GCA to empower Africa’s youth-led climate entrepreneurs with $30,000 grants
The Global Center on Adaptation (GCA) on Friday launched the In-Country YouthADAPT demo day events under the African Adaptation Acceleration Program (AAAP).
Following this development, youth-led enterprises from Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, Ghana and Nigeria will over the coming weeks compete in a series of national demo day events.
The top 10 enterprises (two per country) will be awarded $30,000 grants and
enrolled in a year-long acceleration and mentorship program, equipping them to attract long-term investment and scale their impact.
This development marks a significant milestone in empowering Africa’s next generation of climate entrepreneurs, providing them with investment, mentorship, and pathways to scale up their innovative adaptation solutions.
The Demo Day events are designed to bridge the financing gap for youth-led adaptation enterprises by linking them directly with domestic and regional private-sector investors.
Participating investors will gain access to a curated pipeline of high-potential enterprises through pitch sessions and private deal rooms, supported by transaction advisory and due diligence facilitation from the Kenya Climate Innovation Centre (KCIC) on behalf of GCA.
From a pool of over 500 applicants, up to 100 enterprises—approximately 20 per country—have been shortlisted to pitch their ideas before panels of distinguished jurists and investors.
Their innovations span sectors critical to Africa’s climate resilience, including food security and resilient infrastructure. Each country’s event will showcase the ingenuity of young Africans tackling some of the continent’s most pressing climate challenges in agriculture and infrastructure with locally grounded, commercially viable solutions.
Patrick V. Verkooijen, President and CEO of the Global Centre on Adaptation, said: “Africa’s youth are not just victims of the climate crisis—they are architects of the solutions. Through our YouthADAPT challenge, we are turning their ideas into investable, impactful businesses.
“This is practical climate leadership: aligning innovation with national priorities and NDCs, creating decent jobs and strengthening food systems and infrastructure where it matters most. I call on banks, development finance institutions, impact investors, and corporate partners to join us—so that by COP30 and beyond, we can scale these solutions to scale.”
Joseph Murabula, Chief Executive Officer Kenya Climate Innovation Centre said, “We all know that Africa’s greatest resource is its innovative, youthful population. We are moving beyond this rhetoric to action.
“Through the In-Country YouthADAPT 2025 Challenge, we are providing African youth with the essential tools, including funding, mentorship, and market access, to turn their climate adaptation solutions into viable businesses. This is how we build climate resilience from the ground up, strengthening food security and critical infrastructure,” he added.
Following the Demo Day series, final selections and investment commitments will be announced during COP30 in Brazil in November 2025, where the top ten youth-led enterprises will be showcased on the
global stage.
