Innovation at WFP Rwanda country office (RWCO) centres on empowering local entrepreneurs and fostering community-driven solutions. Through targeted programmes, WFP promotes local ownership by sourcing innovations directly from communities and integrating them into key initiatives that support smallholder farmers and refugee populations. 

A core focus of this innovation agenda is strengthening partnerships with the private sector to improve market linkages, expand access to finance and support national priorities such as the school feeding programme, disaster risk management (DRM) and nutrition. Innovation also serves as a catalyst for knowledge and skill transfer, enabling government institutions and local actors to build capacity and sustain impactful solutions. This approach aligns with WFP’s upcoming Country Strategic Plan, ensuring long-term resilience and locally anchored development. 

 

Innovation projects
IGNITE Food Systems Challenge
In Rwanda, WFP has organized three IGNITE Challenge Programmes in partnership with WFP’s IGNITE Hub. The first two focused on food systems, supporting local enterprises that strengthen smallholder farmer resilience, market access, and nutrition-sensitive solutions. The latest IGNITE Challenge targeted self-reliance and livelihoods for refugees, bringing innovative ventures that provide livelihood opportunities for refugees, enhance financial inclusion, and build sustainable pathways to self-reliance to vulnerable communities. Several supported enterprises have since been linked with WFP’s humanitarian and development programming, advancing WFP’s localisation agenda and improving operations.
Innovation BRIDGE
The Innovation BRIDGE is a joint innovative finance facility launched by WFP and the United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) in November 2023, to combat hunger by scaling impactful, sustainable businesses in humanitarian and development contexts. In Rwanda, the facility provides flexible financing instruments, such as concessional loans and guarantees that reduce risks for private investors and enable promising agribusiness to access commercial financing. By unlocking private sector capital for food system innovations, Innovation BRIDGE supports youth-led agribusinesses and employment opportunities, strengthens national food systems, and contributes directly to Sustainable Development Goal 2 (Zero Hunger).  The first Portfolio Guarantee amounting to USD 500,000 (70% cover) unlocked 92 loans amounting to USD 714,286 of which 46% were accessed by women led enterprises.
This resulted to a creation of 1,017 youth jobs and more than 3,200 income-generating opportunities for youth within the Agri-sector servicing other smallholder farmers.
Post-Harvest Management (PHM) 
Implemented by WFP with support from the WFP Innovation Accelerator, the project tackled one of Rwanda’s most pressing agricultural challenges: post-harvest losses. By piloting practical, climate-smart technologies such as mechanized shellers, tarpaulins, and Zero-Energy Cooling Chambers (ZECCs), the project helped more than 9,300 farmers reduce losses, improve efficiency, and access safer drying and storage methods. Farmers were able to sell fresher, higher-quality produce at better prices, directly strengthening their livelihoods and market opportunities. 

The project also emphasized inclusion and sustainability, creating opportunities for women and youth to lead in innovation while piloting cost-sharing and Farmer Service Center-based delivery models. With the right mentorship, maintenance systems, and private sector partnerships, this approach is positioned to scale to reach 25,000 farmers by 2026, offering a sustainable model for transforming Rwanda’s food systems. 
Regen Genz
As part of climate-smart programming and with catalytic support from the IGNITE Hub, WPF is implementing Regen Genz, a project promoting conservation agriculture and regenerative practices among smallholder farmers. This initiative empowers youth farmers to adopt techniques that restore soil health, enhance productivity, and build resilience against climate shocks as well as to build entrepreneurial skillsets. By linking conservation agriculture with income-generation and sustainable food systems, the project contributes to long-term resilience and environmental sustainability.
Internal Innovation Program – Innovation Hills Challenge 
The Innovation Hills Challenge is WFP’s internal innovation program, designed together with IGNITE Hub to support staff in developing and piloting ideas that improve operations and program delivery. By fostering a culture of innovation, staff ownership, collaboration, and creative problem-solving aligned with WFP Rwanda’s strategic priorities, the program aims to embed innovation into everyday work. 

As part of the initiative, a series of innovation clinics were conducted for staff from both the field and country offices, providing practical training in Human-Centered Design (HCD). These sessions equipped staff with the skills and foundation needed to develop practical solutions that enhance operational efficiency, address challenges, and drive meaningful impact across WFP Rwanda. 
SheCan
SheCan in Rwanda is designed to foster financial inclusion and economic empowerment for women and youth, particularly smallholder farmers and micro-entrepreneurs. Operating in partnership with Financial Services Providers (FSPs) and leveraging blended finance models, SheCan provides affordable loans, financial literacy and entrepreneurship training and technical assistance to the FSPs.
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