Apply Now: SafeTech Africa HackLab 2026 | Win Up to $10,000 in Seed Funding

Applications are now open for the SafeTech Africa HackLab 2026, a youth social innovation challenge offering young African innovators the opportunity to develop solutions that promote safer physical, informational and digital spaces.

The initiative is organised by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) in partnership with the Spotlight Initiative Africa Regional Programme, the Global Programme to End Child Marriage, the African Union Women, Gender and Youth Directorate, UNDP, UNICEF and UN Women.

The SafeTech Africa HackLab is designed to identify, support and scale youth-led innovations addressing issues including technology-facilitated violence against women and girls, child marriage, female genital mutilation and harmful anti-rights narratives.

Launched during the African Union Innovation Festival 2026 (AU InnoFest ’26) in Addis Ababa, the programme is seeking practical and scalable ideas that can contribute to safer communities and stronger digital rights across Africa.

Who Can Apply?

The opportunity is open to young African innovators aged 18 to 35, including social entrepreneurs, technology innovators and digital rights advocates.

Applicants may apply individually or as part of a team, with young people expected to play a leading role in the design, implementation and ownership of their proposed solutions.

Challenge Themes

Applicants must submit their innovation under one of three priority themes:

1. Safe Physical and Community Spaces
Solutions that help prevent and protect women, girls and young people from harmful practices such as child marriage, female genital mutilation and technology-facilitated violence.

2. Safe Informational Spaces
Innovations that improve access to accurate digital information, including comprehensive sexuality education and sexual and reproductive health and rights information.

3. Safe Digital Spaces
Solutions designed to counter harmful anti-rights narratives, technology-facilitated violence, online harassment and other forms of digital harm.

Examples of potential innovations include safety-by-design tools, encrypted reporting systems, digital self-defence platforms, privacy-preserving artificial intelligence solutions, media literacy applications and tools for countering online disinformation.

What Winners Will Receive

Four successful winners will receive seed grants ranging from US$5,000 to US$10,000 each to support the development and implementation of their innovations.

Shortlisted innovators will also benefit from virtual mentorship based on the UNFPA Social Innovation Toolkit and receive pitch coaching ahead of the final showcase.

Finalists will have the opportunity to present their innovations at the YouthConnekt Africa Summit in November 2026, while participants may also gain access to investors, venture funds and continental development partners.

The programme will provide additional visibility for selected innovations through the media platforms of UNFPA, the Spotlight Initiative and the African Union.

What Applicants Need to Submit

Applicants are expected to provide:

• Team lead and team member details, including age, gender, nationality, contact information and roles.
• Selection of one challenge theme.
• A problem statement of no more than 200 words.
• An innovation description of no more than 700 words explaining how the solution works, the technology involved, its benefits and scalability.
• A 12-month implementation roadmap, including key outputs and milestones.
• A digital safety and inclusion note covering safeguarding, data privacy and accessibility.

Proposed solutions will be assessed based on their relevance to the challenge, originality, feasibility, inclusivity, youth leadership, scalability, impact potential, safety, privacy and ethical considerations.

Application Deadline

The deadline for applications is October 18, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. CAT.

Interested young innovators, social entrepreneurs and digital rights advocates across Africa are encouraged to submit their applications before the deadline.

Apply Now: SafeTech Africa HackLab 2026 Official Application Page