UN Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) calls applications for Agritech Challenge 2021. The UN Capital Development Fund (UNCDF), in partnership with Atal Innovation Mission, NITI Aayog (Govt. of India); Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation; Rabo Foundation; International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD); and Bayer, is launching an innovation platform to enable a cross-border exchange of innovations, insights, and investments.

The first initiative of the Platform is the Agritech Challenge (‘Programme’), with a focus on improving the financial health of smallholder farmers. The Programme will support agritech and agri-fintech startups to expand to international markets, across Kenya, Malawi, Uganda & Zambia in Africa, and Malaysia, India & Indonesia in Asia. The selected participants will get access to industry, investor & market linkages, along with mentorship from sector experts to help them build and test their solution in their chosen international market, with subsequent support on scaling the solution as well.

Participation Benefits

• Market Access: Linkages with industry/market partners and local innovators to help co-create & pilot solutions in the chosen market.
• Expansion Guidance: Guidance from innovations hubs and experts on solution framework and regulatory & compliance landscape.
• Sector Insights: Mentoring and support of country and ecosystem partners around sector insights and local market linkages.
• Investor Showcase: Opportunity to connect & showcase the business to an investor network and raise capital to support the scale-up.
• Other Continued Support: Post-program support to scale up the solution and Opportunity to be considered for a financial grant.

Eligibility

• This call is open to a startup registered in any of the participating countries with at least two years of operations.
• At least $150,000 average annual revenue in the last 2 years; or $100,000 average annual revenue in the last 3 years.
• Live solution with an active customer and/or user base, and not in the development/testing phase.
• The applicant must address at least one of the following three identified challenge areas in their chosen international market.

Participating Countries

• Africa: Kenya, Malawi, Uganda, Zambia
• Asia: India, Indonesia, Malaysia

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