NURA Global Innovation Lab

𝐀𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐃𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐩𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐁𝐚𝐧𝐤: 𝐆𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐈𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐂𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬 𝐚 𝐃𝐮𝐚𝐥 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲

Throughout Africa, rising fuel prices and food costs are already impacting regional economies and threatening household budgets, due to the volatility in global energy and food markets from the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.

On the other hand, this instability is accelerating a longer-term shift toward greater resilience and reduced dependence on external supply chains in critical sectors.

The African Development Bank released a report on the effects of disrupted supply chains during the current conflict in the Middle East and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz by Iran, with a focus on surging oil and fertilizer prices on African economies. The report highlights that current shocks are materializing more rapidly and through more concentrated channels than in previous global disruptions, leaving African economies with limited time to adjust.

What is particularly unique, is that disruptions in energy and agricultural supply chains are occurring simultaneously, compounding their impact on food security and overall economic stability. The impact is not driven by direct exposure to the conflict, but rather by structural dependence on imported energy, food, and agricultural inputs.

This situation has led African development institutions to not only assess the immediate response to market shocks, but also to explore how the crisis can be used to strengthen resilience for the future.

Despite global uncertainty, moving forward there is one clear next step. For innovators and development practitioners, this moment underscores the need to design and scale solutions that create strategically resilient energy and food systems. This is an important moment to prioritze and strengthen local capacity, while reducing reliance on fragile global supply chains.

Do you believe this moment can serve as a catalyst for strategic rebuilding around local capacity? Drop us a comment below!

Click here to read more:

Iran war is a disaster for Africa, but a catalyst for strategic rebuilding - African Business As the impacts of the war in the Middle East cascade down into African economies, the continent is looking at how to not just manage the impact, but to use it as an opportunity for structural change and growth.

𝑪𝒉𝒆𝒄𝒌 𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝑵𝒖𝒓𝒂'𝒔 𝑴𝒂𝒓𝒄𝒉 𝑵𝒆𝒘𝒔𝒍𝒆𝒕𝒕𝒆𝒓!

Highlights from this month include:
🌎 A message on resilience, mission, and hope from Nura’s team amid a challenging month
🌎 Reflections one month after our delegation and continued cross-border collaboration
🌎 Funding Opportunity of the Month: Global Innovation Fund (GIF) and support for high-impact, scalable solutions
🌎 Curated funding opportunities from THRIVE Global Impact Challenge, GSMA Foundation, Katapult Africa, iF Design's Social Impact Prize, AECF's REACT 2.0, and GBHub Africa
🌎 Upcoming events and opportunities to engage with Nura’s upcoming delegations and leadership forums, along with OLAM's
🌎 Global trends shaping international development, from the economic ripple effects of the Iran war in developing markets, to the rise of African-led food system innovation

Click here to read the full March Edition of the : https://www.nuraglobal.org/so/c8PqQCBpz?languageTag=en

** GMAIL users: please click "view in browser" for the full newsletter ** Nura Newsletter

𝑫𝒖𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒆𝒔 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒔𝒆 𝒊𝒕’𝒔 𝒊𝒎𝒑𝒐𝒓𝒕𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒆 𝒕𝒐𝒈𝒆𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓.

Join us next week for our Global Networking Meetup, with SID Israel and OLAM, to connect with Jewish and Israeli professionals in the international development sector from around the world.

Register below and build meaningful global relationships that explore a diverse range of roles within the international development ecosystem. We will explore how the international development and humanitarian aid sector is evolving one year after the closure of USAID and what comes next for the industry. Key insights will be delivered by Boaz Fleischman-Alaluf, Advisor to the Executive Director of The World Bank.

When: 18.3.26 | 17:00 (Israel Time)
Where: Online, link upon registration
Register here: https://www.tfaforms.com/5213820
See you there!

𝐔𝐒𝐀𝐈𝐃’𝐬 𝐈𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐀𝐫𝐦 𝐑𝐞𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐧

Amazing news: The Development Innovation Ventures (DIV) unit of the U.S. Agency for International Development relaunched as an independent nonprofit called the DIV Fund. Although the DIV was shuttered during last year’s broad cuts to U.S. foreign aid, DIV’s recent return was backed by $48M from private donors. This gives new life and support to breakthrough, evidence‑backed solutions around the world.

𝐒𝐨 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐝? As a nonprofit, DIV will grant about $25M annually, roughly half of its previous budget during the days of USAID, to test and scale promising development technologies. The new structure emphasizes affordable, scalable interventions that can transition into sustainable public or private funding locally.

