Apply For Youth4Climate Services Innovation Hackathon 2026 Invites Young Climate-Tech Innovators
ONYINYECHI NWAIGBA 
Young innovators aged 18–35 with existing climate-related digital solutions can apply for the Youth4Climate Services Innovation Hackathon 2026, a regional programme offering financial awards, technical mentorship and potential opportunities to develop and scale their innovations. The hackathon will take place in Nairobi, Kenya, from December 8–10, 2026. Applications close November 6, 2026.
Young entrepreneurs, software developers, researchers and technology innovators working on climate solutions have an opportunity to showcase their innovations through the Youth4Climate Services Innovation Hackathon 2026.
Organized by the IGAD Climate Prediction and Applications Centre (ICPAC), the initiative seeks to identify and support youth-led digital solutions that can improve how climate information is delivered, accessed and used across the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) region.
The programme will bring selected innovators together to demonstrate how their existing technologies can address practical challenges in climate information and service delivery.
Participants will have opportunities to compete for financial awards, receive technical mentorship and potentially connect with organisations interested in supporting the development and wider application of promising solutions.
The hackathon is scheduled for December 8–10, 2026, in Nairobi, Kenya.
About the Youth4Climate Services Innovation Hackathon
Climate information plays an important role in helping communities, businesses, farmers and governments prepare for changing weather conditions and climate-related risks.
However, making such information available does not always mean that people can easily understand or use it. Farmers, for instance, need relevant weather information to make decisions about planting and harvesting, while communities require accessible warnings that can help them prepare for floods, droughts and other climate-related emergencies.
The Youth4Climate Services Innovation Hackathon seeks to address some of these challenges by supporting digital innovations that connect climate information with practical decisions.
The initiative will focus on solutions that improve climate advisories, adapt climate services to local needs, communicate climate risks through accessible channels and help users make climate-sensitive decisions.
Rather than focusing solely on new ideas, the programme is interested in existing innovations that have reached a functional or pilot stage and can be demonstrated.
What Participants Stand to Gain
Selected innovators will have opportunities to benefit from:
- Financial awards: Outstanding innovations will receive financial awards to support their further development. The organizers have not specified the award amounts.
- Technical mentorship: Selected innovators may be connected with technical experts who can provide guidance on improving their solutions.
- Incubation and acceleration: Promising innovations may gain access to incubation or acceleration opportunities, subject to partner commitments.
- Potential partnerships: Participants may connect with organisations interested in piloting their solutions or supporting institutional collaboration.
- Regional visibility: Innovators will have an opportunity to present their work to technical experts, evaluators and potential development partners across the IGAD region.
Solutions will be assessed based on their functionality, relevance to climate services, user-centered design, potential impact and opportunities for further development and scaling.
Who Can Apply?
The opportunity is open to young innovators, entrepreneurs, software developers, data scientists and multidisciplinary teams working on climate-related digital solutions.
Applicants must meet the following requirements:
- Age: Be between 18 and 35 years old.
- Regional eligibility: Be a national of or currently based in an IGAD member state, subject to the final eligibility guidelines.
- Existing innovation: Have a climate-related digital tool, platform, product or solution that is already functional or at the pilot stage.
- Demonstration: Be able to explain how the solution works, its intended users, its current development stage and its contribution to climate services.
- Availability: Be available to participate in the hackathon in Nairobi and present the innovation to technical experts and evaluators.
An important requirement is that concept-only proposals without a demonstrable solution will not be accepted.
Regional eligibility note: IGAD member states are Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan and Uganda. Nigeria is not an IGAD member state. Nigerian innovators based in an eligible IGAD country may be able to apply, subject to the organizers’ final eligibility guidelines.
What Types of Innovations Are Eligible?
The hackathon is interested in digital solutions that improve the availability, accessibility and practical use of climate information.
Relevant innovations may include:
- Digital platforms that convert weather and climate information into practical advice for farmers and other users.
- Tools that communicate climate risks through accessible channels.
- Applications that provide localized climate information for communities and businesses.
- Solutions that improve how users access and interact with climate services.
- Digital tools that integrate climate data into decisions involving agriculture, disaster preparedness and other climate-sensitive activities.
Applicants should clearly demonstrate the problem their solutions address and explain how the innovations can improve climate-related decision-making.
Application Requirements
Interested innovators will need to provide information and supporting materials demonstrating the development and potential of their solutions.
The required information includes:
- Innovation description: A brief explanation of the solution and the problem it is designed to address.
- Climate services contribution: An explanation of how the innovation contributes to climate services and which part of the climate services value chain it addresses.
- Target users: Information about the people or organisations expected to use the solution and how it responds to their needs.
- Evidence of development: A working demonstration, prototype, screenshots, video or pilot results showing the solution’s current stage.
- Distinctive features: An explanation of what makes the innovation different and the value it offers compared with existing approaches.
- Innovator information: Details about the applicant or team, relevant skills and motivation for participating.
- Scaling potential: A brief explanation of how the solution could be improved, applied in practice and expanded to reach more users.
Applicants should ensure that their submissions demonstrate the functionality of their innovations rather than presenting concepts that have not yet been developed.
Application Deadline and Hackathon Dates
Applications for the Youth4Climate Services Innovation Hackathon 2026 close on November 6, 2026, at 5:00 PM East Africa Time (3:00 PM Nigerian time).
The regional hackathon will hold from December 8–10, 2026, in Nairobi, Kenya.
Eligible applicants should review the official guidelines, prepare evidence of their existing innovations and complete their submissions before the deadline.
How to Apply
Interested innovators who meet the eligibility requirements can apply by completing the official online application form.
Applicants should:
- Visit the official ICPAC hackathon announcement.
- Review the eligibility requirements and concept note.
- Prepare information about their innovations and supporting demonstration materials.
- Complete and submit the application form before the deadline.
For further information, applicants can consult the official ICPAC event page.
The Youth4Climate Services Innovation Hackathon offers an opportunity for eligible young innovators to demonstrate how technology can make climate information more accessible and useful. For founders and developers with working climate solutions, the programme provides a platform to showcase their innovations and explore opportunities for further development and regional impact.
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