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#MyLittleBigThing, 10 years, by MK-Africa 10th Anniversary Edition · 2026 / 2027

Your little big idea,
built into a real venture.

Africa's Annual Challenge for young sustainability innovators. Bring an idea, leave with a tested prototype, a course, a community and a room full of investors. Free to enter, open to anyone aged 18 to 35.

Start your applicationApply now See how it worksHow it works
Applications close · 30 NOVEMBER 2026
  • Closes 30 November 202630 Nov Call for applications
  • 4 tracksAcross the 17 SDGs
  • April 2027Apr 2027 Demo Day at Strathmore
Sponsored by Absa Kenya Foundation SanlamAllianz Demo Day atStrathmore University
Choose your track

Four places where Africa needs better answers.

Choose the track that best matches the core problem your innovation solves.

Track selection is based on your solution's primary sector—not founder identity. Women-led ventures, youth, and innovators of all abilities are actively prioritised and eligible for special leadership awards across every single track.

SDG 1 SDG 8 SDG 9 SDG 10

Digital & Economic Inclusion

Fintech, market access, connectivity and the tools that put more people inside the economy. Focus & who should apply SDG 2 SDG 12 SDG 13

AgriTech & Circular Economy

Food systems, waste as a resource, clean energy and climate resilient production. Focus & who should apply SDG 3 SDG 5 SDG 8

Empowering Women through Innovation

Women led ventures, maternal and reproductive health, care work and social equity. Focus & who should apply SDG 16 SDG 17

Transparency & Governance Tech

Open data, accountability, civic participation and trust in public institutions. Focus & who should apply
Track 1 of 4

Digital & Economic Inclusion

Focus

Fintech, market access platforms, assistive tech, digital literacy, and platforms integrating informal workers or underserved groups into the formal economy.

Who should apply

Innovators building hardware, web apps, USSD/mobile platforms, or digital models targeting unbanked populations, gig workers, persons with disabilities, or marginalised youth.

Key SDGs

  • SDG 1 No Poverty
  • SDG 8 Decent Work
  • SDG 9 Industry & Innovation
  • SDG 10 Reduced Inequalities
Apply for Digital & Economic Inclusion
Track 2 of 4

AgriTech & Circular Economy

Focus

Climate-smart agriculture, post-harvest loss reduction, regenerative farming, renewable biomass, waste-to-value conversion, and water stewardship.

Who should apply

Innovators with solutions that convert waste into commercial products, improve smallholder farmer yields, optimize irrigation, or provide clean energy solutions.

Key SDGs

  • SDG 2 Zero Hunger
  • SDG 12 Responsible Consumption & Production
  • SDG 13 Climate Action
Apply for AgriTech & Circular Economy
Track 3 of 4

Empowering Women through Innovation

Focus

Female-founded or co-founded ventures, maternal and reproductive healthcare access, gender-based safety, care-economy innovations, and female financial inclusion.

Who should apply

Ventures founded/co-led by women, OR innovations where at least 60% of primary beneficiaries/end-users are women and girls.

Key SDGs

  • SDG 3 Good Health & Well-being
  • SDG 5 Gender Equality
  • SDG 8 Decent Work
Apply for Empowering Women through Innovation
Track 4 of 4

Transparency & Governance Tech

Focus

Civic tech, public service accountability, anti-corruption tools, supply chain traceability, data privacy, and ethical community feedback systems.

Who should apply

Innovators developing tools that increase institutional transparency, protect citizen data, ensure fair trade verification, or promote open community governance.

Key SDGs

  • SDG 16 Peace, Justice & Strong Institutions
  • SDG 17 Partnerships for the Goals
Apply for Transparency & Governance Tech
The journey

From a form on your phone to Demo Day.

Ten steps in four phases, between now and April 2027: from your application to the Annual Innovation Demo Day at Strathmore University. Not everyone reaches Demo Day, but every applicant can join the community and take the course.

