Call for Applications: Youth4Climate Hackathon 2026 for Young Innovators
Young innovators, entrepreneurs, software developers and climate-tech startups across Eastern Africa are invited to apply for the Youth4Climate Services Innovation Hackathon 2026.
This is a regional initiative aimed at supporting youth-led digital solutions that improve access to and use of climate information.
The hackathon is organised by the IGAD Climate Prediction and Applications Centre (ICPAC), in partnership with the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA). It seeks to identify, test and promote innovative technologies that strengthen climate services and help communities make informed decisions in response to climate change.
Applications are open to eligible innovators aged 18 to 35 from member states of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD). The deadline for submissions is November 6, 2026.
About the Hackathon
The Youth4Climate Services Innovation Hackathon will focus on practical, existing innovations that address challenges in the climate services value chain.
Participants will be expected to demonstrate how their digital tools, platforms, products or technologies can improve the delivery, accessibility, relevance and use of climate information.
Solutions may include technologies that translate weather and climate forecasts into sector-specific advice, improve climate risk communication, respond to local user needs, promote engagement with climate information or integrate climate data into decision-making tools.
The three-day regional hackathon is scheduled to hold in Nairobi, Kenya, from December 8 to 10, 2026. Selected innovators will showcase their solutions to climate experts, evaluators and potential development partners.
Benefits of Participating
The hackathon offers young innovators an opportunity to showcase their work, receive expert feedback and explore opportunities to develop their solutions further.
Benefits include:
- Financial awards: Outstanding innovations will receive financial support to facilitate further development. Specific award amounts have not yet been announced.
- Technical mentorship: Participants may benefit from guidance and feedback from climate services experts.
- Incubation and acceleration opportunities: Selected innovators may be connected to relevant programmes to strengthen their solutions.
- Partnership opportunities: Participants could connect with organisations interested in piloting their innovations and supporting institutional collaboration.
- Regional visibility: The hackathon provides a platform to present youth-led innovations to experts and potential partners across the IGAD region.
Selection will be based on factors such as functionality, relevance to climate services, user-centred design, potential impact and prospects for further development and scaling.
Who Can Apply?
The opportunity is open to young innovators, entrepreneurs, software developers, data scientists and multidisciplinary teams who meet the following requirements:
- Applicants must be between 18 and 35 years old.
- They must be nationals of, or based in, an IGAD member state, subject to the final eligibility guidelines.
- They must have an existing climate-related digital tool, platform, product or solution that is functional or at the pilot stage.
- They must be able to demonstrate how their innovation works, identify its intended users and explain its current stage of development.
- They must clearly show how their solution contributes to improving climate services.
- They must be available to participate in the hackathon in Nairobi and present their innovations to technical experts and evaluators.
Important: Conceptual ideas without a demonstrable, working or pilot-stage solution will not be eligible.
IGAD member states include Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan and Uganda. Applicants should consult the official eligibility guidelines for confirmation.
What Applicants Should Prepare
Interested applicants are expected to provide the following information and supporting materials:
- A brief description of their innovation and the specific problem it addresses.
- An explanation of how the solution contributes to climate services and the relevant part of the climate services value chain.
- Details of the intended users and how the innovation meets their needs.
- Evidence of the solution’s current development stage, such as a working demonstration, prototype, screenshots, video or pilot results.
- An explanation of the innovation’s distinctive features and value compared with existing solutions.
- Information about the innovator or team, including relevant skills and motivation for participating.
- A brief statement outlining the solution’s potential for further development, practical application and scaling.
Applicants are encouraged to demonstrate the practical value of their innovations and explain how the solutions could be adopted by communities, institutions and other climate-sensitive sectors.
Hackathon Details
- Programme: Youth4Climate Services Innovation Hackathon 2026
- Organisers: ICPAC, in partnership with AGRA
- Location: Nairobi, Kenya
- Event dates: December 8–10, 2026
- Eligible age range: 18–35 years
- Application deadline: November 6, 2026
How to Apply
Interested and eligible innovators should visit the official ICPAC website to review the hackathon announcement, concept note and application guidelines.
Applicants are required to complete the official application process and submit the relevant information and supporting evidence before the deadline.
Apply here: https://www.icpac.net/events/youth4climate-services-innovation-hackathon/
Application deadline: November 6, 2026.
