Advanced Entrepreneurship and Innovation Support Organisations Ecosystem Mapping 2026: ESTDEV Invites Bids for €120,000 Africa-Europe Digital Innovation Bridge Procurement

The Estonian Centre for International Development (ESTDEV) has announced a new procurement opportunity under the Africa-Europe Digital Innovation Bridge (AEDIB) programme, inviting qualified service providers to conduct a comprehensive ecosystem mapping study of Entrepreneurship Support Organisations (ESOs) and Innovation Support Organisations (ISOs) across multiple African countries.

This procurement presents an excellent opportunity for consulting firms, research organisations, innovation ecosystem experts, policy analysts, and development consulting agencies with expertise in entrepreneurship and digital innovation. The selected service provider will lead a multi-country study aimed at strengthening the understanding of digital innovation ecosystems across Africa and identifying opportunities for greater cooperation between African and European innovation stakeholders.

With an estimated procurement value of €120,000, the project seeks to generate valuable evidence that will support policymakers, innovation hubs, entrepreneurs, investors, governments, and development partners in making informed decisions to strengthen Africa’s digital innovation landscape.

Application Deadline: 17 August 2026

About the Advanced Entrepreneurship/Innovation Support Organisations Ecosystem Mapping Procurement

The procurement has been launched by ESTDEV as part of the Africa-Europe Digital Innovation Bridge (AEDIB) initiative.

The main objective is to identify and analyze organisations that provide support to entrepreneurs and innovators throughout African countries. These organisations play an essential role in helping startups, technology companies, social enterprises, researchers, and innovators grow by offering services such as incubation, acceleration, mentoring, funding access, networking opportunities, training, business development support, and innovation programmes.

The successful bidder will conduct a detailed mapping exercise that creates a comparable overview of innovation ecosystems across several African countries.

Rather than collecting entirely new datasets, the assignment will primarily rely on reviewing and analysing existing research, reports, databases, and ecosystem studies.

Purpose of the Procurement

The primary purpose of this procurement is to strengthen understanding of digital innovation ecosystems across Africa.

The ecosystem mapping study aims to:

• Identify organisations supporting entrepreneurship and innovation.
• Compare innovation ecosystems across multiple African countries.
• Examine how digital innovation ecosystems function.
• Identify key actors involved in ecosystem development.
• Highlight opportunities for collaboration.
• Analyze ecosystem strengths and weaknesses.
• Identify barriers affecting innovation growth.
• Explore factors driving ecosystem development.
• Support evidence-based policymaking.
• Improve Africa-Europe cooperation in digital innovation.

The findings are expected to contribute to stronger partnerships between African and European innovation ecosystems while supporting sustainable entrepreneurship development.

Scope of the Ecosystem Mapping Study

The selected service provider will conduct a comprehensive multi-country study focusing on entrepreneurship and innovation support organisations.

The assignment will include:

1. Review of Existing Data
   • Analyze previously published studies.
   • Examine available ecosystem reports.
   • Review existing innovation databases.
   • Consolidate available evidence.
2. Innovation Ecosystem Mapping
   • Identify Entrepreneurship Support Organisations (ESOs).
   • Identify Innovation Support Organisations (ISOs).
   • Classify ecosystem stakeholders.
   • Compare ecosystem structures across countries.
3. Digital Innovation Ecosystem Analysis
   • Assess ecosystem maturity.
   • Examine innovation support mechanisms.
   • Analyze collaboration models.
   • Identify ecosystem strengths and challenges.
4. Comparative Country Analysis
   • Develop comparable country profiles.
   • Examine regional similarities and differences.
   • Highlight best practices.
   • Identify cooperation opportunities.

Objectives of the Study

The ecosystem mapping exercise seeks to achieve several important objectives, including:

• Creating a comprehensive overview of innovation ecosystems across selected African countries.
• Understanding the role played by Entrepreneurship Support Organisations.
• Understanding the contribution of Innovation Support Organisations.
• Identifying major ecosystem stakeholders.
• Supporting digital transformation initiatives.
• Encouraging regional collaboration.
• Promoting stronger Africa-Europe innovation partnerships.
• Generating evidence to inform future innovation investments and policies.

Why This Procurement Matters

Entrepreneurship and innovation ecosystems are essential drivers of economic development.

By mapping these ecosystems, the study will help stakeholders better understand:

• Where innovation support is strongest.
• Existing gaps in entrepreneurial support.
• Opportunities for investment.
• Potential regional partnerships.
• Capacity-building needs.
• Ecosystem development priorities.
• Digital transformation opportunities.
• Innovation policy improvements.

The study will provide valuable information for governments, development organisations, investors, innovation hubs, universities, accelerators, incubators, startups, and policymakers.

Procurement Value

The estimated value of the procurement is:

€120,000

This budget covers the delivery of the ecosystem mapping study under the Africa-Europe Digital Innovation Bridge programme.

Who Should Apply?

The procurement is particularly suitable for organizations with expertise in:

• Innovation ecosystem research
• Entrepreneurship development
• Digital transformation
• Development consulting
• Public policy analysis
• Economic development
• Startup ecosystem analysis
• Innovation strategy
• Research and evaluation
• International development

Potential applicants may include:

• Consulting firms
• Research institutions
• Universities
• Think tanks
• Innovation consulting agencies
• Development organizations
• Policy research organizations
• International consulting companies

Benefits of Participating

Successful bidders will have the opportunity to:

• Lead a high-impact international research project.
• Contribute to strengthening Africa’s digital innovation ecosystem.
• Support evidence-based policymaking.
• Work under the Africa-Europe Digital Innovation Bridge programme.
• Engage with innovation stakeholders across multiple African countries.
• Deliver research that informs future entrepreneurship initiatives.
• Strengthen partnerships between African and European innovation ecosystems.
• Manage a procurement valued at approximately €120,000.

How to Apply

Interested service providers should submit their tenders through the official procurement process announced by ESTDEV.

Applicants are encouraged to carefully review all procurement requirements, eligibility conditions, submission instructions, and technical specifications before submitting their proposals.

Application Deadline

Submission Deadline: 17 August 2026

Interested organisations should submit their tenders before the deadline to be considered for this procurement opportunity.

Click HERE to read more and apply.

Conclusion

The Advanced Entrepreneurship/Innovation Support Organisations (ESOs/ISOs) Ecosystem Mapping Procurement offers an important opportunity for experienced consulting firms and research organisations to contribute to strengthening Africa’s innovation landscape. Through the Africa-Europe Digital Innovation Bridge (AEDIB) programme, the selected service provider will conduct a comprehensive multi-country ecosystem mapping study that identifies key entrepreneurship and innovation support organisations, analyzes digital innovation ecosystems, and highlights opportunities for collaboration across African countries. With an estimated value of €120,000, this procurement represents a significant opportunity for organisations with expertise in innovation research, entrepreneurship development, and ecosystem analysis to make a lasting impact on Africa’s digital innovation future.

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