The Estonian Centre for International Development (ESTDEV) has launched a €660,000 public procurement initiative aimed at designing and implementing two startup accelerators in East and Southern Africa. The move forms part of the Digital and Green Innovation (DGI) Action, a Team Europe programme supported by GIZ, Expertise France, Enabel, RVO and the European Commission.
In a sign of growing momentum behind Africa’s “twin transition”, Kristel Rillo, ESTDEV’s Advisor for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, explained:
“Our goal is to connect creative startups and experts with the tools they need to develop technologies that reduce environmental impact, save energy and promote sustainable economic growth.”
The three-part strategy for these accelerators includes:
- Needs assessment through consultation with local stakeholders.
- A competitive accelerator programme offering tailored mentorship and funding to high‑potential digital‑green startups.
- Policy and finance mobilisation, engaging investors and policymakers to build ecosystem capacity.
ESTDEV emphasizes the importance of contextual adaptation. As Maureen Leyen of Belgium’s ENABEL points out, even “a simple app or digital tool well-adapted to a specific context” can drive inclusive and sustainable development.
The DGI Action also supports high-level policy dialogues aimed at crafting regulatory environments conducive to digital-green innovation. This includes a future Digital and Green Innovation Summit, co‑hosted with African and European policymakers.
The initiative comes amid growing recognition that digital sectors generate 3–4% of global CO₂ emissions and consume 7–9% of electricity. ESTDEV and partners argue that if unchecked, digital progress could exacerbate Africa’s climate burden. The DGI Action therefore seeks to make digital transformation inherently sustainable.
Entrepreneurship in Focus
Taavet Tomberg, ESTDEV’s project manager for Digital and Green Innovation, noted Africa’s youth-driven tech landscape, where over 60% of the population is now under 25. The challenge, he says, lies in pairing technical talent with business acumen a gap ESTDEV’s accelerator aims to bridge.
According to Rillo, these accelerators should also combat persistent bottlenecks in many African markets lack of transparency, investor hesitation, weak business support and policy uncertainty. “Too many hackathons; too few incubators,” a sentiment echoed by local partners emphasising the need for durable institutional structures.
The ambitious €660k tender calls for partners capable of delivering deep operational support, mentorship in digital-green sectors (such as renewable-energy apps, agri-tech platforms and circular-economy tools) and linkages to investors.
European-African Collaboration: A Strategic Win-Win
For Estonia, this marks a strategic pivot building alliances that could evolve from development-driven frameworks to commercial partnerships.
“If Estonian startups and African counterparts find trust and common ground,” Rillo says, “this can lay the foundation for joint projects that are sustainable and economically beneficial.”
The initiative exemplifies a new approach to development: partnered, demand-driven, and impact-oriented aligning Africa’s green and digital transformation with European innovation capabilities.
Invitation for Collaboration
Deadline for proposals: 18 July 2025, 15:00 EEST. ESTDEV seeks implementation partners who can execute this vision over two years, with a view to scaling both start-ups and ecosystem.
For any entrepreneurial, policy-focused, or impact-driven organizations across Africa and Europe, this is an opportunity to anchor Africa’s green-digital boom and catalyse the next generation of startup-led growth.
