Terms & Conditions
Who should apply?
The AgriTech4Egypt Innovation Challenge is open to national and international innovation teams that meet the below criteria:
- Are pre-commercial or conceptual stage with a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) or Proof of Concept (POC)*
- Have developed a novel solution that addresses a real market demand in Egypt and falls under at least one of the 5 priority areas
- Are the sole inventors and copyright holders of the solution
- Are purpose-driven practitioners, entrepreneurs, students, researchers or CGIAR scientists with a demonstrated willingness to adopt an entrepreneurial approach to their innovations
- Are either a registered company or affiliated to a research institute/center or university
- Are fully committed to the program and be ready to travel to Egypt for the activities on the ground
- Can clearly articulate how the technology relates to one or more of CGIAR’s Impact Areas /or research activities
- Require at least two members to be proficient in English.
*Selected applicants in the growth stage and beyond with a sustainable business model may be invited to pitch their solutions to investors at the demo day.
Important Note: Incomplete applications that do not comply with the terms and conditions specified in the call, or are submitted after the deadline, will not be considered for evaluation.
Priority Areas
The AgriTech4Egypt Innovation Challenge aims to scout and support innovations aligned with the priority areas:
Digital agriculture and
precision farming innovations
Digital agriculture and
precision farming innovations
Introduce and support the adoption of precision agriculture tools, providing solutions for informed decision-making on field management, crop optimization, pest and disease control, fertilizer use, and livestock farming
Agri-finance solutions
Agri-finance solutions
Facilitate access to adequate agri-finance solutions and services for end-users, especially for women entrepreneurs, to enhance lending and commercialization
Sustainable value chain development
Sustainable value chain development
Upgrade supply chain management for better production quality, traceability, and safety. Implement closed-loop production systems, minimize waste, utilize by-product tech, and ensure compliance with traceability standards
Capacity building tools
Capacity building tools
Empower farmers and value chain actors with access to knowledge, skills, resources, and inputs. Offer on-demand access to agricultural services and capacity-building modules, while promoting gender and social inclusion efforts
Efficient irrigation water management
Efficient irrigation water management
Address water scarcity, security, and high salinity by optimizing water management to improve irrigation systems
What’s in it for you?
Through the AgriTech4Egypt Innovation Challenge, you will receive the tools and step-by-step support to build a solid go-to-market strategy through technical validation and access to the market. You will:
Be among the 25 selected teams to travel to Egypt and undergo a 4-day immersive bootcamp offering a farm field trip, technical guidance, business mentorship, and pitch training. Travel and accommodation for 2 team members will be covered by the Accelerate for Impact Platform.
You will interact with network of partners and agribusinesses, opening a gateway to potential commercial partnerships and the exchange of market knowledge, insights, and industry best practices.
We will connect you with industry experts and CGIAR’s network of scientists who specialize in diverse fields of agriculture and operate across 90+ countries. Specifically, the acceleration program will offer group workshops on scaling tools, complemented by individualized technical assistance from CGIAR scientists carefully matched to strengthen the scientific validity of solutions.
Be among the 15 finalists to benefit from business-oriented training, personalized mentorship, technical assistance, and funding to elevate your venture through activities on product validation, team development, investor readiness, and technical sessions.
Reserved for acceleration program participants
Through our extensive partner network inclusive of farmers, growers, and agriculture partners, we provide teams with opportunities to pilot test their innovations and gain valuable feedback from end-users on the viability of their solution.
Receive an equity-free grant up to 300,000 EGP, provided by ASRT, to cover the operational costs related to testing and validation activities in Egypt.
The program will connect you to corporate partners, investors, and venture capitalists from partners’ networks which can open doors to valuable investment opportunities, funding, and commercial partnerships.