All On opens applications for 2026 Off-Grid Energy Challenge, offers up to $1m in funding

All On, Nigeria’s off-grid energy access impact investor, has launched the 2026 All On Off-Grid Energy Challenge, inviting Nigerian clean energy companies to compete for funding of up to $1 million to scale innovative solutions aimed at expanding energy access across the country.

Applications for the nationwide competition opened on July 2 and will close on July 31, 2026.

The initiative seeks to identify and support Nigerian entrepreneurs and businesses developing scalable and commercially viable off-grid energy solutions in renewable energy, productive-use technologies, energy efficiency, cold chain systems, mini-grids, solar home systems, and other clean energy applications.

According to All On, the Challenge is designed to address Nigeria’s persistent electricity access gap while promoting economic growth in underserved communities through sustainable energy solutions.

Since its launch in 2018, the programme has committed $3.6 million to 36 Nigerian-owned companies, supporting projects that have provided clean energy access to more than 150,000 Nigerians.

The 2026 edition significantly expands the level of support available, with selected companies eligible for between $200,000 and $1 million in blended financing comprising both non-dilutive and commercial funding instruments.

In addition to financial support, successful applicants will receive technical assistance and investment-readiness support from the All On Hub team.

This year’s competition places particular emphasis on projects that promote the productive use of energy (PUE) by converting electricity access into economic opportunities across sectors such as agriculture, food processing, cold storage, healthcare and small businesses.

The Challenge will also support innovations across the off-grid energy value chain, including technologies designed to improve outcomes for women and young people.

Speaking at the launch, Innovation Hub Manager, Sele Inegbedion, said the initiative reflects All On’s confidence in Nigerian entrepreneurs’ ability to solve the country’s energy challenges.

“The Off-Grid Energy Challenge exists because we believe the solutions to Nigeria’s energy problems already live within Nigeria, in the minds and hands of our entrepreneurs,” Inegbedion said. “Our role is to find them, back them, and walk with them as they grow. This year, we are doing that with more capital and more conviction than ever before. If you are building something that brings light and economic opportunity to communities that have been left behind, we want to hear from you.”

Also speaking, Chief Executive Officer of All On, Caroline Eboumbou, said the initiative reflects the organisation’s commitment to supporting innovative businesses addressing Nigeria’s energy deficit.

“Nigeria’s off-grid energy sector has proven, year after year, that the right kind of support that is patient, flexible, and rooted in deep market understanding, can produce transformational outcomes,” Eboumbou said. “The Off-Grid Energy Challenge is one of the most direct expressions of what All On stands for: putting serious capital behind entrepreneurs who are dedicated to solving one of our country’s most pressing challenges.”

To qualify, applicants must be majority Nigerian-owned and managed, operate as for-profit private companies legally registered in Nigeria, and present innovative, commercially viable solutions capable of serving unserved and underserved communities within a 12- to 18-month investment period.

Founded as an independent impact investing company and seeded by Shell, All On provides debt, equity financing, and non-financial support to renewable energy companies working to expand affordable, reliable and sustainable electricity access for low-income households and small businesses across Nigeria.