LEAP Energy + builds on over a decade of successful AU-EU collaboration in renewable energy research and innovation, notably through the LEAP-RE and LEAP-SE Cofund initiatives. Addressing the urgent need for a stable, institutionalised governance structure, LEAP Energy + aims to consolidate, expand, and formalise a long-term AU-EU platform dedicated to sustainable and just energy transitions. Anchored in the AU-EU Innovation Agenda and supporting key strategic frameworks such as the Global Gateway, AEGEI, and Agenda 2063, the project transforms ad hoc cooperation into a structured, resilient ecosystem. LEAP Energy + integrates five core pillars: inclusive institutional governance, science-driven innovation, venture building and blended finance, evidence-informed policymaking, and multi-stakeholder engagement. It will formalise a non-profit legal entity to ensure continuity, foster coordinated R&I programming, and support policy dialogues. Through living labs, startup support, capacity-building, and open science practices, it bridges research with market adoption, ensuring that innovations reach communities, entrepreneurs, and policymakers across Africa and Europe. The project leverages a network of over 250 past and ongoing R&I beneficiaries, and mobilises AU and EU stakeholders- researchers, funders, industry, civil society, and local actors - toward co-designed, impactful solutions. LEAP Energy + delivers measurable contributions to AU and EU climate and energy goals, while advancing inclusive development, science diplomacy, and equitable knowledge exchange.