RELI Africa
RELI Africa is a non-profit education network coordinating 71+ civil society organizations across Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda. It functions as a peer learning community, policy influencer, and organizational strengthening initiative through five collaborative projects addressing the regional learning crisis.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2017
- HeadquartersNairobi, Kenya
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What RELI Africa does
RELI Africa (Regional Education Learning Initiative) is a non-profit, member-driven education network founded in 2017 and registered in Kenya under section 10 of the Non-Governmental Organisations Co-ordination Act, with its secretariat headquartered in Nairobi. The organization coordinates 71+ civil society organizations and academic institutions across Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda to address the learning crisis in East Africa, operating simultaneously as a policy-influencing network, a peer-led community of practice, and an organizational strengthening initiative. Its core offerings are five collaborative projects — ADAPT (21st Century Skills assessment research), ALiVE (life skills and values education, currently in Phase 2 through December 2025), EQUIP (EdTech equity research), PE&E (parental engagement framework), and GERAP (girls' education) — organized around four thematic groups: Accountability, Equity and Inclusion, Teacher Development Support, and Values and Life Skills.
RELI Africa firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- RELI Africa
- Legal name
- Regional Education Learning Initiative
- Website
- https://reliafrica.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2017
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- RELI Africa is a non-profit education network coordinating 71+ civil society organizations across Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda. It functions as a peer learning community, policy influencer, and organizational strengthening initiative through five collaborative projects addressing the regional learning crisis.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
RELI Africa industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Education Network and Policy Advocacy
- NAICS
- Educational Support Services (61171), Educational Services (611), Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (54172)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- International & Comparative Education Policy Organizations (EDADADAL)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- STEM, Digital Skills & Innovation Partnerships (EDADALAJ), Refugee, Crisis & Humanitarian Education Partnerships (EiE) (EDADALAG)
Keywords
Where RELI Africa is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Nairobi
- HQ country
- Kenya
- HQ region
- Africa
Offices1 record
Markets served
RELI Africa business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Membership Contributions: RELI Africa is a member-driven organization with membership fees or contributions from civil society organizations across Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda.
- Grants and Donor Funding: As a regional NGO working on education in East Africa, RELI Africa receives funding from development partners and donors to support collaborative projects and network operations.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels9 records
RELI Africa product offering
Product offeringCore offering
RELI Africa is a member-driven, not-for-profit regional education learning network that brings together 71+ civil society organizations and academic institutions across Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda. The network facilitates peer learning, knowledge building, and collaborative policy influencing to address the learning crisis in East Africa, operating through four thematic groups (Accountability, Equity and Inclusion, Teacher Development Support, Values and Life Skills) and collaborative projects such as ADAPT, ALiVE, EQUIP, PE&E, and GERAP.
Product overview
RELI Africa is a not-for-profit regional network that operates as a member-driven and peer learning initiative rather than a traditional product company. Its core offerings consist of collaborative projects and programmatic initiatives: ADAPT focuses on 21st Century Skills assessment in curricula; ALiVE addresses life skills and values education with contextualised assessment tools; EQUIP conducts equity-focused research on education technology deployment; PE&E provides a framework for parental engagement in education; and GERAP drives girls' education initiatives across East Africa. These initiatives are supported by four thematic groups (Accountability, Equity and Inclusion, Teacher Development Support, and Values and Life Skills) operating across Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- RELI: Regional Education Learning Initiative - the primary network brand operating in East Africa
- ADAPT
- ALiVE
- EQUIP
- GERAP
- PE&E
Products and services
- ADAPT (Adapting Assessment into Policy and Learning) A research initiative addressing the incorporation of 21st Century Skills within education programs and school curricula in East Africa, underpinned by assessment data drawn from the lived experience of young people in the region. Target audience: education policymakers, curriculum developers, and researchers.
- ALiVE (Action for Life Skills and Values in East Africa) An initiative ensuring children in East Africa acquire life skills and values to thrive during and beyond schooling, developing contextualised assessment tools and generating evidence for system-level change. Target audience: education ministries, schools, and curriculum bodies.
