Terms & Conditions
Who should apply?
The AgriTech4Kenya Innovation Challenge is open to national and international agri-tech innovators. Participants can include individuals (e.g. entrepreneurs, practitioners, students, researchers, and scientists) representing innovative startups, small and medium-sized companies, research centers and universities, non-profit organizations, and social collectives.
Participants should meet the following criteria:
- A team must include at least two people who have taken a full-time commitment to their project.
- The solution must address a real challenge hindering food security and climate resilience in Kenya and fall under at least one of the priority areas indicated in the call for applications.
- The solution must align with one or more of CGIAR’s Impact Areas and/or research activities .
- Applicants must show a proof-of-concept (POC) or minimum-viable-product (MVP).
- Applicants must show some measurable indicators of market validation, such as, users/paying customers, pipeline of potential users/paying customers, revenues, etc.
- Applicants can only submit original work for which they are the sole inventors and copyright holders. In the case of a group of co-founders, each founder must be reported in the application form and will be considered as a single application.
- Applications must be submitted in English and participants must have the capacity to participate in a project delivered entirely in English.
Important Note: Applications will not be considered for evaluation if they are incomplete, do not comply with the terms and conditions specified in the call, or are submitted after the deadline.
* Applicants in the growth stage and beyond with a sustainable business model are also welcome to apply. However, those selected will not participate in the bootcamp and acceleration program but will instead be invited to pitch their solutions to investors at the demo day.
Priority Areas
The AgriTech4Kenya Innovation Challenge is looking to support innovations aligned with six priority areas:
Sustainable Agriclture Production
Sustainable Agriclture Production
Enhance agricultural productivity, resilience, and long-term sustainability and circularity through access of modern skillsets, machinery, tools, data and information for smallholder farmers in Kenya and promote environmentally friendly practices, leveraging nature/carbon data, soil health, and the mitigation of adverse climate impacts.
Improved Market Access and Efficiency
Improved Market Access and Efficiency
Facilitate equitable access to markets and improve the efficiency of agricultural value chains. This entails reducing barriers to market entry for smallholder farmers, enhancing transparency and information flow within agricultural markets, and optimizing the distribution and logistics of agricultural products.
Knowledge Sharing and Capacity Building for Gender and Social Inclusion
Knowledge Sharing and Capacity Building for Gender and Social Inclusion
Promote inclusive and participatory approaches to agricultural development that empower all stakeholders, regardless of gender or social status. This includes fostering knowledge sharing, building capacity, and promoting gender-responsive policies and programs to ensure equitable access to resources, opportunities, and benefits within the agricultural sector.
Livestock Health and Disease Management
Livestock Health and Disease Management
Enhance livestock health and welfare while minimizing the prevalence and impact of diseases on animal populations and human livelihoods. This involves implementing preventive measures, promoting vaccination programs, and strengthening veterinary services to improve disease surveillance, diagnosis, and control.
Equitable Finance and Investment Mechanisms
Equitable Finance and Investment Mechanisms
Increase access to affordable financing and investment opportunities for agricultural producers, particularly smallholder farmers and marginalized groups, to promote financial inclusion, support sustainable agricultural development, and enhance the resilience of rural economies. This includes innovative financial products, financial literacy training, and innovations that could leverage on existing mobile money platforms, data-driven credit scoring, and alternative credit assessment methods to expand access to financial services by farmers.
Water Use Efficiency and Sustainable Irrigation Practices
Water Use Efficiency and Sustainable Irrigation Practices
Optimize water management in agriculture to ensure efficient use of water resources while mitigating environmental degradation and adapting to climate change. This includes improving irrigation technologies, enhancing water conservation practices, and promoting sustainable water governance.
What’s in it for you?
You will receive the tools and step-by-step support to build the foundations of an impactful agri-tech venture with scalable growth in Kenya. You will:
Be among the 25 selected teams to travel to Kenya 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 a network of partners, agribusinesses and investors, opening a gateway to potential commercial partnerships and exchange of market knowledge, insights, and industry best practices.
You will be supported by 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.
Reserved for participants who successfully graduate from the bootcamp
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.
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.
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.
Winners will continue to benefit from an on-demand support system, aimed at accelerating go-to-market and growth through mentorship, market introductions, and opportunities for long-term collaborations with CGIAR and project partners.