Food Systems Accelerator 2024

1. Scale innovations with climate-smart and agroecological agribusinesses.
2. Support agribusinesses with technical assistance on climate-smart agriculture and agroecology.
3. Facilitate access to finance from capital providers.

Priority innovation themes

We are looking for innovative solutions grounded in a user-centric approach, primed to make substantial positive contributions to food and nutrition security by boosting sustainable production and strengthening resilience and adaptation to climate change. We prioritize innovations that are climate-smart, ecologically sound and demonstrate a strong case for commercial sustainability. These innovations may take various forms, including digital, technical, products, services, or business models.

These can be existing or planned innovations in either of the 7 target countries as well as under one of the 4 priority innovation themes. Supported innovations should be designed to benefit smallholder farmers in East and Southern Africa. Attention will be given to business models focusing on the aquaculture, pulses, horticulture, poultry, and small grain value chains, as well as those that promote agro-processing, provide aggregation services, or apply agroecological principles at any level of the business. Women and youth-owned companies are encouraged to apply.

The four priority innovation themes are as follows:

Mechanization and irrigation

Solutions aimed at catalyzing and expanding a private sector-led approach. This is through (1) irrigation which aims to optimise water productivity and water use efficiency for improved agricultural water management (AWM) and (2) farm machinery support to reduce labour intensive farming and other production practices. Some examples of innovations under this theme include solar powered irrigation, deficit irrigation scheduling practices, grading and sorting equipment, storage, and processing equipment.

Conservation agriculture

Focused on promoting minimum soil disturbance, crop diversification, and biodiversity to enhance the natural biological processes. Some examples of innovations under this theme include, agriculture-based sustainable intensification management practices, Integrated Soil Fertility Management (ISFM), Integrated Pest Management (IPM), practicing recycling at the farm level or at enterprise levels. 

Nutrition-sensitive climate smart agriculture

Solutions decreasing the trade-offs between agricultural productivity, climate change, and human and animal nutrition. They make farming more climate sensitive and produce more nutritious food while maintaining productivity in value chains such as aquaculture, pulses, horticulture, poultry, small grain, cassava, or non-timber forest products (NTFP).

Agricultural Risk Management (ARM)

Solutions aimed to identify, evaluate, and minimize risks in agricultural activities, for example, advisory services, digitizing the value chain and agri-finance (microinsurance, savings, lending, and credit guarantees).

Business stage 

Early Stage: companies that are start-ups in the early stages of operations, seeking to establish their business model and prove product or service viability. 

Growth Stage: A company that has successfully navigated through its early stage and demonstrated a sustainable business model. At this point, the company is experiencing significant revenue growth, expanding its customer base, and likely has a positive cashflow.

• CSA Technical Assistance: through this program each agribusiness will collaborate with CGIAR scientists and experts to receive coordinated and specialized evidence-based technical support that encourages adoption and strengthens their CSA practices, addresses concrete ecosystem challenges, and improves their bankability. Agribusinesses may also have access to research and data.

• Impact Measurement and Management (IMM): Agribusiness teams will receive training on how to effectively measure and manage impact on climate-smart agriculture and agroecology, use their data to improve business performance, identify areas where value can be created and achieve their desired result in contributing towards positive environmental and social impact. This training will be provided by CGIAR network of scientists and experts.

• Investment Readiness: Each agribusiness will collaborate with a CGIAR partner and its network to receive investment readiness and business development support to help secure financing from the private sector.

• De-risking Grant: Upon successful completion of the accelerator program and Pitch Day, the winning pitches will receive de-risking grants of USD 20,000, USD 18,000, and USD 12,000, respectively, based on their scaling plans.

• Access to our network of investors to attract follow-on funding in grants, debt, and equity according to funding needs.

• The business should be officially registered and compliant with regulatory authorities. Please provide the following:
  • A Certificate of Incorporation for a Limited Company or Partnership Deed for a Partnership Business.
  • 2 years audited accounts for growth stage companies OR 2-year management accounts for early-stage companies.
  • At least 2 contact details of the company’s references.
  • Team composition.
  • Curriculum Vitae for management team.
  • Tax Compliance certificate OR official documentation for tax exemption.

• A clear inclusive strategy for smallholder farmers, women, and youth within the business model in at least one of the following dimensions: ownership, management team, workforce and policies, supply chain and customers.

• Applicants must be a for-profit company and demonstrate commercial viability and either be profitable or on the path to profitability. NGOs, corporate companies, and consultants will not be considered.

• Operating in the following countries: Kenya, Malawi, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, or Zimbabwe.

• Application period dates: 27th November 2023 and deadline 8 January 2024.
• Selection period: 15th January to 16rd February 2023.
• Kick-off event: 25th to 27th March 2024.
• Technical assistance: 1 April 2023 to 30 September 2024.
• Pitch Day and announcement of grant recipients: October 2024.

CGIAR

CGIAR is the largest agriculture innovation network with a research portfolio of US $900 million, over 3000 partners and clients in 70+ countries focused on enhancing food and nutrition security through a science-based approach to emerging development issues. The main scientific areas of focus include supporting food systems transformation, driving sustainable land and water use, supporting resilient agri-food systems, and creating genetic innovation through crop breeding and seed systems for adaptation of food and farms to meet goals for poverty reduction, gender equality, nutrition, climate, and the environment. Its research is carried out by 13 CGIAR Centers/Alliances in close collaboration with hundreds of partners, including national and regional research institutes, civil society organizations, academia, development organisations, and the private sector.

Ukama Ustawi

The CGIAR Food Systems Accelerator is a work package in the Ukama Ustawi regional initiative of the CGIAR. The Initiative aims to support climate-resilient agriculture and livelihoods in 12 countries in East and Southern Africa by helping millions of smallholders intensify, diversify, and reduce the risks in maize-based farming through improved extension services, small and medium enterprise development, supporting governance frameworks and increased investment with a gender and social inclusion lens.

Agroecology Initiative

Agroecology is a global initiative of the CGIAR. The Initiative aims to demonstrate the applicability and promote the investment and uptake of agroecology by food system actors, including small scale farmers, in low-income countries. The Initiative works with farmers and other sectors of the food system to ensure that agriculture harnesses nature’s goods and services whilst minimizing food system adverse impacts on the environment and improving knowledge co-creation and inclusive relationships among food system actors. It supports the application of agroecological principles in food, land, and water systems, and works to co-develop and implement agroecological innovations across food systems.

IFDC-2SCALE

The 2SCALE (www.2scale.org) is one of the most of IFDC (www.ifdc.org) influential incubator and accelerator program of inclusive agribusiness in sub-Saharan Africa. The program support partnerships and business models with significant potential to attract and employ the youth, to engage and empower women, and to improve food and nutrition security (at the consumer end of the value chain), also the program focus on replication of successful business models and on institutional factors that drive or constrain systematic and transformative change, to accelerate and scale inclusive agribusiness.