About

Overview

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), through the timbuktoo MineTech Hub and its ecosystem partners, has launched the Pan-African MineTech Exploration Technology Pre-Incubation Programme to support young innovators developing technology-based solutions for Africa’s mining and mineral exploration sectors.

The programme targets participants from Botswana, Liberia, Malawi, Nigeria, Zambia and Zimbabwe, helping them transform early-stage ideas into validated solutions and prototypes that address real challenges identified by government and industry stakeholders.

The initiative focuses on developing accessible, cost-effective and locally relevant technologies to improve how mineral resources are identified, characterised and targeted.

Who Can Apply?

The programme is open to students, recent graduates, researchers, engineers, technical professionals, innovators and early-stage entrepreneurs based in one of the six participating countries.

Applicants must form multidisciplinary teams of 2–5 members, with all members aged 18–35 and residing in the same eligible country. Teams should combine expertise from at least two relevant disciplines, such as computer science, data science, mining engineering, geomatics or software engineering.

Applicants must present a clearly defined challenge related to mineral exploration, mining or associated environmental and operational activities, together with an initial technology-based solution. Each team must identify its members’ responsibilities, commit to programme participation and provide valid national identification documents.

A registered company or completed prototype is not required. Female applicants are particularly encouraged to apply.

Areas of Innovation

The programme supports hardware, software and integrated technology solutions addressing mineral exploration challenges. Relevant areas include:

• Mineral exploration and geological data
• Remote sensing and surveying
• Geophysical and geochemical technologies
• Mineral identification and analysis
• Artificial intelligence and predictive analytics

Solutions should demonstrate practical relevance to the country-specific challenges developed with mining industry and government stakeholders.

Programme Benefits

Selected participants will receive technical mentorship, industry engagement and prototype development support through participating UniPods, MineTech Hub facilities and relevant innovation infrastructure.

The programme also provides entrepreneurship and business development support, including market validation, business modelling and commercialisation planning. Participants will have opportunities to connect with mining companies, researchers, technology specialists, investors and innovation organisations.

Selected teams may compete for seed funding to develop early-stage prototypes and proof-of-concept solutions. High-potential teams may subsequently progress to the MineTech Hub incubation programme.

Selected team leaders will also receive practical guidance on intellectual property protection and management.

Programme Structure

The programme begins with a 10-week validation and pre-incubation phase, during which teams assess their proposed solutions, validate user needs and develop their business cases.

Following a pitch and selection process, successful teams will receive support for concept development and low-fidelity prototyping. Activities will be delivered through a hybrid format, combining online technical and business development workshops with hands-on prototyping at participating UniPods.

Solutions will subsequently undergo technical review with industry stakeholders and experts, with high-potential teams considered for further incubation.

Expected Outcomes

The programme aims to help participating teams transform early-stage ideas into validated technology concepts and functional prototypes addressing practical challenges in Africa’s mining and mineral exploration sectors.

Participants are expected to strengthen their technical and entrepreneurial capabilities, validate the commercial potential of their solutions and establish connections with relevant industry stakeholders.

Promising teams may secure seed funding for prototype development and access further incubation opportunities to advance their solutions towards commercialisation.

Key Dates

• Application deadline: 16 October 2026
• Pre-incubation duration: 10 weeks
• Delivery format: Hybrid (online workshops and in-person prototyping)
• Eligible countries: Botswana, Liberia, Malawi, Nigeria, Zambia and Zimbabwe