The aim of the Digital Energy Challenge is to support the development of innovative solutions for increased energy access, to facilitate the integration of renewable energies and to improve energy operators' performance.
Since the launch in 2020, the Challenge, supported by the European Union, AFD and ADEME, has boosted more than 30 Start-up and Energy Utility projects. Following this success, the Challenge is being conducted for an additional year in 2025.
The digital revolution is key to tackling energy access issues in developing countries. In Africa alone, 600 million people, 1 out of 2 people in sub-Saharan Africa, do not have access to electricity. Innovative technologies and new business models are making significant progress in energy access with on-grid and off-grid solutions in urban and rural areas.
Contributing to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal of ensuring universal access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy, the AFD implemented Digital Energy, a programme co-financed by the European Union, to support the digitization and modernization of the energy sector.
Check out the 2024 Digital Energy Challenge here and the 11 winning projects here.
10th March 2025
Call for Projects opens
1st April 2025
Information webinar
Register for one of the webinars here.
16th May 2025 - 23h59 CET
Deadline for submission of applications
Autumn 2025
Notification of award winners and bootcamp
The 2025 Call for Projects targets projects for implementation in Africa and owned by:
Start-ups in the pre-seed phase or with early-stage activities. NGOs can apply under the Start-up category (see more details on the eligibility criteria for Start-ups).
Innovative technology or service providers who have already developed a digital solution to be tested (see more details on the eligibility criteria for technology providers)
Projects must have a core element of digital technology (telecom, computer or cloud-based). They must be innovative, either intrinsically or in relation to the local market or country.
For the Start-ups Challenge only, projects must be local with project management activities in the country where the project is based.
For the Start-ups Challenge, the project scope must adress one of three themes:
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For the Partnership Challenge the project must support one or several of the six modules of a rural electrification programme, managed by Senelec, the leading energy supplier in Senegal. More detail here.
For the 2025 edition, the Challenge will award 3 to 4 Start-up projects and one Technology Provider who will partner with the identified energy utility in Senegal, Senelec. A total budget of €1M will enable grant-based funding, technical assistance and strategic guidance.
Challenge winners can benefit from:
A financial contribution in the form of a grant for equipment/software purchases, training or recruitment costs.
Technical assistance for the winning Partnership Challenge project and the start-up projects on a case-by-case basis, such as project management support, strategic and technical expertise, and accounting/reporting assistance.
A bootcamp run by cross-sectoral experts to support project implementation, foster synergies between project winners and share best practices.
Increased visibility for the project through widespread social media communication campaigns piloted by AFD during the selection phase, award ceremony, bootcamp and for a period of time after these events.
For more information on each category and to apply, visit:
