Africa Oxford Health Innovation Programme 2026 for African Innovators.

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Application Deadline: 18 March 2026 at 23:59 GMT

Applications are now open for the 2026 Africa Oxford Health Innovation Programme. AfOx-HIP is open to work with any type of technology and in any discipline, including outside life sciences and engineering sciences, to create solutions for disease prevention, diagnosis, management and treatment. This includes vaccines, diagnostics, medical devices, therapeutics and surgical devices.

Solutions with high impact potential that offer opportunities for transformative health delivery in Africa will be prioritised. We especially encourage solutions aimed at:

• reducing premature deaths from non-communicable diseases amongst African populations

• optimising diagnostic and prognostic tests for African contexts

• novel diagnostic tools to increase resilience to endemic diseases

• preventing, diagnosing or treating zoonotic diseases

Eligibility Criteria

Applicants must meet all three levels of eligibility:

1. Applicant Eligibility

Applicants must:

• Be a national of an African country or have indefinite leave to remain in an African country
• Be legally resident and domiciled in an African country
• Be developing the proposed innovation in their host country

Applications from individuals or innovators leading small teams are welcome. Being an academic is not required, but applicants must demonstrate a strong scientific or technological foundation for their innovation.

Female and under-represented innovators are particularly encouraged to apply.

2. Solution Eligibility

The proposed solution must be science-based and aimed at disease prevention, diagnosis, management, or treatment, including vaccines, diagnostics, medical devices, therapeutics, or surgical tools.

Early-stage ideas are eligible in specific categories, while prototype-stage or more advanced innovations with scaling potential are strongly encouraged.

3. Venture Eligibility

• Ventures must have a legal presence in the country of domicile, though founders who have not yet registered a company are eligible.
• The scheme does not support innovations from well-established businesses, consultancies, NGOs, consortiums, or industrial research companies.
• Student projects, including master’s dissertations or capstone work, are not accepted.

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Training Programme

Selected innovators will participate in a fully virtual Innovation and Entrepreneurship training programme designed for busy professionals. The course requires approximately 8–10 hours per week and includes:

• Entrepreneurial thinking and venture acceleration
• Translational research
• Creative problem-solving
• Business with purpose
• Weekly interactive workshops and group work

Application Process

Applicants must ensure they complete all required steps and press “Submit” before the deadline; incomplete submissions will not be considered. Successful applicants will receive confirmation by email.

Shortlisted candidates will be notified of the outcome by 31 May 2026.

Applications must be submitted in English.

Required materials include:

• Completed online application form
• Reference letter from an affiliated institution or professional contact
• Visual demonstration of the innovation (maximum two-page PDF schematic or design; optional demonstration video)
• Disclosure of any potential conflicts of interest

For More Information:

Visit the Official Webpage of the Africa Oxford Health Innovation Programme