Global Alliance Africa Launches Innovation Exchange for Sustainable Waste Management

KTN Global Alliance Africa is a six-year project funded by UK Aid through Innovate UK (GCRF) and Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO).

The Innovation Exchange will leverage inclusive partnerships to mobilise support to help in the scaling up of innovative solutions for sustainable waste management by matching real industry challenges from large businesses or societal challenges from companies and innovators already working on potential solutions.

Under this initiative, the most innovative solution providers will pitch their ideas to the companies and will each receive £25,000 ($34,000 equivalent) to fund the start-up of their prototype or pilot concept, with additional support from KTN Global Alliance Africa. 

Across these three African countries, the project aims to promote sustainable waste management through a complete cycle where products and materials are recycled, repaired, refurbished or reused, so that a by-product or waste from one economic process becomes an input for another.

Similarly, KTN Global Alliance Africa will be intervening in solving AgriFood challenges. Specifically, the project will be supporting Flamingo Horticulture, a horticultural business with a worldwide footprint that covers the farming, production, sales and marketing of fresh produce and flowers, to find innovative solutions to False Codling Moth Control in Fresh Chillies.

Thaumatotibia leucotreta (Meyrick), better known as the False Codling Moth (FCM), is an economically damaging pest impacting a variety of alternative host plants across its natural range in sub-Saharan Africa. 

Start-ups interested in participating in the five challenges available for this project have until 28 January 2022 to submit their applications.