You have built a climate tool that works in a pilot. Now someone is asking how to take it further, and there is no deadline to beat.
The Research & Innovation for Climate (RICH) Hub has opened an expression of interest for African climate AI innovators. It is not a grant application. It is a way into a pipeline that can lead to coaching, partnerships and, for some, scaling grants of up to $200,000. Submissions are rolling, with no closing date. Sending one does not guarantee selection, support or funding.
The Hub is led by the Local Development Research Institute (LDRI) in Kenya, with AfriClimate AI as a partner. It sits inside AI4D, the AI for Development programme. AI4D is funded by the UK’s FCDO, Canada’s IDRC, Sweden’s Sida and Community Jameel. The Hub launched in Nairobi in June 2026 and runs for three years. One goal is to speed up at least four African-built AI tools. They cover farming, early warning, climate forecasts and community resilience.
Researchers, startups, organisations and solution developers can apply, if their innovation is African-led or Africa-based. It must tackle a clear climate or environmental problem that matters to African communities, ecosystems or economies. AI or data-driven technology must be a real part of it. It must also be past the idea stage. It should be at pilot stage or beyond and tested with its intended users. And it should have room to grow.
Support can include technical help, coaching, research and piloting, ecosystem links, visibility and scaling partnerships. The call does not say whether the $200,000 is per innovation, per year or a total pool. It gives no grant terms. Support depends on your assessment, your stage and your fit with the Hub’s goals.
The Hub’s own writing shows what it looks for. It tests ideas on two points. The first is feasibility. Can the tool be built and run in African conditions, with limits on data, skills, power and internet? The second is viability. Can it last beyond the pilot, with a way to pay for itself, an institution that owns it, a fit with the rules and lasting results? A solution must pass both tests to be considered for scaling. The Hub also favours public-interest routes, such as national weather agencies.
To apply, fill in the Hub’s online form. You can also agree to have selected details listed in a public Climate AI Innovation Database, which could help others find you. This is optional and not required for consideration. Questions go to comms@developlocal.org. Fill in the expression of interest form or read the call.
Why it matters: The Hub’s aim is to close the gap between a working pilot and a tool that can scale. That gap is where many promising projects get stuck. The call is open at any time and aimed at tools already in use. The funding wording is careful, so treat $200,000 as a ceiling and not a promise.
What to watch next: how many innovations the Hub selects, how big the scaling grants turn out to be, and whether its playbook on moving from pilot to scale is shared publicly.
Sources: RICH Hub expression of interest call; AI4D on the RICH Hub’s search for viable climate AI solutions; AI4D Research and Innovation for Climate Hub.
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