Phase 1 of 4 · Steps 01–03

Open Call & Sensitisation

  1. Innovator submits application via the mobile-friendly form.Open now, closes 30 November 2026

  2. Instant auto-redirect to the official MLBT WhatsApp Channel & Community for announcements, peer networking, and updates.Straight after you apply

  3. Access to online learning modules (Intro to SDGs, Venture Ethics, Circular Models). Optional $20 verified certificate.Online, at your own pace

Start your application
Phase 2 of 4 · Steps 04–05

Capability Building

  1. Rolling bi-weekly evaluation of submissions and course completions by Strathmore & MLBT evaluators.Rolling, bi-weekly

  2. Virtual masterclasses led by Strathmore faculty on Value-Based ESG (VESG), unit economics, and digital workbook completion.Online, virtual masterclasses

Phase 3 of 4 · Steps 06–08

Incubation, Immersion & Validation

  1. Intensive hybrid/in-person design-thinking, customer discovery, and prototyping training.Two days, hybrid or in person

  2. 4–6 weeks of customer discovery to secure early feedback, pilot traction.4 to 6 weeks, in your community

  3. Independent jury panel evaluates pilot traction and report submissions.After Community Immersion

Phase 4 of 4 · Steps 09–10

Acceleration & Strathmore Innovation Demo Day

  1. Deep-dive coaching on pitching for the Demo Day.Online

  2. Live capstone pitch at Strathmore University pitching to partners.April 2027 · Strathmore University

Step 1 of 10
Who it is for

Can you apply?

  • You are between 18 and 35
  • You live anywhere in Africa
  • You have an idea, prototype or early venture
  • It answers a sustainability challenge
  • No company registration or funding needed
Start your application
Questions
Does it cost anything to apply?

No. Applying is free and the Self-Paced Certification Course is free. Finishing the course is what puts your application forward to Phase 1 Review. At the end you can also get a verified certificate for $20, which is optional.

Who can apply?

Anyone aged 18 to 35 living anywhere in Africa, with an idea or an early stage venture that answers a sustainability challenge. You do not need a registered company, funding or a finished product.

What do I need to have ready?

Your project name and the track it fits, your co-founders' names if you apply as a team, a 200 word essay covering the problem, your solution and how it sustains itself, and a link to a 2 to 3 minute video introducing you and the idea. YouTube, Google Drive, Vimeo or TikTok all work, as long as anyone with the link can view it. A pitch deck or product photo is optional.

Can I apply from outside Kenya?

Yes, and we would like you to. Everything up to the bootcamp happens online. The bootcamp itself is held in Kenya and travel and accommodation are covered by participants, so plan for that if you are joining us from further away.

Can I save and come back to the form?

Yes. Your answers are kept in your browser as you type, so you can close the page and pick up where you left off on the same device.

What happens after I apply?

Your #MyLittleBigThing account is created with your application, and your dashboard shows all ten steps. We take you straight to the MLBT WhatsApp Channel & Community, then you complete the Self-Paced Certification Course. Your application and course completion then go to Phase 1 Review, a rolling bi-weekly evaluation by Strathmore and MLBT evaluators, who select those who join the Online Training Program. You will see the outcome on your dashboard and by email.

Sponsors & partners

The organisations behind the 10th Challenge.

Made possible by our 2026 / 2027 sponsors, and by the partners who have backed young African innovators with us for years.

Absa Kenya Foundation The social impact arm of Absa Bank Kenya, investing in entrepreneurship, education and skills in communities across the country. absabank.co.ke SanlamAllianz Sanlam and Allianz together in Kenya: life and general insurance, investments and retirement for families and businesses. ke.sanlamallianz.com
With our partners
Strathmore University Safaricom MK-Africa PKF East Africa Crew 2030

Want to back the next generation of African innovators? Talk to us about sponsoring

Ten years. Hundreds of ideas.
Yours next?

Applications close 30 November 2026. It takes about fifteen minutes to start.

Apply for the 2026 / 2027 Challenge