Turning Tides: Driving Innovation Through the Mombasa Plastics Prize and Incubator

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Over the past two years, the Mombasa Plastics Prize and Incubator programme has sought to put the young people of Mombasa County, a coastal region home to Kenya’s second-largest city, at the heart of tackling the stubborn problem of marine plastic waste.

The programme, which was funded by USAID and Global Affairs Canada and led by Challenge Works in partnership with the Mombasa County Government, Proportion Global, Swahilipot Hub, Close the Gap Hub and Brand Spark PR, rewarded the most innovative solutions with over KSh 21 million (approx. $160k) of financial support.

Almost 60 young innovators began their Mombasa Plastics Prize journey in January 2023, following a competitive application process.  They formed into 14 teams to develop innovative solutions to tackle marine plastic pollution. 

By May 2023, these ideas had become prototypes, and the three best solutions shared a prize pot of KSh 7.2 million (approx. $56,000). 

Between October 2023 and May 2024, the Mombasa Plastics Prize Incubator programme supported the top nine teams from the initial phase to transform their prototypes into viable and sustainable enterprises through both further funding and training. 

We are thrilled that the programme surpassed all of its original goals, ambitious though they were. For instance, between January 2023 and May 2024:

• 27,535 kg of marine plastic waste was reduced, recycled, reused, refused, repurposed, and eliminated by the supported solutions.
• KSh 21.38 million of financial support was distributed. 
• 57 young innovators in Mombasa (aged 18 to 25 years old) were supported to develop innovative solutions to plastic waste.
• 51% of innovators were women.
• 67% of innovators came from informal settlements in Mombasa.
• 730+ hours of training and coaching were delivered.
• At least 150 Mombasa Plastic Prize and Incubator stories were covered in the media.

100% of innovators felt that the Mombasa Plastic Prize and Incubator added value to their solutions and that they gained new knowledge and insights.

Our Reflections and Learnings

Throughout the Mombasa Plastics Prize and Incubator, we gathered feedback and reflections from participating innovators and programme delivery partners via surveys, interviews, and retrospective workshops, to help us reflect on what made the programme successful and how we could keep learning. Our reflections are outlined below.

1. Co-design the programme with local delivery partners and innovators. To achieve truly locally-led development, the programme should begin with a process of research and co-design involving local participants and key stakeholders. This was key to the success of the Mombasa Plastics Prize. This ensures local relevance and maximises the changes of long-term sustainability.
2. Be intentional about inclusion. At the beginning of the programme, the Mombasa Plastics Prize had a clear goal in mind: to attract as many entries from young adults with a particular focus on young people based in informal settlements, and young women. From this point onwards, we wanted to ensure the innovators had the necessary support in place to enable their active participation, such as targeted outreach to women, monthly stipends to enable participation and a flexible training programme.
3. Secure endorsement from key stakeholders at the beginning of the programme. The success of the Mombasa Plastics Prize and Incubator relied on endorsement from key stakeholders, including the Mombasa County Government. Getting this endorsement early on and as part of a public event was critical for the programme’s widespread recognition, as it gave the programme credibility and helped to spread awareness.
4. Establish a diverse delivery team with different strengths. The collaboration and close partnerships formed amongst the delivery team – namely, Challenge Works, Proportion Global, Swahilipot Hub, Brand Spark PR, and Close the Gap – were central to the programme’s success. Each member of the consortium brought a different skill, be that prize design, community engagement, marketing, or innovator training, and was entrusted to take ownership of their specialist area.
5. Allow sufficient time for solutions to develop and formalise businesses. When working with inexperienced entrepreneurs who are developing brand new solutions in newly formed teams, it is important to allow time for the solution to be developed and tested, the team dynamics to settle, and the administration to be sorted, including legally registering an enterprise. For this reason, we expanded the programme to include the Mombasa Plastics Prize Incubator, to give the teams more time to develop their solutions.
6. Tie funding to targets, which have been co-created with the innovators. By aligning funding with key performance indicators (KPIs), the innovators were held to account and delivered high-quality work. Involving them in the process of setting ambitious yet realistic targets established a sense of ownership and responsibility.
7. The power of convening events and publicity should not be underestimated. Social capital is key to opening doors, especially for new entrepreneurs. This can be gained by exposing innovators to high-profile figures, running well-attended events, and publicising these among relevant industries and groups.
8. Don’t forget the human side, especially when working with young people. For many of our innovators, the funding received during the programme was life-changing. For all the benefits this brings, this can also present challenges, such as pressure from family to share the prize winnings. Through a series of initiatives, including the introduction of mental wellbeing sessions, we were proactive about preparing our innovators for this change.
9. Training should focus on social skills, as well as technical skills.  For early-stage enterprises, social skills, including leadership training and team building, are essential. Technical skills are important, but the foundations of a successful business relies on effective working relationships. The training programme should reflect this by including sessions on leadership fundamentals, having difficult conversations and team dynamics.
10. Embed plans for long-term sustainability throughout the programme. Sustainability must be considered consciously from the very beginning, as we did. What is going to happen when the programme ends? Who is key to the ongoing success and sustainability of the programme? These are the questions that must be answered as early in the planning as possible. 

What’s Next?

The Mombasa County Governor, H. E Abdullswamad Sherrif Nassir, the Deputy Governor, Hon. Francis Thoya, and their team at the Mombasa County Government have committed to support a follow-on programme, building on the success of the Mombasa Plastics Prize and Incubator programme. This will help to ensure the long-term sustainability of the programme and build out the legacy of the current Mombasa Plastics Prize innovations.

The Mombasa County Government is currently exploring further funding options to support the programme’s ongoing sustainability and legacy. It is anticipated that the Mombasa Plastics Prize 2.0 will be led by the experienced consortium of organisations that were instrumental to the success of the first programme.

Do you want to help to make the Mombasa Plastics Prize 2.0 a reality? Please contact:

• Basil Muga – Chief Sustainability Officer, Mombasa County Government, [email protected]
• Mary Gitari – Partnerships and PR Specialist, Brand Spark PR, [email protected]
• Jully Senteu – Project Management Specialist-Climate Change & Biodiversity, Environment Office, USAID KENYA & EAST AFRICA, [email protected]
• Naomi Whitbourn – Mombasa Plastics Prize and Incubator Programme Lead, Challenge Works, [email protected]

You can also read more about programme achievements and impact in our latest report.

Read the final report