KCDF Young Environmentalist Innovation Challenge 2025 (Deadline: 30 September, 2025)

Applications are invited for the KCDF Young Environmentalist Innovation Challenge 2025. The Young Environmentalist Innovative Challenge (YEIC) is an environmental innovation fund established by Kenya Community Development Foundation (KCDF) through the generous gift of Mackenzie Scott. Its aim is to develop action-oriented young people with strong values and commitment to environmental conservation.

YEIC invites submissions of innovative solutions that inculcate the spirit of environmental conservation and sustainable management. The challenge provides funding to young people and youth-led organisations/companies to scale innovative solutions to environmental issues.

This is the 3rd public call for applications to the KCDF YEIC fund. Its third edition seeks to identify, support, and scale impactful environmental innovations led by young individuals and youth-led organisations. Under the theme “Scaling Innovations for Environmental Impact,” the focus is on elevating proven solutions that have demonstrated success at the community level and where innovators are ready to expand their reach and deepen their impact.

The challenge is prioritising innovations that address pressing environmental issues such as climate resilience, sustainable agriculture, circular economy, renewable energy, and ecosystem restoration.

Benefits

• Category 1 (Three Young Environment Champions): Up to KES 1,500,000
• Category 2 (Five Youth-led Organisations): Up to KES 5,000,000

Eligibility

• Open to individual youth (aged 15–35) with tested and impactful environmental innovations. (i.e an Individual or a group of individuals not formally registered)
• Registered youth-led organisations/companies with scalable environmental projects. (i.e Civil Society organisations, Company Limited with shares, Company limited by Guarantee, etc)

Evaluation Criteria

• The innovative solution has the ability to address environmental challenges.
• The innovation can demonstrate that it has the potential to benefit the community in different areas, including education, livelihoods, and environmental stewardship of young people.
• The innovation is sustainable and can demonstrate the potential to continue generating positive change and benefits to the community.
• Financial and operational capacity: The applying entities must demonstrate the individual’s or organisation’s/company’s ability to implement the innovation.

Application

Deadline: September 30, 2025

All applications must be submitted via the links provided below. You may complete the application offline using the provided forms and then upload your responses via the submission link.

• Organization application Form
• Individual application Form

For more information, visit YEIC.