- EQUIP (EdTech for Quality Learning: Understanding Inclusion and Equity Pathways) A two-year study examining critical considerations for EdTech designers and deployers in Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania to ensure equitable deployment of quality education technology solutions. Target audience: EdTech designers, deployers, and ecosystem actors including UNICEF, Mastercard Foundation, and Save the Children.
- PE&E (Parental Engagement and Empowerment) Framework A framework designed to guide the design, implementation, and assessment of parental engagement and empowerment initiatives in education across East Africa. Target audience: schools, NGOs, and education practitioners working with parents and communities.
- GERAP (Girl Education Project in RELI Africa) A regional learning and collaboration platform generating evidence and identifying solutions that strengthen gender-responsive and inclusive education systems for adolescent girls across East Africa. Target audience: girls' education practitioners, ministries of education, and civil society organizations focused on gender equity.
Quantifiable outcome
- 71+ member organizations across Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use RELI Africa
Customer profileNamed customers11 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
RELI Africa technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
RELI Africa partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
15 partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.
- East African Community (EAC)coreEAC partnered with RELI Africa to organize the Inaugural East African Community Regional Education Conference (August 2024) and the 2nd EAC Regional Education Conference (August 2026) to advance education transformation in East Africa.
- GESCI (Global Education & Skills Council International)coreGESCI collaborated with RELI Africa, Makerere University, and University of Notre Dame to implement the ADAPT (Adapting Assessment into Policy and Learning) project: Adolescent 21st Century Skills Project, funded by IDRC under the GPE-KIX Programme. GESCI leads the overall project coordination.
- Makerere UniversitycoreMakerere University (through Centre for Continuing Education - CEES) partnered with RELI Africa, GESCI, and University of Notre Dame on the ADAPT project to address 21st Century Skills within East African education systems.
- University of Notre DamecoreUniversity of Notre Dame collaborated with RELI Africa, GESCI, and Makerere University on the ADAPT project, bringing academic expertise to the research initiative on adolescent 21st century skills.
- Dignitas (Kenya)coreDignitas Kenya serves as the lead organization for the EQUIP (EdTech for Quality Learning: Understanding Inclusion and Equity Pathways) project in Kenya, working with RELI EdTech special interest group members.
- Shule Direct (Tanzania)coreShule Direct serves as the lead organization for the EQUIP EdTech Equity Project in Tanzania, contributing to the study on equitable deployment of education technology solutions.
- STIR Education (Uganda)coreSTIR Education serves as the lead organization for the EQUIP EdTech Equity Project in Uganda, working with RELI Uganda members on research and framework development.
- EdTech HubmajorEdTech Hub participated in the EQUIP Regional Advisory Workshop, contributing expertise on EdTech equity considerations and has developed audit tools for EdTech interventions.
- UNICEFmajorUNICEF participated in the EQUIP Regional Advisory Workshop as an EdTech ecosystem actor contributing to discussions on equitable education technology deployment.
- Save the ChildrenmajorSave the Children participated in the EQUIP Regional Advisory Workshop as a key stakeholder in education and child welfare in East Africa.
- People's Action for Learning (PAL) NetworkcorePAL Network partnered with RELI Africa and other organizations to organize the inaugural EAC Regional Education Conference, contributing expertise in learning assessments and citizen-led data generation.
- African Curriculum Association (ACA)majorACA partnered with RELI Africa and others to organize the inaugural EAC Regional Education Conference, bringing curriculum development expertise to the regional education dialogue.
- Association for the Development of Education in Africa (ADEA)majorADEA partnered with RELI Africa and EAC to organize the inaugural regional education conference, contributing continental education development expertise.
- British CouncilmajorBritish Council participated as an organizer of the inaugural EAC Regional Education Conference, contributing education and cultural expertise.
- War Child CanadamajorWar Child Canada supports accelerated education programs in Adjumani, Uganda that were featured in RELI Uganda peer learning visits, working with community structures for children affected by displacement.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
RELI Africa competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- Aga Khan Foundation: The Aga Khan Foundation operates education development programs across East Africa and is a RELI member organisation. It is an emerging participant in the same convening space as RELI, with deeper direct-delivery capacity but narrower peer-learning and policy-influencing remit.
