The Africa-Europe Innovation Platform (AEIP) has unveiled a Twinning Programme aimed at strengthening collaboration between Business Support Organisations (BSOs) across Africa and Europe, in a move expected to catalyse entrepreneurship and innovation on the continent.
The initiative, announced this week, will connect African and European BSOs through structured partnerships where each “twinning pair” sets its own goals. These may include knowledge sharing, peer learning, co-design of incubation and acceleration programmes, joint participation in expert panels and co-creation of future projects that can attract funding.
Collaboration will primarily be virtual, but selected organisations will also have the opportunity to take part in in-person exchanges at AEIP events in 2025, 2026, and 2027. Applications remain open throughout the project’s duration, though African organisations aiming for travel support to attend the October 2025 event must apply by 5 September.
The programme comes at a time when African entrepreneurship is gaining momentum, with startups increasingly seeking global partnerships to scale beyond local markets. Such cross-continental initiatives could help address persistent gaps in funding, mentorship and access to international networks that many African founders face.
This is more than just an exchange programme, it’s about building a bridge between ecosystems. African entrepreneurs bring resilience, creativity and new business models to the table. Europe brings experience, funding channels and networks. Together, they can unlock growth.
For African entrepreneurs, the Twinning Programme offers a chance to integrate into the European venture capital and innovation landscape, while also shaping incubation models that are better adapted to local realities from agritech to fintech, renewable energy to creative industries.
By spotlighting African entrepreneurship within a global context, the AEIP is positioning its programme as a strategic catalyst for business expansion, knowledge transfer and innovation-led growth across borders.
👉 Apply to the programme: Africa-Europe Innovation Platform Application
