Startups from Kenya, Nigeria, and South Africa have been invited to apply for five challenges aimed at harnessing innovators’ power to reduce waste.
The challenges are organized by KTN Global Alliance Africa, a six-year project funded by UK Aid and the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office under the Innovate UK Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF) (FCDO).
Through knowledge transfer, skill building, and opportunities to support businesses and innovations that create scalable impact and sustainable economies, the project’s long-term goal is to encourage job creation, inclusive growth, and poverty reduction. KTN Global Alliance Africa brings together innovators from Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, and the United Kingdom to create positive change and value.
The five challenges are part of the company’s Global Alliance Innovation Exchange program, which connects firms facing specific challenges with innovators who are actively working on solutions.
KTN Global Alliance Africa is assisting Unilever in South Africa in meeting its goals of having the amount of virgin plastic used in its packaging, reducing plastic usage by more than 100,000 tonnes, and collecting and processing more plastic packaging than it sells.
The Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Centre in Kenya, which processes CRTs, is looking for innovative solutions for the recycling and reuse of led-embedded screens and steering coils, as well as alternative uses for CRTs in their current state or in a new form after disposal.
Flamingo Horticulture International, a horticultural company with a global reach in the growing, production, sales, and marketing of fresh produce and flowers, is also looking for creative cross-sectoral solutions to detect, screen, and eradicate FCM in Kenya.
On January 28, 2022, submissions for all five challenges will close. After that, the top candidates will be selected to present their ideas to the companies that are looking for these solutions. The most promising solution providers for each challenge will receive seed funding of GBP25,000 (US$34,000) to develop their concept into a prototype or pilot, as well as additional support from KTN Global Alliance Africa.