An SDG Acceleration Programme by the WFP Innovation Accelerator. Powered by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and GIZ’s Fund for the Promotion of Innovation in Agriculture (i4Ag)

The Agricultural Innovation for Climate Resilience Programme (AICR), a partnership between the WFP Innovation Accelerator and the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit GmbH (GIZ) and its Fund for the Promotion of Innovation in Agriculture (i4Ag), commissioned by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), is in search of scalable innovative solutions that support farmers and other agriculture stakeholders to build capabilities to mitigate effects of climate change on low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). 

Climate change adversely affects agriculture as rising temperatures, changing precipitation patterns, extreme weather events, pests and diseases pose enormous challenges for smallholder farmers and alter growing conditions, leading to decreased crop yield. Climate change aggravates existing inequalities, with small-scale farmers, women and marginalized communities being hit hardest. It is crucial for us to address climate change to secure a sustainable future for agriculture and food systems.

 

What We Offer 

  • Selected teams were invited to participate in a 4-day fully virtual WFP Innovation Bootcamp in July 2023.

  • Selected ventures were able to apply for the WFP Sprint Programme, which is a 6- to 9-month acceleration programme with access to: 

    • Support from the WFP Innovation Accelerator and relevant partners through the duration of their Sprints.

    • Mentorship and access to a global network of relevant stakeholders in the humanitarian, business and international development cooperation space.

    • Up to US$150,000 in equity-free funding for the implementation of a proposed growth plan. 

  • Solutions that have proven their concepts, scale, and value for social impact could qualify for further funding and support in future programmes or events in our alumni community. 

  • The WFP Innovation Accelerator has a track record of organizing over 45 flagship innovation bootcamps to date, supporting over 395 teams to rapidly refine their innovations, field testing over 100 projects, and bringing disruptive innovations to scale. Join a high-impact network of over 300+ disruptive innovations that have positively impacted over 9 Million people.

What We Are Looked For

The Agricultural Innovation for Climate Resilience Programme’s priority topics are listed here. Selected teams will be able to further develop their solutions toward scale during the 6- to 9-month WFP Sprint Programme.  

We looked for early-stage solutions that are building value for social impact and can demonstrate that:

  • Are at least at a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) stage. Proof of concept is preferred. 
  • Have conducted pilot(s) or already established feasibility.
  • Have a product or service with a verified potential of commercial value and impact.  

Selected solutions focused on one or more of the priority topics: 

  • Space-efficient Innovations
  • Soil-Saving Innovations
  • Water-Saving Innovations
  • Renewable Energy Solutions

More details about these topics can be found here.

Geographical Focus

Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Nigeria, Cameroon, Togo, South Sudan, Ethiopia, Somalia, Kenya, Uganda, Zambia, Malawi, Madagascar. 

Selected Sprints for AICR

Following a meticulous selection process, ten innovation teams emerged from the original sixteen pitching teams to participate in the HIAP Sprint Cohort. 

  • Anka (Agrigrid
  • aQysta
  • Bebeque BioEnergy
  • EcoRich
  • EnergyAssured (SheFarmsGreen)
  • FarmerLifeLine
  • Mechro (Chameleon Tools)
  • Smartel Agri-Tech 
  • ThurBiotech
  • UrbanGreens

We congratulate the selected sprints and hope for an exciting Sprint journey with them!

Stay tuned for updates on upcoming opportunities with the Agricultural Innovation for Climate Resilience Programme. Keep an eye on this space for more information.