International Albert Schweitzer Prijs 2026
Are you working on an innovative health project in Sub-Saharan Africa and do you meet the terms and conditions to apply? Don’t hesitate to submit your project!
Prizes you can win
In 2026, the Nederlands Albert Schweitzer Fonds (Albert Schweitzer Fund, NASF) will award the following prizes:
- First prize of € 25,000
- Second prize of € 15,000
- Third prize of € 10,000
Roadmap
| Submission of application for the International Albert Schweitzer Prijs 2026 (ASP 2026) | Before Sat 7 February 2026 |
| Announcement whether or not your project has been shortlisted | Before Thu 12 February |
| Shortlisted projects receive questions | Before Thu 19 February |
| Submission of answers | Before 5 March |
| Selection of 10 nominees | Mon 9 March |
| Jury deliberation to determine the top 3 rankings | Mon 16 March |
| Online prize ceremony of the ASP for International Innovators including pitches of the top 3 nominees and responses to questions from the expert jury | Thu 16 April 2026 |
| Possible project visit as part of the vetting process in order to confirm the awarding of the prize | To be followed up |
| Implementation of the winning projects | Start in 2026 |
Seeking innovative project proposals
At the Albert Schweitzer Fonds, we believe that innovation is key to solving some of the most pressing healthcare challenges across Sub-Saharan Africa. By “innovative,” we mean solutions that go beyond traditional methods. These embrace creativity, technology, new approaches or community-led solutions to make healthcare more accessible, affordable, and effective.
We encourage projects that think outside the box and tackle healthcare issues in novel ways. For example projects such as:
- Hospital Playgrounds for better HIV care and SRH for teens in Malawi, in order to reduce ARV default rates and boost teen club participation among HIV-positive children and teens by creating youth-friendly spaces at two health centers (first international prize winner, 2025).
- 3D-printed prosthetics In Sierra Leone, a 3D printer was developed to make affordable prosthetics in different skin colours, enabling more people to be helped (2018 prize winner).
- Care via an app: An app that brings care closer to people in remote areas, enabling them to receive medical help and advice without having to travel long distances.
- Reusable vacuum pump for safe deliveries: A user-friendly, reusable vacuum pump that assists with deliveries, ensuring that mothers and babies in remote areas receive the right care (2023 prize winner).
- Dance for mental health: A project that uses dance to discuss mental health issues and break the stigma.
- Bonesetter project in Tanzania in which the hospital works with traditional bonesetters to provide appropriate care for people with bone fractures (2022 prize winner).
We are looking for ideas like these—projects that use new technologies, cultural approaches, or creative solutions.
Do you have a project with an innovative idea that could make an impact? Then submit your proposal! You will find the application form on the right side of this page. Before submitting, please read the selection process and the terms and conditions below.
Screening and nomination
NASF screens all entries and checks whether your project meets the knockout criteria. Only entries that meet the criteria are eligible for the prizes. By 12 February at the latest, you will be informed whether or not your project has been shortlisted. On 19 February, the shortlisted projects will receive a number of questions that need to be answered within two weeks. NASF then nominates a maximum of 10 projects from all shortlisted entries to compete for the prizes. The nomination is based on the originality of the project idea, the degree to which the project idea is innovative and the extent to which it aligns with the Theory of Change of NASF.
Candidates whose projects are not shortlisted nor nominated will be informed and receive feedback about their project.
What you can expect when you are nominated for the Albert Schweitzer Prijs (ASP)
- You will receive advice about your project;
- Your project will be put in the spotlight;
- The ASP has proven to be an important kickstart and quality seal for many candidates.
Top 3 selection
The maximum of ten nominated candidates will be assessed by the expert jury, which will select a top three from among the nominees. When assessing the projects, the jury will take the following points into consideration: the extent to which the project is innovative and scalable, whether lessons can be learned from it, the relevance, feasibility, local involvement, sustainability and resilience of the project.
Prior to the prize ceremony, the jury will ask questions that you can answer during the online ceremony.
The top three candidates will present their projects on 16 April 2026 during the prize ceremony of the International ASP and will answer questions from the expert jury. After the three presentations, the jury will deliberate to determine the first, second and third prizes.
Please note that a project visit may be part of the vetting process.
Terms & Conditions for application
A number of knockout criteria apply to participation in the ASP. If these are not met, participation is excluded.
- It must be a health project that:
- Is innovative in terms of its solution, approach, or organisation of care.
