration entrepreneurs, AUDA-NEPAD and its partners are advancing Africa’s environmental resilience while promoting inclusive and sustainable economic growth.

How to Apply

Interested entrepreneurs can submit their applications by visiting the official AUDA-NEPAD Land Accelerator Africa Program webpage before October 30, 2025. Applicants are encouraged to carefully review eligibility criteria and ensure that their projects align with the program’s mission of restoring Africa’s landscapes through innovative business solutions.