Companies with 2+ years continuous operation, >$500k revenue and raised capital, partnerships, a solution deployed in Africa, demonstrated impact/job creation, and readiness to deploy $1M+.

What burden and restrictions apply?

Semifinalists and finalists must document deployment, impact and use of milestone capital and participate in judging, acceleration and final demonstration. Funds are restricted to the approved work plan, budget, eligible cost categories and award period; unrelated, unsupported, double-funded and noncompliant expenditure is excluded.

Milken-Motsepe Prize in Circular Economy

USD 2 million total: USD 1 million grand prize, USD 250,000 runner-up and USD 50,000 for each of ten semifinalists. · Milken Institute & Motsepe Foundation · deadline 2026-08-13

Multi-million-dollar innovation prize from the Milken Institute and Motsepe Foundation. The 2026 edition targets technology-enabled circular economy companies operating in Africa, awarding non-dilutive prizes. Current lifecycle: open; next verified deadline 2026-08-13. Real economics: USD 2 million total: USD 1 million grand prize, USD 250,000 runner-up and USD 50,000 for each of ten semifinalists..

Tier 2 · ranked #33prizenon-dilutiveafricacircular-economy

Apply Official site Open in the live directory

Key facts

Funder	Milken Institute & Motsepe Foundation
Amount	USD 2 million total: USD 1 million grand prize, USD 250,000 runner-up and USD 50,000 for each of ten semifinalists.
Deadline	2026-08-13
Decision time	Documentary eligibility and judging lead to ten semifinalists, five finalists and final selection over multiple months.
Eligibility	Companies with 2+ years continuous operation, >$500k revenue and raised capital, partnerships, a solution deployed in Africa, demonstrated impact/job creation, and readiness to deploy $1M+.
Restrictions	Semifinalists and finalists must document deployment, impact and use of milestone capital and participate in judging, acceleration and final demonstration. Funds are restricted to the approved work plan, budget, eligible cost categories and award period; unrelated, unsupported, double-funded and noncompliant expenditure is excluded.
Status	open

Always confirm on the official page before applying — dates and terms change.

Application process

Submit application before the deadline
Ten semifinalists announced (each receives $50,000)
Pitch event; five finalists selected (each an additional $50,000)
Grand prize submission/testing round
Grand Prize ($1M) and runner-up ($250k) announced

Background

Milken Institute & Motsepe Foundation operates Milken-Motsepe Prize in Circular Economy. This pass separates direct cash, repayable finance, credits, incentives and umbrella programs so later ranking does not compare unlike instruments. The prize publishes a USD 2 million purse and ten semifinalist awards. The competition targets solutions already deployed in Africa and ready to deploy USD 1 million or more. Milken-Motsepe has operated multiple Africa-focused innovation prizes.

How the application really works

Submit application before the deadline → Ten semifinalists announced (each receives $50,000) → Pitch event; five finalists selected (each an additional $50,000) → Grand prize submission/testing round → Grand Prize ($1M) and runner-up ($250k) announced

Tips

Show direct fit with circular economy.
Show direct fit with waste.
Show direct fit with materials.
Show direct fit with African markets.

Watch out for

Current lifecycle is open.
Semifinalists and finalists must document deployment, impact and use of milestone capital and participate in judging, acceleration and final demonstration.
Funds are restricted to the approved work plan, budget, eligible cost categories and award period; unrelated, unsupported, double-funded and noncompliant expenditure is excluded.

Track record

The prize publishes a USD 2 million purse and ten semifinalist awards.
The competition targets solutions already deployed in Africa and ready to deploy USD 1 million or more.
Milken-Motsepe has operated multiple Africa-focused innovation prizes.

The reviewed official corpus does not publish a comparable applicant denominator and selection rate.

Frequently asked questions

Is this actionable now?: open. Next verified deadline: 2026-08-13.
What is the real economic value?: USD 2 million total: USD 1 million grand prize, USD 250,000 runner-up and USD 50,000 for each of ten semifinalists.
Who is eligible?: Companies with 2+ years continuous operation, >$500k revenue and raised capital, partnerships, a solution deployed in Africa, demonstrated impact/job creation, and readiness to deploy $1M+.
How does selection work?: Submit application before the deadline; Ten semifinalists announced (each receives $50,000); Pitch event; five finalists selected (each an additional $50,000); Grand prize submission/testing round; Grand Prize ($1M) and runner-up ($250k) announced. Documentary eligibility and judging lead to ten semifinalists, five finalists and final selection over multiple months.
What burden and restrictions apply?: Semifinalists and finalists must document deployment, impact and use of milestone capital and participate in judging, acceleration and final demonstration. Funds are restricted to the approved work plan, budget, eligible cost categories and award period; unrelated, unsupported, double-funded and noncompliant expenditure is excluded.
What evidence exists?: The prize publishes a USD 2 million purse and ten semifinalist awards. The competition targets solutions already deployed in Africa and ready to deploy USD 1 million or more. Milken-Motsepe has operated multiple Africa-focused innovation prizes. The reviewed official corpus does not publish a comparable applicant denominator and selection rate.

Sources

milkenmotsepeprize.org/circular-economy — Official current deadline, eligibility, rounds and purse (checked 2026-08-10)
milkenmotsepeprize.org/faq — Official competition structure and prize economics (checked 2026-08-10)
milkenmotsepeprize.org — Official prize-program portfolio and outcomes (checked 2026-08-10)