CFAs: Inclusive Insurance Challenge Fund 2026 (Ethiopia)

Deadline: 16-Sep-2026

The Insurance Innovation Challenge Fund (IICF) is accepting applications from organizations, innovators and teams in Ethiopia developing innovative insurance solutions for underserved communities. The initiative aims to address protection gaps and expand access to inclusive insurance across five priority areas: MSME insurance, health insurance, women-focused insurance, biodiversity insurance and life insurance. The Challenge Fund supports solutions that use technology, innovative distribution channels and partnerships to develop insurance products and services tailored to underserved markets. It also seeks to strengthen local insurance actors, generate knowledge from successful models and support the replication and scaling of effective solutions in Ethiopia and potentially other contexts.

About the Insurance Innovation Challenge Fund

The Insurance Innovation Challenge Fund is designed to identify and support innovative approaches that can expand insurance access for people and markets that remain underserved. The initiative focuses on developing practical insurance solutions that respond to real market problems while encouraging collaboration between insurers, technology companies, financial institutions, innovators and other private-sector actors.

The programme aims to:

- Address protection gaps in underserved communities. - Expand access to insurance in Ethiopia. - Promote inclusive insurance models. - Support innovative insurance products and services. - Encourage the use of technology in insurance. - Explore new insurance distribution channels. - Strengthen partnerships across the insurance ecosystem. - Build the capacity of local insurance actors. - Generate evidence and guidance for replication. - Develop a pipeline of scalable insurance solutions. Five Priority Areas Applicants must develop solutions addressing one of the five priority areas identified by the Challenge Fund. MSME Insurance The programme supports innovative insurance solutions designed for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs). Solutions may focus on addressing protection gaps and developing insurance products that better respond to the needs of underserved businesses. Health Insurance The health insurance focus seeks innovative approaches that can improve access to insurance protection for underserved populations. Applicants can develop solutions that address real market challenges in health insurance through new products, technology, distribution models or partnerships. Women-Focused Insurance The Challenge Fund specifically identifies women as a priority market. Women-led teams and innovators developing solutions that improve insurance access and protection for women are particularly encouraged to participate. Biodiversity Insurance The programme also supports innovative insurance solutions connected to biodiversity. This priority area creates opportunities for innovators to explore new approaches to insurance protection associated with biodiversity-related risks and challenges. Life Insurance The fifth priority area is life insurance. Applicants can develop innovative approaches that make life insurance more accessible, relevant and suitable for underserved markets. What Types of Solutions Are Supported? The Challenge Fund is looking for innovative insurance solutions that respond to genuine market problems.

Solutions can leverage:

- Technology. - New distribution channels. - Strategic partnerships. - Innovative insurance models. - Digital approaches. - Collaboration between insurance and other sectors. The proposed solution should have a clear connection to one of the five priority areas and demonstrate potential to serve an underserved market. Who Can Apply? The Insurance Innovation Challenge Fund is open to a broad range of insurance, financial technology and innovation actors.

Eligible applicants include:

- Regulated insurers. - Microinsurers. - Microfinance institutions. - Savings and Credit Cooperative Societies (SACCOs). - InsurTech ventures. - FinTech ventures. - AgriTech ventures. - HealthTech ventures. - Social enterprises. - Community-based innovators. - Independent innovation teams. This broad eligibility allows both established insurance-sector organizations and emerging innovators to develop solutions for underserved communities. Applicants Without an Insurance Licence Organizations or innovators that do not hold an insurance licence may still be eligible. However, they must demonstrate access to a credible underwriter. This requirement helps ensure that innovative solutions have an appropriate insurance-sector partner capable of underwriting the proposed product or service. Applicants should therefore clearly explain their underwriting arrangement and the role of the relevant underwriter. Solution Readiness Requirements The Challenge Fund is not intended for ideas that are still at a purely conceptual stage.

Proposed solutions must be at least:

- At the tested-prototype stage, or - Already launched and ready to scale. Applicants should therefore demonstrate evidence that their solution has progressed beyond an initial idea and has been tested or introduced sufficiently to support further development and scaling. What Makes a Strong Solution? A strong proposal should address a genuine market problem and demonstrate how the proposed insurance solution provides an innovative response.

Applicants should clearly communicate:

- The problem affecting the target market. - The underserved population or market being addressed. - The insurance gap or protection need. - The proposed solution. - Why the solution is innovative. - The technology or distribution approach being used, where applicable. - Any partnerships supporting the model. - The current stage of development. - The potential for scaling. - How the solution contributes to inclusive insurance. Focus on Underserved Communities The central purpose of the Challenge Fund is to expand insurance access among underserved comm