Broad incumbents
- BRAC: BRAC operates one of the world's largest non-governmental education programs, running schools and education programs across multiple African and Asian countries. It is a broad incumbent in the education CSO space comparable to RELI's network-coordination role but with direct program delivery at far greater scale.
- Plan International: Plan International is a global humanitarian and development organisation with substantial education programming focused on girls' education and inclusion, closely aligned with RELI's GERAP and Equity & Inclusion thematic areas. It operates at global scale with comparable education-rights advocacy but more direct delivery.
- Save the Children: Save the Children is a major international NGO operating extensive education programs globally, and a RELI member organisation participating in the EQUIP project's Regional Advisory Workshop. It is a broad incumbent comparable in equity-and-inclusion focus but with global funding reach and direct program delivery.
- Education Cannot Wait (ECW): ECW is the UN global fund for education in emergencies and protracted crises, with comparable focus on equity and inclusion for marginalised children including refugees. It overlaps with RELI's equity mandate and crisis-education work but operates at global scale with significantly larger funding pools.
- Global Partnership for Education (GPE): GPE is the largest global fund dedicated to education in developing countries, and a key funder of RELI's ADAPT project via KIX. As a major incumbent funder shaping African education policy, GPE is comparable to RELI in policy influence scope but operates at vastly greater capital scale and geographic breadth.
Direct peers
- Association for the Development of Education in Africa (ADEA): ADEA is a pan-African education development network bringing together education ministers, policymakers, and CSOs. It is a direct peer to RELI as a co-organiser of the EAC Regional Education Conference and shares the regional convening, policy-influencing, and knowledge-brokering model across African education systems.
- People's Action for Learning (PAL) Network: PAL Network is a global civil-society network focused on citizen-led learning assessments across South Asia and Africa, co-organising the EAC Regional Education Conference with RELI. It shares RELI's member-driven network model, education assessment focus, and emphasis on evidence-based policy influencing.
- GESCI (Global Education & Skills Council International): GESCI is a non-profit focused on building skills for the knowledge economy in Africa, and a RELI member and co-implementer on the ADAPT project. It is a direct peer in the East African education-research and capacity-building space with comparable thematic focus on 21st century skills and youth.
- Uwezo: Uwezo is an East African citizen-led learning assessment initiative operating in Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda, and a RELI member organisation. It is a direct peer in the regional learning-assessment and education-accountability space with overlapping membership and geographic footprint.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
RELI Africa social profiles
Digital presenceRELI Africa financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
RELI Africa leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles18 records
RELI Africa funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
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RELI Africa M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about RELI Africa
What does RELI Africa do?
RELI Africa is a member-driven, not-for-profit regional education learning network that brings together 71+ civil society organizations and academic institutions across Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda. The network facilitates peer learning, knowledge building, and collaborative policy influencing to address the learning crisis in East Africa, operating through four thematic groups (Accountability, Equity and Inclusion, Teacher Development Support, Values and Life Skills) and collaborative projects such as ADAPT, ALiVE, EQUIP, PE&E, and GERAP.
Is RELI Africa a public or private company?
RELI Africa is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was RELI Africa founded?
RELI Africa was founded in 2017. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is RELI Africa based?
RELI Africa is headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya, in the Africa region.
How does RELI Africa make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Membership Contributions are the primary driver. The others are grants and Donor Funding.
Who are RELI Africa's main competitors?
Aga Khan Foundation is listed as an emerging player. Broad incumbents are BRAC, Plan International, Save the Children, Education Cannot Wait (ECW) and Global Partnership for Education (GPE). Direct peers are Association for the Development of Education in Africa (ADEA), People's Action for Learning (PAL) Network, GESCI (Global Education & Skills Council International) and Uwezo.
Does RELI Africa have an API?
No public API is recorded for RELI Africa.
What industry is RELI Africa in?
RELI Africa's product category is Education Network and Policy Advocacy. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDADADAL, International & Comparative Education Policy Organizations, with a secondary code of EDADALAJ, STEM, Digital Skills & Innovation Partnerships. Its NAICS code is 61171 and its SIC code is 8200.