DIV’s open call for applications this year means fresh opportunities for innovators worldwide to be funded and seen by global partners.

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐦𝐞𝐚𝐧 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐈𝐬𝐫𝐚𝐞𝐥𝐢 𝐢𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐧 𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐠‑𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐞𝐭𝐬? The relaunch of USAID’s DIV Fund gives Israeli innovators a globally recognized platform to test and scale solutions , , and .

DIV historically funded ideas that were too risky for traditional investors. Their nonprofit model continues this, giving startups a chance to test bold innovations. This opens up funding opportunities for Israeli startups to pilot cost-effective, scalable technologies in emerging markets, combining social and commercial impact.

In a time when traditional public funding for development is shifting, mechanisms like the DIV Fund help bridge capital gaps and connect innovators to global needs. This opens doors for Israeli entrepreneurs to expand their reach and impact.

𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞: https://apnews.com/article/div-fund-usaid-foreign-aid-3d4b69f8a1c53fae17a39fd9af1f4f00

With $48M in philanthropic backing, a division of USAID relaunches as a nonprofit A division of the U.S. Agency for International Development eliminated by Trump administration cuts last year was reborn Thursday as an independent nonprofit.

𝐓𝐨𝐩 5 𝐅𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐎𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐈𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐈𝐬𝐫𝐚𝐞𝐥𝐢 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐧 𝐀𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐚 & 𝐄𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐞𝐭𝐬

! Check out these 5 high-impact funding opportunities that can help your venture maximize your impact and scale throughout Africa and other emerging markets:

Moonshots for Development (M4D) Open Innovation Challenge 2026
🚀 Program: Rural Development & Resilient Food Systems Innovation
👥 Who Should Apply: Startups & ventures building scalable solutions for smallholder agriculture, rural resilience, digital extension, climate adaptation & insurance in Africa
💰 Amount: Up to $360,000+ in phased funding
🏗️ Sector: Agriculture, Food Systems & Climate Tech
📅 Deadline: March 30, 2026
🔗 Link: https://www.m4d.org/openinnovationchallenge

Common Fund for Commodities (CFC) – Thriving Farmers, Resilient Ecosystems, Empowered Communities
🚀 Program: Agricultural commodity value chains & rural development
👥 Who Should Apply: SMEs, cooperatives, social enterprises, NGOs, or companies with operational presence or local partnerships in CFC member countries; Israeli companies can apply if implementing projects in Africa with local partners
💰 Amount: Up to $300,000 (fast-track) or ~$1.5M for larger projects
🏗️ Sector: Agriculture, Commodity Value Chains, Climate-Smart Farming, AgTech & Rural Development
📅 Deadline: April 1, 2026
🔗 Link: https://www.common-fund.org/what-we-do?

World Food Programme (WFP) Innovation Challenge – Relief & Resilience
🚀 Program: Innovation support to end hunger & build community resilience
👥 Who Should Apply: Established startups (MVP+) or WFP teams with Country Office endorsement building humanitarian, food-security or resilience tech
💰 Amount: Up to $100,000 equity-free + mentorship & operational support
🏗️ Sector: Food Security, Supply Chain & Humanitarian Tech
📅 Deadline: Rolling/varies (apply early)
🔗 Link: https://innovation.wfp.org/wfp-innovation-challenge

The Catalyst Fund – “Pitch to Us” (Africa Climate Tech)
🚀 Program: Climate adaptation & resilience startup funding & venture building
👥 Who Should Apply: Pre-seed tech startups with product ready in market and teams focused on African climate impact
💰 Amount: $150,000 cash + $50,000 support + mentorship & investor access
🏗️ Sector: Climate Adaptation & Resilience Tech
📅 Deadline: Ongoing (rolling invites)
🔗 Link: https://www.thecatalystfund.com/pitch-to-us

EEP Africa 2026 Call for Proposals – Clean Energy Innovation
🚀 Program: Early-stage grant & repayable financing for clean energy solutions in Southern & Eastern Africa
👥 Who Should Apply: Private companies, start-ups & social enterprises with projects in active development in eligible African countries (e.g., Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, South Africa, Rwanda; strong local presence required)
💰 Amount: €200,000–€500,000 grants & repayable grants (with 30–50% co-financing)
🏗️ Sector: Clean Energy (solar, wind, biomass, mini-grids, productive uses, mobility, efficiency)
📅 Deadline: Expression of Interest opens Feb 16 & Full Proposal by July 27, 2026
🔗 Link: https://eepafrica.org/financing/2026-call-for-proposals

If you need any assistance or guidance on these applications, please reach out! Send an email to [email protected] or drop a comment below.