Turn Your Idea into a Validated Innovation
ABIL Explore supports early-stage innovators, researchers and technology developers working on Earth Observation-based concepts. It helps validate the feasibility and potential of emerging ideas, innovative technologies to revolutionise and accelerate the future of EO. The track supports their evolution towards concrete EO-based products, services, and technologies.
WHAT IS ABIL EXPLORE
ABIL’s early-stage innovation and feasibility track.
ABIL Explore supports emerging ideas, technologies, and applications with the potential to transform and accelerate the future of Earth Observation. It is designed for early-stage innovations that require feasibility assessment, technical validation, and further development before they can evolve into EO-related products, services, or technologies.
Explore is for you if…
SUPPORT PACKAGE
What you receive
Technical coaching
Technical coaching from EO specialists and domain experts
Co-design Sessions
Facilitated co-design sessions with experts and partners
Funding Support
Funding to develop your innovative ideas
ABIL Community
Integration into the ABIL community and KSA Communities of Practice
Pathway to Invest
Mentorship toward the ABIL Invest track or complementary funding pathways
THE PROCESS
HOW IT WORKS
Each ABIL Explore campaign targets industrial innovation projects projects across a series of waves implemented over the project duration, with each wave addressing specific thematic priorities of interest. During project execution all selected projects receive structured mentoring, access to ABIL resources, and continuous monitoring.
Detailed information on specific the financial support condition, the scope, eligibility criteria, and specific conditions of each call will be published on this page at the time of launch.
CALLS ARE FINALLY OPEN!
READY TO APPLY?
Applications may be submitted at any time while the call remains open. All applications received by the following cut-off date will be considered in the 2026 evaluation round: 11 September 2026 at 1:00 p.m. EAT
The purpose and objective of ABIL EXPLORE Open Call is to support early-stage Earth Observation innovation, technology transfer and feasibility activities that can help create, validate or accelerate promising upstream and downstream EO technologies, methods, applications, products and services in Kenya.
ABIL EXPLORE is primarily targeted at Kenyan start-ups and SMEs, as well as Universities and Research Organisations, developing or validating innovative EO-related technologies, applications or services.
The scope of activity of the Explore Open Call covers the definition of a minimal viable product/service as well as a Business Case able to validate the technical and critical functions and the business perspectives of the proposed solutions. The maximum ABIL funding per activity is up to EUR 50,000 depending on proposal quality. The indicative activity duration is up to 9 months.
Funding may be allocated case by case according to the number and quality of proposals received, the maturity of the idea and the maturity of the applicant, including early-stage start-ups, more mature start-ups and SMEs. The ABIL hereby invites you to submit your application for EXPLORE projects.
Please download the Explore Open Call Package which includes the “1. Explore Call” document (explaining in detail who can apply, how to apply, the eligible costs, the evaluation procedure and all the rules) and the following documents:
2. ABIL EXPLORE Proposal Template;
3. Draft Explore Contract.
Please read carefully all the instructions in the “Explore Call” document and submit your proposal by the cut-off date.
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