OceanHub Africa — Call for Bold Ideas in Plastic Circularity (Pan-African)

Enriched Foundation · Found: 2026-03-14 22:08

OceanHub Africa and The Coca-Cola Foundation launched a $120,000 Pan-African Call for Bold Ideas in Plastic Circularity targeting scientists, startups, and innovators in Africa working on plastic waste reduction, recycling, and alternative materials. 2026 round closed February 15, 2026. Monitor for 2027 round.

Source: https://www.oceanhub.africa/

Funding Details

Funder

OceanHub Africa & The Coca-Cola Foundation (TCCF)

Funding Goal

To support innovative, science-driven solutions for plastic waste management across Africa, including reduction, reuse, collection, recycling, and alternative materials, with a focus on coastal and urban African communities.

Funding Amount

Total prize pool: $120,000 USD across selected innovators. Individual award amounts not specified. (up to 120.000 €)

Deadline

2026 round: February 15, 2026 (CLOSED). 2027 round expected — monitor oceanhub.africa from Q4 2026. (periodic)

How to Apply

Applications submitted via Tally form (tally.so link). Previous application deadline: February 15, 2026, 23:59 SAST. Process involves selection, mentorship, and venture building programme components. Contact OceanHub Africa at oceanhub.africa/contact

Target Region

Africa — Pan-African, with particular focus on coastal and urban communities

Contact

oceanhub.africa/contact | Cape Town, South Africa

Last Checked

2026-03-14 22:08

Application Checklist

Eligibility

• Organisation must be working on plastic pollution in Africa
• Open to scientists, startups, innovators — no explicit NGO exclusion

Project Scope

• Business models, community systems, and process innovations all eligible
• Kenya, Tanzania, Ghana coastal operations align perfectly with this call

Constraints

• 2026 call CLOSED (February 15, 2026) — monitor for 2027 round opening Q4 2026

Summary

OceanHub Africa is an ocean-impact catalyst based in Cape Town, South Africa, supporting ocean-impact ventures through acceleration programmes and connecting an international ocean-focused enabling ecosystem. The organisation was launched in 2019 and operates pan-African online and through a local partner network. In partnership with The Coca-Cola Foundation (TCCF), OceanHub Africa launched in late 2025/early 2026 a $120,000 Pan-African Call for Bold Ideas in Plastic Circularity. The challenge aimed to identify and support high-impact innovations addressing plastic waste across the full lifecycle — from reduction and reuse to collection, recycling, and alternative materials. The initiative was open to scientists, innovators, and startups across Africa. Selected participants would receive financial support from the $120,000 prize pool plus mentorship, networking, and collaboration opportunities. The programme targets coastal and urban African communities and aims to collectively recycle 490 tonnes of plastic waste and create 150+ sustainable livelihoods. The 2026 call closed February 15, 2026. This is the second edition of the OceanHub Africa/TCCF plastic challenge (the first was in 2024). Annual recurrence appears to be the pattern, with a 2027 round expected in Q4 2026. OceanHub Africa is a member of IUCN and a Dassault Systèmes startup incubation partner. The organisation specifically focuses on African ocean innovators, making it a strong network contact for Kenya, Tanzania, and Ghana coastal plastic operations.

Historical Context

First TCCF plastic challenge via OceanHub Africa: 2024. Second edition: 2025-2026 (closed Feb 15 2026). Pattern suggests annual call. TCCF also funds UNDP Asia plastic programme (separate). 2027 round estimated Q4 2026.

Why it was added

grant-scan-list3-2026-03-14

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