- Aims to have a lasting impact on the health of people in Sub-Saharan Africa by promoting a healthy living environment, improving the availability and quality of healthcare, or improving the health skills of (certain groups of) the population.
- Offers a concrete, appropriate and creative solution to a relevant problem concerning the health of people or the accessibility of healthcare in Sub-Saharan Africa.
- From which lessons can be learned for long-term implementation, further development, upscaling or replication elsewhere. This could be a pilot, a proof of concept or a proof of business, for example. Please note: The International Albert Schweitzer Prijs is a prize for doers; projects that focus exclusively on research are excluded.
- Is embedded in or well aligned with existing local healthcare systems. Additionally, the project must demonstrate clear and measurable support from its beneficiaries and local stakeholders. It must be aligned with their needs, ideas, priorities, preferences and capabilities.
- Is carried out and implemented by a team from/close to the people who will benefit from the project.
- Be completed within one year; will start in 2026, no later than six months after 16 April 2026 (the prize ceremony) and finish in 2027.
- Is a stand-alone project or a clearly defined sub-project of a larger project. Please note: If it is a sub-project of a larger project, you should only describe the larger project in broad terms in the project description in the application form, as context for the sub-project for which you wish to use the prize money. You should describe the sub-project in detail using the questions in the application form. In the budget, you should only indicate the total budget for the larger project and list all planned activities and expenditure for the sub-project.
- Candidates must be residents in a Sub-Saharan African country or temporarily residing there. The application concerns a direct request from an African organisation and not a foundation based in the Netherlands.
- The candidate/organisation needs to have a local bank account. Funds will be transferred in the local currency into a local bank account in the name of the applicant organisation. NASF does not transfer money into bank accounts in euros or any other foreign currency.
- The candidate submitting the project proposal/application must play an active role in the development and implementation of the project.
- The application form must be filled out completely. If relevant, statements should also be enclosed confirming that the local authorities support the project.
- Submit your application online, and no later than 7 February 2026.
- Submit horizontal (landscape) and vertical (portrait) images in high resolution, at least 1 MB. See also “image criteria” in the online application form.
- For external communication purposes, the candidate allows NASF to share a brief description and images of your project. This will promote both your project and NASF.
- The candidate is ready to answer questions after 19 February, and before 5 March 2026.
- The candidate is willing to present his or her project at the online prize ceremony on 16 April 2026 and answer questions about the project from the expert jury.
- The candidate is prepared to receive a project visit or online verification/due diligence after the prize ceremony, if necessary. Based on this verification, a final decision will be made to award or reject the prize money.
- The application form, all communication, presentations and pitches will be in English. This also applies to all project reporting in the implementation phase.
- Prize winners make the following efforts:
- From 16 April 2026 until the project is finished in 2026 or 2027, we expect to receive brief updates (with visual material, including photos and videos) about your project that we can use for communication and PR purposes. These may also be (collaborative) posts on LinkedIn or other social media in which you write about a particular update and tag/mention us. The NASF office will provide you with further information about this.
- To give a presentation for example during the next edition of the Albert Schweitzer Prijs (on request and in consultation).
- To stay in touch with our ASP community.
Conditions regarding the prize money
The prize money will be paid out in instalments, in the equivalent value in local currency, linked to the timing of the costs incurred/the phasing of your project. After winning the prize, you will coordinate this with the NASF office.
- Costs incurred before 16 April 2026 cannot be included in the budget.
- Costs for international air tickets cannot be submitted.
- Costs of medical or technical devices, machinery or goods that are bought in the Netherlands or any other high-income country, cannot be submitted when these can be acquired or manufactured locally.
- Personnel costs are permitted when necessary, but always on a temporary basis and with proper justification;
- Indicate which (local) personnel are involved in the project (e.g. a nurse, dietitian, etc.);
- Explain why this expertise is needed and why it is temporary and not structural; aim to make external deployment redundant as soon as possible; and
- Remuneration must be in line with local pay scales and involve local staff.
- All costs incurred that are paid with the prize money must be accounted for to NASF by means of periodic reporting and proper administration.
- NASF needs to receive regular feedback, both for accountability purposes and for the learning process of the prize winner and the NASF. This should be coordinated with the NASF office.
So, are you working on an innovative health project in Sub-Saharan Africa and do you meet the terms and conditions to apply? Then submit your proposal using this application form! Curious about the questions in the application form? Please see the example of the application form.