🌍 Call for Applications — SIBC 2026 East Africa “Energy Transition”

The Digital Energy team is pleased to announce a new opportunity also supported by the Agence Française de Développement (AFD). The Social & Inclusive Business Camp (SIBC), a training program by the Campus AFD Group, has just launched the Call for Applications for its 2026 edition, dedicated to the Energy Transition in East Africa.

The SIBC is a pan-African acceleration program for impact-driven businesses, created in 2017 by the Campus AFD Group. It has already supported more than 350 African entrepreneurs in structuring their businesses, scaling their activities, and accessing finance.

This first regional edition, focused on Energy Transition and digitalization, will be implemented in five countries in the region (Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, and Ethiopia) to support high-impact enterprises shaping a more sustainable energy future. The program includes a 4 to 6-months e-learning phase, followed by an in-person bootcamp organized in Kenya. This bootcamp will prepare the selected entrepreneurs ahead of their participation in the Africa-France Summit, to be held in Nairobi in May 2026.

Its objectives are to:

• Select and support 50 entrepreneurs with strong social and environmental impact, active in key sectors of the energy transition (electrification, clean cooking, energy efficiency);
• Strengthen their strategic and operational capacities through a 4 to 6-months hybrid program (online training, coaching, in-person bootcamp and participation in the Africa-France Summit);
• Facilitate their networking with technical, financial and institutional partners;
• Foster local and regional synergies with ecosystem actors, including support structures, investors, incubators and public institutions.

By placing Energy Transition at the heart of this edition, SIBC 2026 East Africa Energy Transition aims to foster the emergence of sustainable local solutions that address its specific challenges. By encouraging knowledge sharing between entrepreneurs, experts, and partners, the program creates an environment that fosters innovation and collaboration. This regional approach not only strengthens the capacities of participating companies, but also contributes to the establishment of resilient and interconnected entrepreneurial ecosystems, promoting a fair energy transition in East Africa.

Entrepreneurs developing innovative solutions in the areas of clean cooking, electrification, or energy efficiency are invited to apply and join a community of change-makers committed to promoting an inclusive and sustainable Energy Transition across the region.